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Election 2004 Countdown
Race to the White House 2004
By Nicole Stanley
Collegian Reporter
Political watchers
may need a few more eyes to keep track of the galloping polls
and the whirlwind of presidential candidates in election season
2004.
With six Democratic
Party candidates traveling around the country collecting votes,
President George W, Bush follows their suit trying to balance
his present duties with the campaign pressures.
At this point in the
season, even the experts are having trouble predicting the outcome,
but Hillsdale College Associate Professor of History Tom Conner
said he thinks the Republicans will be surprised at how close
the race may turn out.
"I think if the
Republicans are feeling a bit cocky, they better think twice,"
he said. "I say stay tuned-this one is going down to the
wire."
Conner is a registered
Democrat, but said he registered in 1988 when he thought it
would be beneficial to vote in the Democratic primaries-not
for his party preference, which he said is Republican.
The Mad Dash
Since the beginning of the battle for nominations, three of
the Democratic Party candidates have dropped out, leaving retired
Army General Wesley Clark and former Vermont Governor Howard
Dean as the most publicized candidates for the party. But the
early week caucuses in Iowa left Massachusetts Senator John
Kerry and North Carolina Senator John Edwards moving full steam
ahead with first and second place finishes.
Connecticut Senator
Joe Lieberman and Al Sharpton, the Pentecostal minister from
New York, have fallen behind in the polls, but continue to campaign
strongly.
With Hillsdale's largest
student organization being the College Republicans, many students
plan to vote for Bush and renew his term.
"I support Bush
100 percent," sophomore Judy Rainier said. "He has
brought honor and dignity back to the White House and his enthusiasm
for the well-being of this country is genuine."
The College Republicans
have planned a number of events to promote the Bush campaign
such as phone banks, door-to-door drop-offs, distribution of
literature and stickers, and submission of talking points to
various local radio stations and other news outlets.
They also plan to host
a number of speakers, including former Presidential nominee
Alan Keyes, as well as host another Congressional debate some
time in April.
Although many students
plan to vote for Bush, some are also dissatisfied with his recent
policies.
"I definitely
support President Bush in his decision to go to war," sophomore
Janice Faulkner said. "But I feel like he has been wishy-washy
on other issues such as gun control, gay marriages and abortion."
Conner also agreed
that the Republican Party strayed from what many consider conservative
tenets.
"I don't think
we can make the big government versus small government an issue
in this campaign," he said. "I don't think the Republican
Party means small government anymore with its policies on health
care and education."
The Hillsdale Classical
Liberals agree with this view of the modern Republican Party
and most members will not vote to re-elect Bush. They are also
planning to bring several speakers to campus within the next
few months, including Jacob Hornberger from the Freeman.
"I am anti-war,"
senior Ben Kuipers, former vice president of the Classical Liberals,
said. "Even if I were able to overlook that, I would not
be able to vote for President Bush. He is not a limited government
conservative, in fact I don't know whether I would call him
a conservative at all. I cannot support Bush."
Kuipers said he is
likely to vote for the Libertarian Party candidate. Those running
for candidacy this season are Michael Bodnarik, Clyde Cleveland,
Jeffrey Diket, Dave Hollist, Carla Howell, Gary Nolan and Aaron
Russo. To find out more information on these candidates, visit
http://www.lp.org.
How to Participate
Students at Hillsdale have a number of options for the presidential
primaries and general election.
Michigan Democrats will participate
in their own caucus on Feb. 7. The caucuses will be open from
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with over 590 sites. During this time, registered
Democrats will go to their county caucus site and vote for their
choice of Presidential candidate. The total votes from each
caucus site will be counted and reported to the National Convention.
The closest caucus site to the college campus is Reflections
Hall on 3380 Eck Road. To find the closest caucus site to you,
vote online, or get directions to vote by mail, visit http://www.mi-democrats.com.
To register to vote in the general election,
visit http://www.declareyourself.com.
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Democratic front runners
Ret. Gen. Wesley
Clark
Experience: Veteran, general, Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Issues: tax reform, national security.
Slogan: A higher standard for leadership.
Former Gov. Howard Dean
Experience: Governor, physician.
Issues: Anti-war, health care, jobs
Slogan: Howard Dean for America
Sen. John Edwards
Experience: U.S. Senator, attorney
Issues: Jobs, middle class tax cuts
Slogan: Real solutions for America.
Sen. John Kerry
Experience: Veteran, U.S. Senator
Issues: Jobs, peace in Iraq, health care
Slogan: Safer, stronger, and more secure.
Rep. Dennis Kucinich
Experience: U.S. Congress
Issues: Anti-war, health care
Slogan: Fear ends. Hope Begins. Kucinich
Sen. Joe Liberman
Experience: U.S. Senator, vice presidential candidate
Issues: Defense, jobs.values.
Slogan: Integrity, independence, ideas.
Rev. Al Sharpton
Experience: Minister, Founder and President of National Action
Network
Issues: Public education, health care
Slogan: Fighting for fundamental human rights
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