Last Thursday representatives from Senator John Kerry, Senator John Edwards, and Representative Dennis Kucinich campaigns met with students to answer questions. The forum was organized by the Wesleyan Democrats (WesDems). WesDem members and other interested students showed up to find out more about the Democratic candidates.
“I was surprised at the turnout, and happy that so many people came,” said graduate student Josh Daniels.
“There were signs around campus, but I still wasn’t sure how many students would really be interested enough to come out.”
Jay Riddle, a volunteer for the Edwards campaign, spoke on behalf of the campaign, focusing on how Edwards plans to improve education and the economy and close America’s widening class gap. He cited Edwards’ plan for education that will, among other goals, pay for all students’ first year of college. Edwards also opposes the North American Free Trade Agreement, and plans to reform the World Trade Organization and International Monetary Fund, according to Riddle.
“John Edwards has a history of taking on big interests as a trial lawyer,” Riddle said. “He is prepared to make real change and not empty promises, to unite us under one America.”
Coordinators for Kucinich, Michelle Montavon and Bryan Albano, focused on education, healthcare and Iraq.
According to the representatives, Kucinich will generate massive funding for education and healthcare by cutting corporate waste, and plans to bring US troops out of Iraq once the UN agrees to send in peacekeeping troops.
“Kucinich grew up very poor, and lived in a car for much of his childhood,” Albano said. “He has a record of fighting corporations, and has not taken one dollar for his campaign from corporations or special interest groups.”
Josh King, who worked on the Clinton administration for five years and now volunteers for Kerry, took a different tone in his speech. Rather than presenting Kerry’s position on issues, King focused on the need for all Democrats to rally around whoever gets nominated.“This year will be just like four years ago: it will be a fight and we need to have the [losing] nominees help in that fight,” King said. “We have to coalesce around the nominee and take the White House back.”After the representatives made general speeches on their candidates’ behalf, students asked questions on issues that ranged from education and healthcare to electability and Ralph Nader. Several students said they were disappointed with the quality of information presented at the forum.“They didn’t talk about the issues enough and they attacked each other a little too much,” said Victoria Belyavsky ’07. “It’s hard to have a real debate about the issues without the candidates here, because these people are all, except for the Kucinich people, just volunteers from the campaigns,” said former WesDems president Kevin Baker ’04.
Annika Brink ’05 said she was also disappointed with the level of discussion. “They didn’t talk about the issues very much because, mostly, the candidates are going to agree on the issues in the primary season,” Brink said. “It turned into talking about strategy and electability instead of the issues.”The one common theme throughout all the responses was that no matter who gets nominated, the whole Democratic Party must rally in support of that person. “Hopefully it got a lot of Wesleyan students thinking about elections and not just specific candidates but about the party and about how we need to galvanize for November,” said WesDems member Mary Livingston ’04.
King promoted Kerry as a moderate candidate who draws broad appeal from the independents and center of the constituency, and will draw the country politically toward the center.
Edwards, aided by his Southern roots, has been drawing support from independents and Republicans, according to Riddle.
Montavon and Albano said that Kucinich is as electable as any other Democratic candidate. “No matter who the nominee is, it’s really important that not only do we stand behind them, but that the people working for the campaigns already stand behind whoever the nominee is,” said Betti Packman ’07, President of the WesDems. Another issue that arose was the question of which candidates had intelligence about Iraq, prior to voting for or against the war. King and Riddle argued that both Kerry and Edwards, who voted in favor of going to war with Iraq as a last result and only with international support, did not have access to accurate intelligence on Iraq’s disputed possession of weapons of mass destruction. Albano and Montavon said that Kerry and Edwards did in fact have access to such intelligence.The final question asked at the forum was what each representative perceived was his or her candidate’s greatest weakness.
“Dean was an operation and not enough of a person, and I am concerned that Kerry has had a lack of contact with everyday Americans,” King said. “Over the last eight weeks Kerry has recognized this and worked to change as a candidate and as a human being. I hope that when the campaign starts, Kerry will show a real affinity for everyday people.”
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