Though not as popular, the midterm elections this year are as vital to the future of students as any other. With a spiraling economy, increasing tuition and a growing disapproval of the Obama
administration, there is a lot at stake.
The Republican Party recognizes this by calling to arms, increasing funding and running their campaign on an anti-Obama theme. They are going for control of the House of Representatives — and the New York Times House race ratings polls are showing that this is 72 percent likely.
Though the Republican Party is riled up and preparing to unite, the Democratic Party seems, well, apathetic — and there couldn’t be a worse time for them to lose momentum.
In an article from Rolling Stone Magazine published online Sept. 28, President Obama clearly addressed his growing frustrations with Democratic constituents.
“It is inexcusable for any Democrat or progressive right now to stand on the sidelines in this midterm election … if people now want to take their ball and go home, that tells me folks weren’t serious in the first place,” he said.
Obama believes that while not perfect, his office is doing what they can to administer the changes they promised in his 2008 campaign. In the Rolling Stone article, he blames the GOP’s stubbornness for limiting his administration’s success.
The people who voted him in — the record number of minorities, college kids and underprivileged workers — all are growing uninterested. Two years later, and the jobs still aren’t here. Two years later, and political stalemate still seems to be the trend. Two years later, and our tuition is still an arm and a leg. Two years later, and “change” seems to be the hyper-ideological pipe dream of an overoptimistic Obama.
Frustration is evident throughout the Democratic community — even here in Eugene.
“His image of change wasn’t matched by policy change,” said Ellen Macomson, president of the University’s College Democrats. She calls his 2008 campaign “genius, but sort of manipulative.”
Macomson, 21, thinks much of the increased Republican activity is because they are rallying against something, as opposed to for something. After all, a key component of Obama’s election was the fact that it was right after a highly disapproved Bush administration.
The Republican Party had essentially worn out their welcome with many Americans, and it was easy for Obama to come and fulfill the image that the people desired.
“It’s so much easier to fire people up against something than for something,” Macomson said.
The Obama administration has obviously lost its edge.
So now the Democratic Party is against the ropes. At risk of losing the House, and still trying to work out of a deep hole, the Republican Party has no better chance to gain control than now. Democrats are in between a rock and a hard place: Do they want to still vote for a change that isn’t happening, or a revved-up Republican Party?
Currently, it looks like they don’t want to vote for either. That’s bad; not only from a party-to-party perspective but from the perspective of the nation.
Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, you should not withhold your vote from a race because you’re dissatisfied with your party.
You’re not waving a white flag on the opposing party, you’re withholding your own rights.
As college students facing a rough job market and raising tuition, we cannot grow indifferent with whom we want to lead our nation — even if we’re tired of waiting for a romanticized change.
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