The College Democrats have brought prominent Democrats, such as former presidential candidate Bill Bradley and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, to the University in the past week. All the speakers have encouraged students to vote Nov. 7, but they also told the campus community to vote for Vice President Al Gore.
But so far, prominent Republicans haven’t been making high-profile stops on campus to stump for Texas Gov. George W. Bush.
The College Republicans have been hard at work this fall and continue to be as Election Day nears, but they say their efforts are not as noticed on campus because they are forced to hold their activities off-campus.
Scott Austin, who is a member of the College Republicans, said when Gordon Smith, who ran for the U.S. Senate in 1996, came to the University he received a rude greeting from a liberal crowd. People spit on Smith and threw food at him.
Stan Pulliam from the College Republicans said those sentiments still exist on campus today. He and other local Republicans think the group has not been able to have Republican leaders come to campus because the officials don’t feel safe or welcomed by the students.
Jeff Hoyt, Chairman of the Republican Party for Lane County, said representatives for Bush and Republican vice presidential candidate Dick Cheney purposely avoid coming to the University.
Hoyt said this oppression toward conservatives goes back to the 1980s when attorney and prominent conservative speaker Phyllis Schlafly was unable to speak on campus because of the disrespectful crowd.
Hoyt said the University is stifling in terms of the free range of ideas espoused.
The College Republicans, with more than 90 members, have been on campus for more than three decades. The group sent 11 volunteers to help arrange the speaking engagement for Cheney when he spoke Oct. 24 in Junction City.
“The difference between the College Democrats and the College Republicans is that we are more consistent,” Austin said. “We have been active longer even though we can’t bring big-name speakers to campus.”
The College Republicans have also been active in the community with non-political projects, including an Oct. 22 pumpkin drive when they delivered 30 pumpkins to elderly people.
Although the College Democrats’ activities have been more visible, the group’s treasurer, Mike Linman, doesn’t want any political involvement to be wasted time. He stressed the importance of students actually showing up to the polls on Nov. 7.
“We as students, and as Americans, share the ability to make a difference in how our society functions,” Linman said. “We are silencing our own voice by not voting.”
Linman, who tackled the stress of midterms combined with the lack of sleep associated with campaign work, said he would do it all again in a heartbeat because he is helping people realize that their votes do make a difference. Linman said students don’t rank voting high on their list of priorities.
“What I don’t think they are realizing is that things like work and school are affected by how our government is run,” Linman said. “I would like to see people our age vote, and while of course I would love it if they voted for Al Gore and our ideals, I would rather see a 90 to 100 percent turnout.”
Tonight at 7:30 in the Hamilton Conference Room, the College Republicans and the College Democrats will debate philosophical differences on various political and social issues.