The debates may be done, but both presidential candidates have yet to thoroughly address their higher education plans. Logically, a good move for either President Bush or Sen. John Kerry would be to speak at MSU. We're still waiting.
After all, MSU is a highly populated university just a stone's throw away from the Capitol in an important swing state. Still, the candidates haven't visited. Besides, Theio's Restaurant is right between campus and the capitol. Kerry could stop by, stump on campus, get some pancakes with the governor and still have a clear afternoon.
Before the election in 2000, both Bush and Al Gore came to campus. They didn't stay for hours and hours, but at least they came. Student political groups can have a big impact on whether or not MSU sees the candidates. MSU's College Democrats, College Republicans, Students for Bush and Students for Kerry need to keep their noses to the grindstone and land us a major candidate.
For a collegiate political group during an election year, there should be no greater goal than scoring a visit by a presidential candidate. Campaigns to get students voting are important, but the reason voters remain undecided is that they haven't heard enough from the candidates. Working to bring them here would bridge that gap. In good faith, we assume these groups are working toward this. There might not be an announcement ready, but a progress report would be appreciated.
For security purposes, Bush's schedule is closely guarded. What he's doing and where he'll be aren't publicized until 48 hours beforehand. A similar system doesn't dictate Kerry appearances, so Democrats and Kerry supporters don't have the luxury of heightened security.
Students need to hear more. The debates only scratched the surface of the Kerry and Bush plans on higher education. We heard some talk about Pell Grants and how they're important on Wednesday, but there's still more to learn. How the job market will change to help new graduates find work and real specifics on affirmative action platforms were glossed over. If you want the college demographic to respond, register, get to the polls and vote, you need to address what matters to them. There's more going through a college student's mind than Iraqi exit strategies or terrorism.
Accordingly, college students deserve the respect of a formal visit. Thousands of young voters, previously unregistered, stand to determine this election and fulfill the Sean P. Diddy Combs prophecy come November. Respectfully, we think the Bush daughters and the Kerry daughters and Cate Edwards are all very nice, but we're not electing them into the most important office in the free world. We are passionate voters with an itchy ballot finger and we want to see the main attractions, not whatever young person they send to tell us how cool their dad is.
We can speak positively of one presidential candidate, though. Ralph Nader. We've said in the past that Nader's effort to be put on the ballot is the wrong fight, wrong place, wrong time. For the major candidates to gloss over us is an embarrassment - to the dedicated volunteers, student groups, voters and the university at large.
