McCain & Obama
With elections in November, the student political groups are busier than ever. Young Democrats and College Republicans have been planning events throughout the months leading to the election to promote awareness among students.
Both organizations have chosen to focus on local races for state senate and house.
“John McCain is predicted to win Oklahoma, so we will focus on local races,” said Connor Ferguson, vice president of College Republicans.
The College Republicans have invited Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-OK; Jim Halligan; Aaron Carlson, who is running for a state House seat; Rep. Rex Duncan, R-Sand Springs; and Rep. Lee Denney, R-Cushing, to speak at the club meetings and at football games about their campaigns and current issues.
“We are set to volunteer at every home football game and various high school football games to raise awareness,” said Ferguson, a plant and soil science junior.
Young Democrats invited Andrew Rice, a candidate for U.S. senate; Judge Robert Murphy, a candidate for state Senate; and Frankie Robbins, a candidate for U.S. House of Represenatives, to visit OSU, said Shane Williams, president of Young Democrats.
This year is especially important for Republicans because the party is about to take control of the state legislature for the first time, said Ashley Reynolds, a political science junior and president of College Republicans.
Reynolds said she feels that having a Republican controlled legislature will result in lower taxes and promote economic growth.
Most of the support from the College Republicans will attend Inhofe’s speech, who is up for re-election in the U.S. Senate.
Information about the meetings is available at the College Republicans Web site and written in chalk on the campus sidewalks, Ferguson said.
Williams, an international studies graduate student, said the main event for the Young Democrats and College Republicans will be the political fair called, “Pokes Vote.”
The two organizations will work with the Student Government Association and the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislation for the fair.
The groups will host the fair on the Library Lawn on Sept. 30. Various political candidates will discuss issues and answer questions at booths around the fair, Williams said. The student groups will also provide food and entertainment.
Later that evening, the politicians present will participate in a forum.
The political forum will be held in a town hall style. Admission to the forum will be one can of food, Williams said.
The groups have also started voter registration drives at the Chi-O clock. So far, more than 300 students have registered at the drives, Ferguson said. The groups will not push any specific party affiliation upon the students. Their goal is only to promote voter registration.
Because Oklahoma is expected to be a Republican state when the polls come in, the groups are not doing anything specific to support the presidential candidates.
However they will support the future president indirectly.
“Helping voter registration will help the presidential election,” Williams said.
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