2008 Woodie Awards
Decision 2008
In what could be our nation's most important election ever, the presidential candidate field is more confusing and crowded than ever. With campaigns targeting young voters, The Olympian sorts out the field for students and explores why this traditionally
DEBORA LASCELLES
Issue date:
10/10/07
Section:
Features
- Page 1 of 1
According to a recent survey conducted by The Olympian,
approximately 80 percent of Olympic College students
have little to no knowledge about the 2008 presidential candidates.
In fact, out of 250 students polled, only one-third
showed any interest in the upcoming election at all.
Why the apparent lack of interest? Results reveal that
many students think that his or her vote does not matter.
"With millions of voters, it's hard to believe that my vote
can make a difference," said OC student Kevin Stueve.
But documentation from the Federal Elections Committee
shows that during the 2000 presidential election, 1.1 million
votes separated the winner from the loser across all of
the 17 "battleground states," which included Washington
state. In Florida, there were only 537 votes separating the
two candidates, resulting in a victory by a margin of 1.6
percent.
In the 18-24 year old population, nearly 68 percent did
not vote in the 2000 presidential election - amounting to
more than 18 million young people. Considering the numbers,
it can be argued that America's youngest voters could
have the power to swing an election.
Dr. David Toren, professor of political science at OC, said
he believes that the indifference exhibited by the students is
partly due to the fact that the general election is still more
than a year away.
"This has never happened before - this kind of action
this early in the year," Toren said.
Local forums and debates with presidential candidates
began as early as February, despite the fact that Election
Day isn't until Nov. 4, 2008.
One reason for the early start, according to Frank
Newport, editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll, is this is the
first presidential election since 1952 in which no incumbent
president or vice president is running in the general election.
This produces a huge opportunity for both Republican
and Democratic candidates.
A lack of political awareness is another excuse that keeps
students from voting.
"I honestly couldn't even tell you the difference between
a Democrat and a Republican," said OC student Wendy
White.
It can often be difficult to determine where to go to
find reliable information about the politicians running for
president or politics in general. Each of the candidates has
official campaign Web sites where a person can find biographies,
upcoming events, speeches and his or her position
on critical topics.
Some of the important issues that are being debated by
the parties include the war in Iraq, universal health care,
education, immigration, environmental issues, gay rights,
stem cell research and the budget.
The Democratic candidates that are currently attracting
the most support are Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and
Barack Obama of Illinois and former Sen. John Edwards of
North Carolina. The next Democratic presidential debate
is scheduled for Oct. 21 in Manchester, N.H. and will be
hosted by ABC News.
The current frontrunners in the Republican Party are former
Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee, former New York
City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and former Massachusetts
Gov. Mitt Romney.
What some people may not realize is that the new president
can have an enormous impact, not just for four years,
but also for several decades. According to the White House
Web site, when a Supreme Court Justice retires, the president
alone has the power to nominate a new justice.
While the president and Congress may pass laws and
veto bills, ultimately, the decisions made by the Supreme
Court affect how each U.S. citizen will live his or her life.
Many OC students remarked that all the candidates
seem the same, so why bother voting?
"They're politicians, so doesn't that mean that they're
all pretty much evil?" said OC nursing student Brigitte
Jewell.
approximately 80 percent of Olympic College students
have little to no knowledge about the 2008 presidential candidates.
In fact, out of 250 students polled, only one-third
showed any interest in the upcoming election at all.
Why the apparent lack of interest? Results reveal that
many students think that his or her vote does not matter.
"With millions of voters, it's hard to believe that my vote
can make a difference," said OC student Kevin Stueve.
But documentation from the Federal Elections Committee
shows that during the 2000 presidential election, 1.1 million
votes separated the winner from the loser across all of
the 17 "battleground states," which included Washington
state. In Florida, there were only 537 votes separating the
two candidates, resulting in a victory by a margin of 1.6
percent.
In the 18-24 year old population, nearly 68 percent did
not vote in the 2000 presidential election - amounting to
more than 18 million young people. Considering the numbers,
it can be argued that America's youngest voters could
have the power to swing an election.
Dr. David Toren, professor of political science at OC, said
he believes that the indifference exhibited by the students is
partly due to the fact that the general election is still more
than a year away.
"This has never happened before - this kind of action
this early in the year," Toren said.
Local forums and debates with presidential candidates
began as early as February, despite the fact that Election
Day isn't until Nov. 4, 2008.
One reason for the early start, according to Frank
Newport, editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll, is this is the
first presidential election since 1952 in which no incumbent
president or vice president is running in the general election.
This produces a huge opportunity for both Republican
and Democratic candidates.
A lack of political awareness is another excuse that keeps
students from voting.
"I honestly couldn't even tell you the difference between
a Democrat and a Republican," said OC student Wendy
White.
It can often be difficult to determine where to go to
find reliable information about the politicians running for
president or politics in general. Each of the candidates has
official campaign Web sites where a person can find biographies,
upcoming events, speeches and his or her position
on critical topics.
Some of the important issues that are being debated by
the parties include the war in Iraq, universal health care,
education, immigration, environmental issues, gay rights,
stem cell research and the budget.
The Democratic candidates that are currently attracting
the most support are Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and
Barack Obama of Illinois and former Sen. John Edwards of
North Carolina. The next Democratic presidential debate
is scheduled for Oct. 21 in Manchester, N.H. and will be
hosted by ABC News.
The current frontrunners in the Republican Party are former
Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee, former New York
City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and former Massachusetts
Gov. Mitt Romney.
What some people may not realize is that the new president
can have an enormous impact, not just for four years,
but also for several decades. According to the White House
Web site, when a Supreme Court Justice retires, the president
alone has the power to nominate a new justice.
While the president and Congress may pass laws and
veto bills, ultimately, the decisions made by the Supreme
Court affect how each U.S. citizen will live his or her life.
Many OC students remarked that all the candidates
seem the same, so why bother voting?
"They're politicians, so doesn't that mean that they're
all pretty much evil?" said OC nursing student Brigitte
Jewell.
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