Primary concerns: College groups fight to increase voter support

By: Irene Manahan

Posted: 1/31/08

The Students for Rudy, a subdivision in the College Republicans at Syracuse University made approximately 2,000 calls to Delaware, New York and New Jersey and 5,000 calls to Florida in the last week.

They talked to voters about why former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani is the best presidential contender. They contacted College Republican leaders in chapters throughout the nation to create a solidarity movement between the states. They reached out to the student body, encouraging engagement in politics and involvement in a campaign.

Then, Tuesday night, the bomb dropped on the Students for Rudy. Senator John McCain took home the Florida vote-the vote from the only state Giuliani relied on. Come Wednesday, Giuliani announced he had conceded the race. Naturally, the team was left frustrated, but despite the loss, it did not feel defeated.

"We did all we could. It was beyond worth it. I have no regrets," said Vinny Napolitano, executive director of the College Republicans and chair of the Students for Rudy at SU. "We've really been able to experience the nitty-gritty of internal politics. I think that anyone who participates in these campaigns can learn valuable stuff for their futures."

As Super Tuesday on Feb. 5 draws near, political organizations across the SU campus continue to mobilize young voters and garner support for some of their favorite candidates.

Albeit their political ideals often clash, the College Republicans and Democrats at SU share a passion for engaging the student electorate. The upcoming presidential primary elections have driven the groups closer together as they encourage young voters to take part in this potentially revolutionary election.

"The presence of the College Democrats and Republicans on campus gives the face to both parties," said Abbey DiPlacido, president of the College Democrats at SU. "It shows that politics is something that people our age should care about."

U.S. voter turnout rates have steadily declined within the last 50 years, but as the 2008 presidential primaries come to a close, those waning participation patterns are starting to look up.

While voters between the ages of 18 and 24 are notoriously known for their political apathy, Brian Duprey, chairman of the College Republicans at SU, has noticed student awareness has peaked during this election season.

"I think this year, more than ever, kids are getting involved," Duprey said. "Each side of the spectrum-Democrat and Republican-is so wide open. There are so many candidates that could possibly win. This is the year that we could really make a difference. More people in our age group are taking notice and taking the chance to be involved."

The mixture of distinct presidential personalities has helped spawn new levels of interest. The College Republicans and Democrats are not publicly supporting any one contender during this primary period, but instead support all the candidates who are running in their party.

"We have so many diverse and strong candidates that makes this whole election year exciting," DiPlacido said about ground-breaking Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Bill Richardson, who has backed out of the race.

But a majority of members from the College Democrats and Republicans at SU have heavily supported their own New York state leaders.

Some of the College Democrats, in collaboration with the Citrus Political Action Committee, have worked to support Clinton, while many members of the College Republicans supported Giuliani.

Others support the Barack Obama, Mitt Romney and John McCain campaigns.

"We are not endorsing any particular candidate as a group," said Napolitano, who is also a columnist for The Daily Orange. "As a part of our policy, we don't back up any one Republican presidential candidate, no matter how consolidated we might be for them."

The College Republicans and Democrats will continue with their efforts after the primaries have determined a nominee for each party, and they will continue to work with students before and after the New York state primaries on Super Tuesday.

Both organizations broadly took action in previous semesters registering students to vote, but have since assumed two separate paths to relay information about the candidates and elections.

The College Democrats is planning to host several Get Out the Vote events for Super Tuesday in order to inspire students to hit the polls. The night before Super Tuesday, or as DiPlacido called it, "Midnight Madness," the College Democrats will distribute election-related literature to registered Democrats on campus in their dorms. They also have plans to table in the Schine Student Center to provide information about the candidates and voting times and locations.

"We're doing practically everything except physically taking them to the polls," DiPlacido laughed.

The College Democrats has also extensively advocated for students to play a part in the election by participating in the U.S. democratic system.

"Some people think 'Why bother?,' but elections are not meaningless," DiPlacido said. "If enough people our age have that mentality, it can really impact an election. If students can see their peers get involved, they'll see that their vote does count."

The College Republicans, on the other hand, turn away from mass publicity and promotion and instead work on individual levels by linking interested students directly to campaigns they wish to support.

The group informs students about Republican candidates and ways to participate in their campaigns. But its biggest efforts are built around self-driven students, as well as those who look to initiate contact with a campaign.

"Right now we're mainly focused on getting any members and students involved with the candidate that they like," Duprey said. "Our goal is just to try to be messengers. We let students and members figure it out for themselves."

Their techniques are as different as their stances, but in spite of it all, the College Republicans and Democrats at SU hope students can become aware, become interested and come together for this Super Tuesday.

"This is the best year for students to go out and get involved," Duprey said. "It's a defining election of our generation. This is huge, and it's great that SU can be a part of it."