Issue date: 12/6/07 Section: Editorial/Opinion

On Nov. 15, New York University conducted a survey of its undergraduate population in regards to what they would need to be bribed with not to vote. Twenty percent of students said that they would give up their voting rights for an iPod, while 50 percent of the 3,000 students surveyed said that would never vote again for a cool $1 million.

Apparently, you can buy a vote in the United States of America. Unfortunately, for those of us heavily involved in politics, this poll gives us a rude awakening.

As a member of the UW-Eau Claire College Democrats, I am saddened that students would throw away something I consider so important to making democracy work. However, the article on AllHeadlines.com went on to point out that 99 percent of students considered voting "very or somewhat important." What this points to is that while students were honest in their original answer, when the morally acceptable question was posed, students answered in the manner deemed most appropriate. This poll demands one thing: that all political campaigns must be able to simply explain to students why they should care.

This poll should be shown to every presidential candidate, campaign manager, staffer and member of the press. It should serve as a clear warning to the campaigners that students cannot be taken for granted because they do have a voice, but are not necessarily going to use it.

Campaigns must show a commitment to real issues that will inspire students to care about the political process. Leading campaigns are talking about health care reform, but they have got to show students how it affects them. Higher education is being touted as a major issue, but nothing new is being offered. Since the majority of leading candidates have benefited from our illustrious institutions of higher education, they should feel compelled to give back to them.

While campaigns struggle with pulling students into the process, students need to stop being apathetic. As someone who believes very strongly in the power of the vote, it is sad that students do not value their vote more. I have seen the power of students voting as a member of state Rep. Jeff Smith's, D-Eau Claire, election campaign to the 93rd Assembly District. Smith won by 311 votes and directly attributes his victory to the increased student turnout on campus and in the student wards off campus. In statewide elections, students have the ability to make a major difference. In the 93rd Assembly District, there are roughly 65,000 voters, 10,000 of which are students.

Those 10,000 students have the ear of their elected officials. Smith has already held a listening session on campus, and state Sens. Kathleen Vinehout, D-Alma, and Pat Kreitlow, D-Chippewa Falls, will be making appearances on campus at least once next semester. In the last election cycle, both gubernatorial candidates visited the campus, as well as both House of Representative candidates, Assembly candidates and state Senate candidates. As we approach the fall of 2008, presidential candidates are targeting Wisconsin as a swing state, which means that all vice presidential and presidential candidates will be looking to come to campuses and convincing students to vote for them.

Students have the ability to force candidates to answer questions honestly, by becoming informed and being diligent. If we as members of the educated minority do not utilize our right of open forum and inquiry, our government will fall into a wasteland that is run by power hungry, war mongering, rich old white men. This election season we have the opportunity to pick the best candidate from a wide range of backgrounds, from a wide range of viewpoints, but all with one goal: to serve as the president of the United States of America.

Johnson is a sophomore print journalism major, member of College Democrats and guest columnist for The Spectator.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools