Rock Bottom? Economic Panel Discussion

Last Wednesday, the SU College Republicans hosted an economic panel discussion titled, "Rock Bottom?" The intent was to gather a few professors, and a small business owner to discuss the state of the economy. We had begun planning this months ago, and it was actually the first event that the Sweeney Administration was responsible for hosting.

As a club, we came up with questions for the panelists in three categories - general economic issues, how college students are affected and a future outlook. Now standing a week or so removed from the event with adequate hindsight, I can say I could not be happier. The turnout was significant (end count was 55+ students, professors, members of the community) and the discussion was thought-provoking and valuable. As with most of our SU Republican events, I was behind the camera taking photos. One is posted here, the rest are available on the SUR Site.

Ignorant Voters

The general consensus when it comes to voter participation is, more is better. Get more people to register, get more people to turn out at the polls and the system will be more democratic, more representative. Voting is a civic responsibility and the participation in the United States has been less than stellar throughout most election cycles in most demographics and there seems to be a constant sense of encouragement towards greater participation for as long as I can remember. I agree entirely. More voters means more opinions are heard and that the government is more accountable to citizens. However, I have a tremendous problem with the disconnect between voting and informed voting.

So many times have I heard Democrats giving flimsy, superficial or overly generalized reasoning for their support of BHO - because he's cool, because he's young, because he's a great speaker, because he's optimistic, because he will make history. While these are fine points to recognize, they are entirely superficial and have no bearing on the type of leader he is or might be. Barack Obama will absolutely make history if elected as the first African-American President and he's a young guy who speaks eloquently and listens to hip-hop. Awesome. His candidacy is inspiring by any measure, but does he have the experience necessary to hold the office of President? Is his vision for the direction of the country what is best? What is most frightening is that individuals are readily endorsing him just because his iPod has Jay-Z on it or because he knows how to read a prepared speech.

I suppose I was slightly naive in my thinking. As a self-proclaimed political nerd, I know the Founding Fathers instituted the Electoral College and other measures to prevent an ignorant populous to hold sway in selecting leaders. However, I was legitimately not prepared for what I heard the yesterday.

A friend and one of my suite mates recently sent me a recording from a Sirius Satellite channel. One of the DJ's on the program traveled to Harlem to speak with average Americans on the street asking who they were supporting for president and why. The entirety had said they supported Senator Obama for President and gave vague justification why. The DJ then substituted McCain's political platform for Obama's in follow-up questions and the individuals he spoke with were oblivious. He even went a step further asking prospective voters their opinion of BHO's "choice" of Sarah Palin as his running mate. Listen for yourself, this is staggering. I'm not saying higher voter participation is a bad thing, but do you feel comfortable with individuals selecting the next President who are so ignorant, they cannot differentiate much anything beyond physical characteristics of a candidate?

Link: Blink Allegiance to Barack

This post also appears on my personal blog, Eric's Rage and Grace.

Carney Debate Jitters?

The debate over debates in the Pennsylvania 10th Congress District race has been an issue for weeks, causing an even greater sense of tension between both the Hackett and Carney campaigns. Chris Hackett, the Republican challenger to Chris Carney's Congressional seat proposed a series of three debates between them to be held prior to election day, including one they wished to hold at Susquehanna University. In March of this year, we hosted the Republican debate between Chris Hackett and Dan Meuser with great success and positive comments from all observers.

In the time since the primary election, our organization has embraced the idea of potentially hosting a debate on campus. The event in March proved to be informative, interesting and fun for us planning it and we as a group were eager at the prospect of another opportunity to prepare a political debate on campus. In the interests of fairness and bipartisanship, we extended the invitation to the SU Democrats to help plan and coordinate our contacts with the Hackett camp and theirs at Carney's.

I find it unfortunate that the Carney campaign still only wishes to have one tentative debate with Chris Hackett. As an incumbent, Chris Carney has much to lose and little to gain by sparring with his Republican challenger in an overwhelmingly conservative Congressional district. However, debates are an important hallmark of our election season, one where the public is afforded an opportunity to see candidates under a microscope, challenged to defend their positions, policy stances, and their record. While I can understand Carney's hesitation to debate, the discussion and vetting a debate provides are invaluable information to voters, information which allows us to determine who is the better candidate that appeals to our personal values. Aside from that fact, a series of three debates is not unreasonable by any measure. I feel that the Congressman was elected to serve the best interests of his constituents, and debates with opponents are always in the best interests of constituents.

In my contact with the SU Democrats, they share an enthusiasm in jointly hosting an event and it speaks volumes towards the character of both organizations' leadership and members. While we might not agree on issues or ideology, we can agree that bringing debate and political discussion to campus is beneficial for all. I do sincerely hope that the SU Democrats will step up, call on Chris Carney's campaign to attend our proposed debate at Susquehanna University. His hesitation to debate is troubling, especially with no real valid reasons to oppose it aside from self-preservation. The parameters of debate are reasonable and the SU College Republicans and SU Democrats are eager to host - the only thing missing is a willing incumbent.

Congrats!

Three Susquehanna University College Republicans won FREE lodging at the GOP Convention! These three students were amongst the top 40 activists in the nation!

Congrats go out to:

Mike Ubbens (Chairman)
Liz Rhoads (Executive Director)
Nora Olsewski (Secretary)

Conservatives in Entertainment

It is no secret that Hollywood is notoriously known for being overtly liberal. Few are surprised when an Oscar acceptance speech turns into a diatribe about the Iraq war, or celebrities stump for Democrats running for office. What many often overlook are the (decidedly small) ranks of Republicans who are actors for television of movies. Sure, Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger are by far the most prominent, but there are other conservatives populating movie trailers and back lots.

Back in 2004, AMC aired a documentary called "Rated R: Republicans in Hollywood" which first opened my eyes to a counter to the liberal Ben Afflecks and Barbra Streisands that seem to take many of the headlines when it came to support for politicans. They highlighted a few individuals who I hadn't known were conservative - Patricia Heaton ("Everybody Loves Raymond"), Pat Sajak ("Wheel of Fortune"), Drew Carey (if I remember right, he described himself as a libertarian or 'a conservative who likes to get high'), Adam Sandler and Heather Locklear, as well as others who I knew, or weren't surprised to hear, like Bruce Willis, Mel Gibson, Ben Stein, Donald Trump and Chuck Norris.

The list goes on of Republican actors both past and present: Fred Thompson, Frank Sinatra, Charleton Heston ("cold, dead hands" anyone?), John Wayne, Bob Hope, Britney Spears, James Woods, Kid Rock, Kelsey Grammer, "The Rock" (spoke at the Republican Convention in 2004), Jessica Simpson, Jon Voight, Alice Cooper, Jim Belushi, Clint Eastwood (he actually served as a Republican mayor of a small town in California from '86-'88), Brooks and Dunn, Rip Torn, Sonny Bono, Tom Selleck and undoubtedly more.

I began thinking about conservative members of the entertainment industry after recently reading some remarks by Jon Voight about his support for McCain over Obama. Although they do represent a healthy section of the film, TV and music industry, Republicans in Hollywood are seen as outsiders at best to left-leaning community and many are hesitant to make their support known. In the AMC documentary a few years ago, several refused to be interviewed and those who did, I'm thinking particularly of Patricia Heaton, shared her experiences with being treated differently for holding conservative viewpoints. In the past, few have been willing or eager too be as outspoken as their liberal counterparts for a variety of reasons, all of which are completely valid.

Now, I don't particularly make my movie choices according to the political ideologies of the people who star in them, but it is a cool fact to know. It isn't so much the fact that most individuals performing on stage or on the big screen are in any position of authority to share their political perspectives, because with a few exceptions, none can speak on politics any more than the next person. What it comes down to is, in 2008 each side will be fighting hard for every last vote and while polls suggest who actors or musicians support play little relevance, it still at the very least, would make things more interesting.

Just imagine what an election it would be if Britney Spears baby sat for John McCain's kids? Or if Drew Carey came along with the Senator in a "Price Is Right" style game show of how much Obama's health care proposals will cost? Maybe Pat Sajak could start changing the puzzles on his nightly show to reflect slights at Obama, or boost McCain - The category is 'War Hero'. I wouldn't mind seeing the Donald in the boardroom weeding out VP candidates for McCain either. If it were up to me, I'd put Clint Eastwood, Bruce Willis, The Rock and Chuck Norris up to working the security at McCain events, too. of Sonny Bono could be used to raise awareness of the dangers of skiing and Kelsey Grammer could work to promote good mental health. Have Alice Cooper out talking about education and send Mel Gibson and Jon Voight to capture the Catholic vote and hunt for treasures to help offset Obama's fundraising advantage while you're at it. Is that too much more to ask? Get on it Hollywood!

This post also appears on my personal blog, Eric's Rage and Grace, and on the PA College Republican Blog.

Susquehanna University College Republicans Visit John McCain!

We were fortunate enough to get to attend John McCain's Town Hall meeting in Wilkes-Barre, PA on July 23. We were able to sit on stage right behind him!

Senator McCain did a great job and the town hall really showcased his character. McCain is very sincere and genuine about doing what's best for his country. He is all about serving something higher than himself: his country.

He answered each question and gave an answer that we could believe. You have to see him in person to truly get the full picture. The thing that stood out most for me, was when Senator McCain said, "I've made my stance on the war according to what is best for my country, not what is best for my campaign." Unlike others we may know...

Pictured (from left to right): Mike Ubbens, Erin Dinsmore, Spencer Johnson, Liz Rhoads, Adam Krushinskie, Jim Valentine

9/11 - Honoring the Victims

The PACRs Do....do you?

Article found here.

PACRs' Website=Doing the RIGHT Thing!

Alright so here's the deal...the PACRs just launched the greatest website everrr, and there are some (or at least one blogger) who believe that the PACRs are spending too much time on their website. That is absolutely rediculous for several reasons, one being that the majority of youth register democrat and the majority of youth are constantly online. Those two facts obviously mean the PACRs are doing the right thing by reaching out to the web audience - that's the audience that needs to be reached.

But I'll stop now and post Mike Ubbens' (PACR Co-Chairman) response to this issue...because his response is exactly what I believe on this issue.



In Other News…

The PA College Republicans recently released their brand new website, making plenty of blogs throughout the state and even some national blogs. However, in the midst of all these blogs was one specific comment that struck me. The subscriber accused us of focusing too much on the website. There was an attitude as if this state federation were not doing our part as College Republicans.

If the website isn’t enough, where should we begin? It’s become apparent that of the youth registering to vote, the majority are registering as Democrats. This is where we should begin. In order to win an election as College Republicans, we must win the battle for the youth! But how do we get the youth vote over to the right side?

It starts by targeting the youth! The College Republican National Committee understands this, as they developed STORM, a national College Republican networking resource. It’s a good start. The college population throughout America is all about social networking. Walk into a library at any University and you are bound to see several students on the computer on Facebook. Social networking and internet presence will be the most effective way of winning back the youth and attracting them to the GOP.

Which brings us back to the PA College Republicans website. The website was created in order to address the increasing apathy amongst youth in the Republican Party. It will be a successful tool in battling apathy and liberal bias on campuses throughout the nation. In four days, we increased membership by 10 students, and have increased the membership of both Facebook and STORM groups by at least 20 people. Even further, to this date, 1,729 people visited our site. Interest is growing. Our blog will be active every week, for our members to share thoughts and give updates on events.

The site is now a hub for social media outlets. It fosters a community of members on several different types of social networking organizations. This is essential to getting word out on any kind of mobilization necessary to bring a victory in 2008. Federations throughout the nation should begin to focus on getting word out in the fastest time possible. This is the only way we will be able to efficiently battle the liberal media.

The future of politics seems to lie within the internet. Most people get their information from news websites, blogs, or even youtube. When the majority of news on the internet is liberally biased, it is no wonder that the largest demographic of people on the internet (youth) are registering with the party on the left – the one with the least substance and most rhetoric. College Republican federations must realize this, as the CRNC has, and finally embrace this new movement. Blogs such as crnation.com and truthcaucus.com have begun promoting this movement, but it takes initiative from each state federation. It’s time to make the investment in YOUR future and begin building the next republican party.

Let’s win back the youth…

-Mike Ubbens
PA Federation of College Republicans, Co-Chairman