Miami Student

Issue date: 3/4/08 Section: Editorials

In recent weeks, Democrats have been flooding Miami University's campus with literature, flyers and signs supporting both potential presidential nominees, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). This overwhelming zeal voiced from the Democrats, including celebrity speakers Kal Penn and Nick Cannon on behalf of Obama, has left many students wondering where the Republicans are hiding. Despite the presumption that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) will be chosen as the Republican Party nominee, Republicans on campus and thoughout the United States should not lay low during the next few months. The Miami Student editorial board warns that the lack of visibility of the Republican Party may make it appear unenthusiastic and apathetic, leading to a decline of Republican fervor at a time when maintaining the party's base is important.

Although there have been activist groups such as Students for John McCain, Students for Ron Paul and Students for Mike Hucakbee, the leading conservative group on campus, Miami University College Republicans, cannot endorse a presidential candidate until a candidate receives 1,191 delegate votes. This is due to the fact that the Republican Party does not officially support any candidate at the county, state or federal level. We understand that as Miami's College Republicans is an official branch of the Republican Party, the group must adhere to this rule. However, this does not mean that party members should sit idly by as Democrats seemingly motivate the party's base, increase voter participation in the party's favor and encourage swing voters that the Democratic party's candidate is best-suited for the position of fthe president of the United States.

Notwithstanding the Republican Party's regulations on endorsements, a lack of support for any or all three major contestants could appear as a shortfall of the party's enthusiasm. While Clinton and Obama signs hang from trees, message boards and bulletin boards, the College Republicans may have missed a prime opportunity to rally conservatives on campus, inform students on the different candidates and counteract the College Democrats' momentum.

Additionally, the activities College Republicans and other Democratic groups organize for the general election should be relevant in the group's efforts to convince students to vote. Although celebrity supporters of political hopefuls appeal to some students, such events are not the crux of increasing student activism. It is important to lay the groundwork for November by engaging and informing students of the various political candidates and their platforms so that students can cast an educated vote.

In 2004, College Republicans played a critical role in rallying support for President George W. Bush. After Ohio's primaries, hopefully there will be a greater presence of College Republicans and their advocates on campus. It may be in their strategic interests to lay low as the Democrats battle for their nominee; however, they might not want to lay low for too long, as timing can be everything in the year of a general election.

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