Students join predecessors in campaigning

Political activity at a low on campus this election

Oberlin alumni Phillip Tear, OC'43, and John Strong, OC'49, remember a time when Republicans were just as common as Democrats at Oberlin College. Both men still live in Oberlin and count themselves as two of the few Republicans in the town.

Oberlin is not entirely Democratic. Of the seven voting precincts five are more than 70 percent Democratic, but the other two are split. "[The split precincts] are where the big houses are," Mary Durling, OC `57, director of the coordinated campaign in Lorain County and former assistant dean of student life, said.

Tear is the chairman of the Republican Party in the Oberlin area. He said that there is no organized Republican campaign in Oberlin this year, and that although he hasn't searched out students to help with this fall's campaigns, he has seen no student support.

Christina Peterson, chairman of the Democratic Party in the Oberlin area and OC `72, has on the other hand seen some student interest and expects to see more.

"We've always had a lot of help here. Oberlin students have had a lasting impact on local politics," Peterson said.

Peterson said that the College community has a strong political effect on the area because of the political activity and awareness of faculty and students.

This year Peterson said that she has met with two students about the campaign. "I've met a few people who are very involved and very excited, but I get a sense that more students are less supportive of Clinton," she said.

"I don't see any enthusiasm [for Clinton]," Durling said.

Durling said that in 1992, students were so active that they were bussed to areas of Lorain to campaign and drum up support for Clinton. "It was a different atmosphere and a different election," Hal Connolly, fifth-year student and co-chair of the Oberlin College (OC) Democrats, said.

Peterson said that in 1992 the students organizing student volunteers "did an extraordinary job."

Connolly said that the lukewarm student involvement this year is "kind of discouraging." He said, "I think the most important thing we can do is get students involved and excited and participating. Our age group is the age group that probably participates least."

"In 1992 Clinton was idealized. We thought he was the next great leader. There was a lot of emotion and energy in that campaign. [This year] people realize that Clinton isn't perfect," Connolly said.

Peterson agrees that Clinton has moved farther right than many Oberlin Democrats would like him to, but she said, "If you feel your position is left of Clinton, not helping him is not helping you."

Connolly agrees that helping Clinton is the best thing a liberal can do. "The reason the Democratic party has drifted right is because people like us haven't been active," he said.

Durling said that she thinks students are still committed to social, economic and environmental problems, but that they are unsure that one political party will be able to solve them.

Connolly also said that many students who are registered in Ohio are unaware of local politics. He said that the OC Democrats plan to do voter education for these students. He also expects more interest as the election gets closer.

The OC Democrats have many planned activities for the next five weeks. Up until recently, the major goal has been to register students to vote together with Ohio Public Interest Resource Group (Ohio PIRG). The deadline for registration is Monday, however, so the groups will have a last minute effort over the weekend at Parents and Family Weekend events.

The Democrats are also planning a trip to see Vice President Al Gore in Columbus today, voter registration at the Peter Yarrow concert, phone banking in Elyria on Saturday, and a debate party for the entire campus on Sunday evening, in addition to other activities. They also plan to bring students to a lunch with Congressman Sherrod Brown on Sunday. Brown is up for re-election this year, and was elected in 1992 in a very close election.

There have been no signs of a student group of republicans, yet. Connolly said that in 1992 there were a handful of "very vocal" republicans, but he has seen no sign of them this year.

The Oberlin College Republicans are a chartered student organization, but inactive.

Both Strong and Tear know of no student group either. But Strong said the left-leaning nature of Oberlin isn't a problem for him. "When I was there it went the other way," he said. "People will wise up eventually."

Strong thinks that the Oberlin environment perpetuates the Democratic trends. "If a moderate Republican came to Oberlin as a freshman, they'd be overwhelmed," he said. Strong said that part of the liberalism comes from youthful idealism, and that in 10 years, today's students will change their social and political thoughts.

Strong dates the shift in Oberlin's political make-up to faculty changes in the 1930s. "I was in grade school when Oberlin College started to change," Strong said.

He said that the area was half Republican in 1960 and "henceforth has gone downhill." He named the growth of labor in Elyria and Lorain, and the influence of the College as the reasons for this shift.