Campus groups gearing up for 2004 election

With the presidential election still 13 months away, the CSU

College Republicans have already started preparations to help with

the re-election process of President Bush.

“We want a strong turnout,” said Kyle Mickelson, co-chair of the

College Republicans.

Mickelson said members of the College Republicans will assist in

the re-election effort by being visible throughout the campus and

working the polls.

Getting people active is what Mickelson said aided the

Republican Party in the midterm elections last year and will help

the presidential election.

“We played a huge part in 2002,” said Mickelson, a sophomore

history student.

Mickelson said he credits the Sen. Wayne Allard’s close win in

last year’s election in part to the work of the College Republicans

at CSU.

Though the election is still more than a year away, Mickelson

said the College Republicans are getting ready to make phone calls

and schedule guest speakers.

Mickelson said one of the most important activities the College

Republicans do is set up a bipartisan booth with Democratic groups

to register students to vote.

Even if the College Republicans helps register people that vote

Democrat, Mickelson said it is more important to get people

active.

Even with the recent criticism from the Democratic candidates,

Mickelson said he still believes Bush is doing a good job.

“Iraq is the most successful war in the history of the world,”

said Mickelson, who said that though the causalities are tragic,

they are still lower than in past wars.

With the economy improving, Mickelson said he believes Bush will

win the general election despite what the Democratic candidates

have been saying in the recent debates.

“It’s politics, but it’s a little more negative than normal,”

said Mickelson, who said he believes the general election will be

very close, similar to 2000.

Scott Bruning, president of the CSU Young Democrats, agrees that

the election will come down to the wire.

Though the Young Democrats are not allowed to endorse a

candidate in the primary election, Bruning said he thinks it is a

three-man race between Richard Gephardt, Howard Dean and Gen.

Wesley Clark, who just announced his candidacy on Wednesday.

“I don’t know what (Bush) is going to fall back on,” said

Bruning, a senior political science student.

Mickelson said he hopes that Dean, a former Governor of Vermont,

will win the primary because he believes Dean is the candidate Bush

will have the best chance of beating.

“I don’t think in a general election that (Dean) has much of a

chance,” said Mickelson.

Mickelson said the key to winning the election will be to appeal

to swing voters and the reason why Dean will not win the election

is because “he’s too liberal.”

“It will be Republican turnout versus Democratic turnout. In the

end, we will prevail,” he said.

Jesse Mallory, a co-chair to the College Republicans, said the

group’s Web site, which is currently under construction, will be

available next semester so students can find out how to

participate.

“We’re trying to get a lot of issues that we think are important

brought out,” said Mallory, a political science senior.

Mallory said that despite it being an off-election year, the

College Republicans are getting ready for the 2004 election by

trying to get their voice out.

Bruning said he thinks it is good idea that the College

Republicans are starting the re-election efforts so early in the

campaign.

He also said the recent Democratic debates have presented

viewpoints that are valid, and he does not think Republican claims

that the candidates are attacking Bush too much are true.

“I think (the Republicans) are just whining,” said Bruning.

“That’s how the game works.”