I’m surprised at how few students showed up for the student-run
presidential debates last night in 100 Thomas.  It was well-done; I learned a
lot that I wouldn’t have known probably until later in the campaign.  Each of
the two democratic and republican candidates had their own student
representation.  The student for Hilary Clinton must have thought he was a
smooth-talker, because every word was dripping with snootiness.  The
representation for Ron Paul kept getting himself flustered, which made him look
disorganized, and the student for John McCain talked at the volume and speech
of a well-versed auctioneer… I could barely even understand him.  The
representation for Barack Obama did a decent job, though he was clearly the
student with the most support, seeing as the Penn State Students for Barack
Obama club staked out the entire right section of the front tier, chanting
wildly as they filed into their seats.

  In case you missed it and are still curious, here’s what went down.  Some
of the issues covered: education, foreign oil, the Iraq war, and illegal
immigration.  Clinton’s student advocates that she will try to control
predatory loan companies that are currently “screwing over students,” and
create a student bill of rights, while McCain’s student blames both Obama and
Clinton for not voting for the previous College Cost Reduction Act.  In terms
of the foreign oil crisis, McCain’s student says he will fund research to
find alternate energy sources and reduce carbon emissions, and Obama’s
advocate agrees, also citing a plan to reduce reliance on foreign oil.
  
  The question on plans to withdraw troops from Iraq produced the most
diversity in responses.  The student for Obama explained the plan to withdraw
one to two brigades every month, to be completed by the end of sixteen months.
McCain’s advocate rallies for the “clear, hold, build” plan, saying that
an increase of troops has done more good than bad in the past few months.
Paul’s student says the candidate will call for an immediate withdrawal of
American troops in thirty nations (can someone say, unrealistic?), while the
student for Clinton explains her plan for a responsible, phased withdrawal that
will let us secure Iraq so as not to have chaos when we finally leave.
  
  Lastly, I’ll run through what was said about illegal immigration.  Paul’s
student claims that we’ve made “scapegoats” out of immigrants to cover up
for poor policy.  His exact words were “we’ve opened the door for would-be
terrorists…they’re probably here already.”  Clinton’s student takes the
opposite point of view saying “we are a country of immigrants and should
continue to be” and advocates for immigrant reform.  McCain calls for
improving conditions in countries elsewhere and raising the quota of legal
immigrants to avoid the issue.  Obama takes a similar view to Clinton in saying
that we should create a pathway to citizenship, having undocumented immigrants
pay a fine, go to the back of line, wait their turn, and learn English, all
while honing in on employers who provide incentives by hiring illegal
immigrants.
  
  Well done students.  You know your stuff.  See you at the primaries!