A Season for Political Involvement
2006-09-29
Source: The Harvard Crimson
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rss feedAs the November elections approach, Harvard students can be assured that political fever will engulf the campus. The Harvard College Democrats (Dems) and the Harvard Republican Club (HRC) will compete to rally students to their sides, and intense partisanship will flare up. But that's far from a bad thing- in fact it's healthy and natural for students to express their political affiliation enthusiastically and take the initiative to support those candidates who endorse policies they support.
Civic involvement is always a vital duty, but this year campaigns are of particular importance. Although this is not a presidential election year, the stakes in national politics are almost as high as they were in 2004. The election will broadly impact our nation's future, shaping everything from environmental policy to tax policy, from foreign relations to social welfare programs. Pollsters are predicting that there are enough races that are too close to call that one or both houses of Congress could change hands.
The state of Massachusetts' future also hinges on the results of the November election. Almost all major state offices are up for reelection, most notably the governorship, which is a race between Democrat Deval M. Patrick '78 and Republican Lieutenant Governor Kerry M. Healey '82. These state contests will have just as large of an impact on Harvard students' daily lives as the more glamorous national races. Among the many important decisions in the hands of state officials are how to deal with the Big Dig fiasco, whether to build roads or public transportation, and whether the state income tax, which affects all students holding jobs, should be changed.
Given that many students are Massachusetts residents, Harvard students can make a difference in these state races by simply raising awareness on campus and voting. Those who are more intrepid can volunteer for the campaigns. The Dems and the HRC are sponsoring several trips to aid campaigns: The Dems are going to the Massachusetts Democratic Headquarters every Wednesday night, and the HRC is leading a campaign trip to Cape Cod on October 7.
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