Presidential Race Stirs Interest

March 10, 2008

Alicia Duplessis
aduples@tulane.edu

Political ideologies and topical issues are gaining the attention of voters as the race for the White House heats up. And Brian Brox, assistant professor of political science, sees firsthand increasing interest among his students in the U.S. presidential contest.

In both the graduate-level seminar and the introductory undergraduate course in political science that Brox is teaching this semester, lively class discussions are evidence that students are engaged and intrigued by the election, he says.

Discussions range from hashing out the issues of the day to sorting through the complexities of the political process.

"They are motivated by a number of things, including the Iraq war and Barack Obama's campaign efforts toward younger voters," says Brox. "They are interested in the process, including things like the difference between a primary and a caucus. They sincerely want to talk about the campaign."

Adam Eitmann and Brad Tidwell are two of Brox's students who hold contrary political views. They both predict that young voters will play a major role in determining the outcome of the presidential race.

Eitmann, of Luling, La., a junior with a double major in political science and history, says that his interest in the presidential election is based on his concerns about the economy as well as the outcome of the war in Iraq.

"People are tired of the cynicism and the politics of the past, and a candidate like Barack Obama will offer something different," says Eitmann. "Young voters see that history could be made in this election and they want to be a part of that."

Tidwell, of Houston, is a sophomore majoring in political science. Through campus organizations like the College Republicans, he participates in discussions of issues and the candidates.

"For me, it's extremely important to support the war in Iraq because I think it's going well," says Tidwell. "My vote is important because I believe that if we get a Democrat for president that's all going to go away."

According to Brox, young people traditionally turn out at lower rates than the overall American public. Even with all the excitement of the current campaign, people should not expect youth turnout to increase dramatically.

Approximately 50 to 55 percent of the American public usually votes in a presidential election. If young voter turnout matches that level, it would be impressive, says Brox. Expecting higher turnout among young voters would be unrealistic.

In this election, Brox says, the majority of student-age voters are supporting Obama, so their interest in the election may wane if Hillary Clinton wins the Democratic Party's nomination. A presidential election matchup pitting Clinton against Republican John McCain may have a chilling effect on turnout among young Obama supporters, he says.

"I don't think that those voters will vote for McCain," says Brox. "I think that they'll just stay home."