Original post from temple-news.com, published in the Sept. 30 edition. Graphic by Kriston Bethel.
CHRIS STOVER
Editor in Chief
It’s not easy being Republican at Temple, let alone in Philadelphia.
“Our challenges originally were letting people know that we exist,” said Brian McGovern, president of the Temple College Republicans. “That’s still our challenge today, but we’re doing a lot better with it.”
Temple has had a strong Democratic presence on campus since the six weeks leading up to the Pennsylvania Primary in April. Campus visits from Sen. Hillary Clinton and her daughter, Chelsea, cast a shadow over Sen. John McCain, who at the time was already the presumptive Republican nominee for president.
So far this semester, Temple has hosted big-name supporters of Sen. Barack Obama, including Private Practice star Kate Walsh and Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee. The Republican presence isn’t as easy to find.
“This isn’t just any college campus,” said McGovern, a senior political science major. “This is Temple University in one of the most Democratic cities in the United States.”
YOUNG INFLUENCE
Young people are more apt to have Democratic tendencies, especially those in college, said former Philadelphia Mayor John Street.
“Young people are just smart and more likely to be in tune with a more people-oriented message,” Street said. “Young people worry more about the poor [and] working-class issues and are not yet burdened with making a living.”
It’s important, then, for McGovern and the College Republicans to spread the messages of McCain and his running-mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
“We believe that if people knew about the Republican message and not what certain news outlets or what their friends say, they would see that our message does work for them,” McGovern said.
The College Republicans began a few years ago with a handful of students. Recently, the group runs out of vacant seats at its meetings, which average 30 to 50 students, McGovern said.
But it’s not the only political group on campus. The Temple College Democrats were the organizers of the recent Howard Dean visit, which attracted more than 100 students for a midday rally on Sept. 19.
“I think that we are a more liberal campus, so I think that there’s a warm and open reception to us and the things we do,” said Elizabeth Hanson, president of the College Democrats. “On [the Republicans’] side, their message may not feel as welcome all the time.”
McGovern said the relationship between the two groups was “shaky” a few years ago, but they now share a “decent friendship.”
“We want to be controversial, but we don’t want to be too controversial,” McGovern said. “We’re looking to keep the discourse civil on campus, and maintaining our relationships helps to keep it civil.”
Hanson, a junior political science major, agrees with McGovern and added that forming a good relationship now can help in their political futures.
“We know that even though we differ on most things, it’s better to learn to reach across the aisle now because how else would we do it in Washington?” she said.
