Election years bring a surge of interest in the political system, especially among the youth voters like college students.
Demographics show that more and more college people are getting involved in the political process and a majority of these young voters are leaning primarily to the left.
Democratic candidates, according to Drew Wall, president of Students for Barack Obama, focus some of its attention on college students by promising more affordable education and lower costs of living.
“Ever since the 1960s, the Democratic party has been the party for college students,” the senior in history education said. “We have a great candidate and a great party. There is so much excitement on campus and so many new voters, and a lot are registering ‘democrat’.”
Data from a recent poll by the New York Times, CBS News and MTV shows that 54 percent of the 659 people polled, who aged between 17 to 29 years old, intend to vote Democratic in the upcoming election. Data from the same survey also showed that the biggest concerns among those polled was the war in Iraq, the economy and education.
Furthermore, the poll revealed that those surveyed were most excited about Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama.
Peter Barnes, a sophomore in forest management and chairman of College Republicans, said that although the draw to the left has affected the group, he knows those who come out in support of the Republican party will fight for presumptive Republican candidate John McCain.
“Campus is definitely leaning more to the left,” Barnes said. “We try to offer more education on the issues of the candidates, their morals and values, rather than just plaster posters up everywhere.”
Ches McDowell, communication director for N.C. State Students for McCain and vice-chair of the College Republicans, also agrees that campus is left-sided, but believes it’s just a phase.
He said that although campus has gone liberal, the core of N.C. State is conservative because of its large agriculture and mechanical programs, fields which often spawn from small town morals and hard work.
“Students, in general, are just going to go liberal because they don’t pay taxes. When they grow up and pay taxes, and don’t have mom and dad taking care of them, they will go conservative.”
