Senior William Hyden can sum up his political viewpoint in thefour words emblazoned across his navy-blue T-shirt: Howard Dean forPresident.
Hyden, like a growing number of college students across thecountry, is supporting the Democratic presidential hopeful becauseof his increasing concerns with the Bush administration.
"I really like Dean's grassroots campaign," Hyden said. "He'snot afraid to stand up for the little guy, and he's not abouttrying to lobby campaign money from big corporations like Bushdoes."
Hyden's T-shirt includes a second insight as to why Dean hasbecome so popular in recent weeks: the address of his campaign Website, www.deanforamerica.com.
"The Internet has really helped Dean's campaign, both infund-raising efforts and in setting up meetups across the country,"Hyden explained. "You look at the money he's raised, and a lot ofit is $20- and $30-single donations from people who have goneonline to make a contribution."
Since the 2000 elections, politicians have increasingly turnedto the Internet to drum up support for their political campaigns,including all ten Democratic presidential candidates. The onlineapproach to politics is now catching on with the younger and moretech-savvy crowds, and Dean's Web site seems to be noexception.
According to a recent USA TODAY article, Dean's Internet usehelped him raise $7.6 million in donations, leading fund raising inthe second quarter of the year. Dean hopes to increase the amountto $10.3 million before the end of this month.
His Web site reveals that more than 400,000 people have pledgedtheir support for him online, and links to a second page indicatethat "meetups" -- where people can get together and chat aboutDean, his policies and current events -- are taking place abouteverywhere -- including Muncie.
"Dean knows what to tap into when it comes to resonating withprimary voters," Ray Scheele, a Ball State political scienceprofessor, said. "He's been very effective in using the newtechnology of the Internet."
Before former General Wesley Clark's nomination, Scheelesaid< B> < B>Dean's Internet use, coupled with a killercampaign schedule, made him the frontrunner of this campaign
WHERE'S THE YOUTH?
Dean may be doing all he can to drum up a youth machine, butHyden said even Dean's Internet-driven approach may not be enoughto reach young voters.
"I know a lot of people my age who are uninvolved with politics,and that's not a very good sign, because they should be," he said."Maybe it's because they're disillusioned by the thought that theirvote doesn't count."
Dennis Tyler, the Democratic Party chairman for Delaware County,said he can't understand why more Ball State students don't getpolitically involved at both the local and national levels.
"So much of what we (politicians) do around here affects theirdaily lives, especially with the funding that goes toward theirhigher education," he said. "I think students are apathetic becausethey believe that what they think won't make a difference, when itreally does."
Tyler encourages students to vote in the local elections on Nov.4 and read up on what is going on around them -- in the newspaper,Internet or both -- so they can make informed decisions about thenational elections next year.
Junior political-science major Steve Wolff said he thinks adultswould be surprised at how much students actually know aboutpolitics.
"But I think young adults try and pick a party based on oneissue -- like the environment, abortion or gay rights -- and don'tlook at the big picture," Wolff said.
Wolff, a conservative who is a chairman for the Ball StateCollege Republicans, said he continues to believe that Bush is thebest man for president and that he can win again in 2004.
"He's the most qualified we have, and he knows what's going on,"he said. "I just don't think now, in the midst of everything goingon, would be a good time to make a change."
The political-science major said he hopes students who use theInternet to get information about Bush and other politicians getthe facts and not just people's opinions.
"You can go on any Yahoo and MSN message boards and hear peoplerant from the right or the left, and that's not always a goodthing," he said. "The Internet is good to get more information andget involved, but it can be bad if people just want to talk aboutwhat they think and nothing more."
While the Internet has helped candidates like Dean rise to thetop, some experts say it played a huge role in retired GeneralWesley Clark's decision last week to enter the Democratic race.Several organizations designed to press Clark into the race createdInternet-based draft movements, like www.draftwesleyclark.com, thatgrew on their own without Clark's involvement.
Joe Losco, chairman of Ball State's political-sciencedepartment, said with Clark now in the race, anything canhappen.
"Being a Southerner, he's going to take away from (John)Edwards, and being a former military general will cut some of(John) Kerry's support," Losco said. "Since he's opposed to thewar, that also cuts into Dean's support, and so it'll beinteresting in the next few weeks to see just how he's going topresent himself and how the other candidates will react tohim."
Clark is now the frontrunner, according to CNN/USA Today/GallupPoll. A CNN poll analyst said, however, that the support might nothold up in the long run.
THERE'S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO VOTE
Losco said that now is the time for students to get involved inpolitics, and he said he hopes to see interest grow in the monthsahead.
"Right now it seems we not only have less students connected topolitics, but also fewer adults paying attention to politics theyshould be worried about," he said. "Given the stakes right now atthe national level, with the war going on, fewer job prospects andthe skyrocketing cost of higher education, it's an especiallyimportant time for students to start paying more attention thanthey do."
Senior Nicole Moore, a political-science major, heads upUniversity Democrats. She said she hopes the events her group hasplanned, some in cooperation with the College Republicans, willdraw students into politics.
"We want to get together a voter-registration drive, and wewould like to hold a forum with the College Republicans where allof the candidates running for Muncie City Council could share theirviews with us," she said.
Scheele said he is hopeful that organizations on campuspromoting such events, in addition to news outlets, will drawstudents to the polls.
"Students have grown up with computers and the Internet,"Scheele said. "With all the information out there available to themright now, there's really no excuse for them not to getinvolved."
Web sites and e-mail addresses:
www.democrats.org: provides links to all the Democraticcandidates' Web sites, as well as news on the progress of theprimaries and contact information for each candidate
www.rnc.org: gives information on the Bushadministration, keeps tabs on the Democratic race and outlines thekey issues of the Republican Party www.politicalresources.net:gives not only information and links to parties and politicians inthe United States, but also all over the world
Get involved:
College Republicans: ballstatecr@hotmail.com
University Democrats: ballstatedems@yahoo.com
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