Playing Hardball

With fiery debate and pointed student questions that caught even the most well-rehearsed politician off-guard, the “Battle for the White House” series on Hardball has proven to be a major success for the Institute of Politics (IOP). In its worthy mission to provide accessible ways for students to get involved in the political process, the IOP’s hosting of Hardball allowed students to witness weekly showdowns that had Democratic presidential hopefuls in the hot seat, facing tough questions and tough crowds. We watched as Dean danced around his deferment; we winced as Wesley Clark was prodded and provoked; and we never ceased to be amazed at the show’s ability to bring out the best, and worst, in the candidates. The benefits of such an amazing opportunity deserve to be recognized and should encourage an even more active pursuit of events that stir student interest in politics.

As youth political involvement—or more specifically, the lack thereof—is a top priority of the IOP, hosting the Hardball series is indicative of their commitment to engaging an increasingly apathetic youth. The series gave students a chance to see each candidate up-close and watch as they wriggled while being pressed on everything from the war and the economy to their past voting records—often to the delight of enthusiastic students who were pleased that Chris Matthews called out candidates for being inconsistent or insincere in their assertions.

Along with the IOP, the Harvard College Democrats also helped promote student involvement in—and awareness of—the primary, spearheading the popular Kirkland House events where the candidates spoke candidly with students in an intimate atmosphere, before appearing on Hardball. The Dems efforts to create an open forum for students to interact with the candidates—allowing them to question candidates directly—should be lauded. And, as the Dems will soon be setting out to canvass New Hampshire, their dedication to encouraging more student involvement is clear—we hope their attempts are fruitful.

Hardball provided an unbelievable opportunity made possible by both the IOP and the Dems, and as Lieberman meets Matthews in a final face-off today, it will be sad to see this series go. We hope that the IOP will bring similar events to campus, including interviews of the eventual presidential candidates after the primaries. Like the Hardball series, something of that magnitude would most certainly draw an active and engaged crowd.