A Season for Political Involvement

As the November elections approach, Harvard students can be assured that political fever will engulf the campus. The Harvard College Democrats (Dems) and the Harvard Republican Club (HRC) will compete to rally students to their sides, and intense partisanship will flare up. But that’s far from a bad thing—in fact it’s healthy and natural for students to express their political affiliation enthusiastically and take the initiative to support those candidates who endorse policies they support.

Civic involvement is always a vital duty, but this year campaigns are of particular importance. Although this is not a presidential election year, the stakes in national politics are almost as high as they were in 2004. The election will broadly impact our nation’s future, shaping everything from environmental policy to tax policy, from foreign relations to social welfare programs. Pollsters are predicting that there are enough races that are too close to call that one or both houses of Congress could change hands.

The state of Massachusetts’ future also hinges on the results of the November election. Almost all major state offices are up for reelection, most notably the governorship, which is a race between Democrat Deval M. Patrick ’78 and Republican Lieutenant Governor Kerry M. Healey ’82. These state contests will have just as large of an impact on Harvard students’ daily lives as the more glamorous national races. Among the many important decisions in the hands of state officials are how to deal with the Big Dig fiasco, whether to build roads or public transportation, and whether the state income tax, which affects all students holding jobs, should be changed.

Given that many students are Massachusetts residents, Harvard students can make a difference in these state races by simply raising awareness on campus and voting. Those who are more intrepid can volunteer for the campaigns. The Dems and the HRC are sponsoring several trips to aid campaigns: The Dems are going to the Massachusetts Democratic Headquarters every Wednesday night, and the HRC is leading a campaign trip to Cape Cod on October 7.

We at Harvard also have a unique opportunity to influence some of the most critical national races by aiding swing-race campaigns in nearby states. In Pennsylvania, for instance, incumbent Republican Senator Rick Santorum is battling a stiff challenge from the state’s Democratic Auditor General Bob Casey in a race that has tightened considerably in the past months. If the rest of the Senate races are returned to the incumbent or incumbent’s party, a victory for the Democrats in Pennsylvania would even the Senate at 50 seats apiece. Because of the closeness and importance of this particular race, both the HRC and Dems are planning October campaign trips to the Keystone State in order to support their respective candidates.

Beyond Pennsylvania, other Northeastern states are involved in intense battles. In New Jersey, the U.S. Senate contest between Democratic Senator Robert Menendez and Republican Thom H. Kean Jr. is being watched intensely, as is Rhode Island Republican Lincoln D. Chafee’s effort to keep his Senate seat in a race against Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse after narrowly winning his party’s primary. And who could forget the nationally spotlighted Senate race in Connecticut, which pits Democrat Edward “Ned” Lamont Jr. ’76 against former vice presidential candidate and incumbent Joseph I. Lieberman, now running as an independent, in what has turned into a referendum on the war in Iraq.

The nearness of battleground states whose campaigns regularly make national news means that politically active Harvard students have the opportunity to dramatically influence national policy. Having the opportunity to have such a far-reaching impact on national politics should motivate all Harvard students to greater political activism.

Some may say that even the best efforts of a group of students in a battleground state won’t change the course of an election. But past campaign efforts of the HRC and the Dems would suggest otherwise. Durring the 2004 Presidential campaign, the Dems made 22,000 phone calls and knocked on hundreds of doors, contributing to New Hampshire’s switching from voting for George W. Bush in 2000 to John F. Kerry in 2004. Kerry’s slim three percent margin of victory in New Hampshire, however, also testifies to the dedicated efforts of the HRC, which sent busloads of volunteers every weekend to campaign in support of President Bush, culminating in a three-day campaign blitz during the last 72 hours before election day.

Opportunities for political involvement at Harvard are plentiful, and both the Dems and the HRC are facilitating volunteerism in the upcoming election. Both clubs will be sponsoring both campaign trips for those who want to devote much of their time as well as phone banks for those who only have a spare hour or two. Even if you don’t have the time to campaign or join in formal debates, remember to vote. Whatever the outcome, on November 8th we can all be proud that Harvard students did their part to shape the national dialogue.

Kyle A. Krahel ’08 is a government concentrator in Adams House and the legislative director of the Harvard College Democrats. Colin J. Motley ’10 lives in Wigglesworth Hall and is a member of the Harvard Republican Club.