OCR::/Vol_111/WLURG39_RTP_20080124/WLURG39_RTP_20080124_001.2.txt £':>":3.756' . R5 52 V Y’ :17; '1-‘-3.‘ »'l'I2:_Vt:‘r'yt’II5’.:7'’f_l‘:J.=szq‘_rm ‘ V,’ ’:.i"v. . .V2..‘r'.'I 41.4 "0. H ) .., ¢_ 2_ . WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY RINo—TUM PHI. . iHuRs'vAv.IA~uAnv24,2oo8 ‘BY THE srunrurs AND FOR THE lsruneurs SINCE 1397 VOLUME c)ll,NUMBER 11 C Inside this It} 0 3 emocratic Mock Convention After three years of preparation, countless hours of research and untold amounts of booze, it all comes down to this: Barack Obama vs. Hillary Clinton. In a year when students are celebrating the centennial convention, it seems appropriate that the gathering faces its most difficult decision in years. Before the convention gets down to the business of selecting the Democratic nominee, some of the biggest names in Democratic politics will take the stage to stump for their candidates. ‘Va. Gov. Tim Kaine, who speaks first on Fri- day, was one of Obama’s earliest supporters, while Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman to appear on a major party’s ticket, is a strong supporter of Clinton. The most exciting part of the convention may c_ome decades later, when Beau Biden, Harold Ford, Jr. or Patrick Rose run for President. That’s one of the legacies of the convention’s first 100 years: find- ing risingistars like Bill Clinton or Jimmy Carter and introducing them to America years before anyone else knows who they are. The other legacypis accuracy: W&L‘students have been right 18 out of 23 times and have only been wrong once since 1948. Will that legacy continue? Clinton or Obama hope it do.es. Delegations log long hours behind scenes State chairs, student leaders sacrifice time to research, fundraise and design By Allison Chopin STAFF WRITER Mounting excitement sur- rounding the centennial anniver- sary of the Mock Convention have students anxiously awaiting the myriad events planned for them - the parties, distinguished speak- ers, parade and final outcome. However, not all have taken time , to notice how hard their state del- egations have worked in the past months. Each state delegation has pro- vided numerous opportunities for its members to participate. The state chairs were selected over a year ago through a rigorous application process. Each chair has to oversee political research, help plan the parade float and get its delegation ready for the con- vention. When students joined delega- tions in September, some chose to take on other leadership positions. The'vice chair serves as an as- sistant to the other positions, and 'the treasurer manages finances, such as donations made to the del- egation. * Some delegations may have a float chair in charge of supplies, designs and construction of the state’s parade float. L Aside from these typical posi- tions, the student who takes the job of research chair must conduct business that is particular to each ' state. “The research chair is responsi- ble for making contacts within the state to communicate with about the‘ election and for preparing the various reports required of each state,” said senior Kate Chiasson, the chair for Wisconsin. Both the research chair and state chair may be responsible for contacting state politicians if nec- essary. “The majority of the delegates have been helping with making the float. ” KATE CHIASSON, Wisconsin state chalr “[In Wisconsin] the research chair is the most involved,” Chias- son said. - A All delegates were asked to be involved in the act of fundraising. Each member provided the names and addresses of five con- tacts, such as friends and family, who might be interested in donat- ing to the student’s delegations The students who do not as- sume leadership roles can become . involved in the areas of T-shirt and float design, among other things. “Since we don’t have a float chair, the majority of delegates have been helping with making the float,” said Chiasson. The time commitment may be small for average Mock Conven- tion participants, but the delega- tions still require their contribu- tion and commitment. “Delegates can choose to be as involved or not involved as they wish, but they can expect to go to a meeting or two and help out when it is asked for,” Chiasson said. edition: I Are you fed up with the crazy political calendar that has Iowans caucusing during a blizzard and W&L students freezing to death while they build floats? Or are you a fan of the drawn-out campaign and love the rounds of meetings, rallies and debates? Abel Delgado and Scott Centorino have it out over whether our political system needs to be changed. Couldn’t make it to . the last 96 years of ' Mock Convention? Wondering what happened when Barkley ~ died in 1956 or Bill Clinton spoke in 1988? Our has all the highlights. OCR::/Vol_111/WLURG39_RTP_20080124/WLURG39_RTP_20080124_002.2.txt THE RING-TUM PHI ' umensm LIBRARY wasumarou 3. LEE umvsnsnv . LEXINGTON. VA 24450 5 mm} rim 0 Jan :- mock Joe Manchin Governor of West Virginia Joe Manchin is the current gov- ernor of West Virginia. His impres- sive political career stemmed from a business-oriented education at West Virginia University and has also in- cluded positions ingthe West Virginia State Senate and the West Virginia State House of Delegates. Elected as governor in 2004, Manchin won both the primary and general elec- tion by large margins, and his elec- tion markedthe first time that two persons of the same political party have followed one another in the gu- ibematorial ofiice since 1964. Under Manchin’s leadership, West Virginia has augmented its economic competi- tion on a national scale. As governor, Manchin has worked to streamline the educational system, provide prescrip- Patrick Rose Texas House of Representatives _ Patrick Rose is a Texas Demo- crat currently serving as the young- est member of the Texas House of Representatives. He represents the Texas counties of Blanco, Hays and Caldwell. At age 28, he is currently in L his third-term, chairs‘the House Com- A mittee on’Human Services and is also » a member of the Higher Education Committee. As Chair of Human Ser- vices, Rose is a leader on issues such as increasing the state’s oversight of programs at the Health and Human Max Cleland Decorated military veteran A decorated military veteran who was born in Atlanta, Georgia, Max Cleland served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and rose to the rank of Captain. During his tour Gill |0ll lhe lineup tion drug assistance to senior citizens and strengthen the support structure for veterans. His dedication to West Virginia, however, extends far be- yond his current position. As a cru- cial member of the state legislature from 1982 to 1996, Manchin helped fix West Virginia’s workers’ compen- sation system. He also instituted in- surance reforms, established the first comprehensive teacher pay package ‘in more than 15 years, decreased the state’s debt, strengthened ethics laws and reduced the food tax. As secre- tary of state from 2000 to 2004, Man- chin pushed the SHARES program, which promoted democracy to all schoolchildren and registered 42,000 high school students to vote. This mobilization caused the 2004 general election to see the highest number of voters since 1972. Manchin’s politi- cal involvement is also strong on the national level. He currently serves as chairman of the Southern States En- ergy Board, vice-chair and chair-elect for 2008 of the Democratic Gover- nors Association and chair-elect of the Southern Governor’s Association. Outside of the political world, Man- chin has served as president of his local Marion County Rescue Squad. He is also an avid pilot, outdoorsman, hunter, fisherman and motorcyclist. He is married to the former Gayle Conelly, with whom he has three chil- dren. Services Commission, increasing enrollment in the Children’s Health Insurance Program and strengthening reforms of Child Protective Services. During the 80th Legislature, Rose sponsored over 25 bills, passed legis- lation to promote Texas’ manufactur- . ing industry, to assist local economic development corporations and legis- lation" creating the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. This research institute will allow voters to approve $3 billion in bonds to finance cancer research and prevention. Rose believes firmly that electedofficials should focus on policy rather than politics. He believes that the issues facing Texas families today, such as out-of-control tax appraisals, high» insurance rates, college affordability for middle class families and protect- ing jobs from outsourcing, need inde- pendent‘ leadership. Rose is a gradu- ate of Princeton University, where he ‘earned his B.A., and the University of Texas, where he obtained his law de- gree. He now practices law with the Ratliff Law Firm in Austin, Texas. of duty he won the Silver Star and Bronze Star for courageous action in combat. In 1968, Cleland was get- ting out of a helicopter when he saw a grenade that he thought had fallen off his vest. The grenade exploded as Cleland bent over, severely damaging both legs and one of his arms. During emergency surgery, both legs and his right forearm had to be amputated. After returning home, Cleland served in the Georgia Senate and became a well known advocate for veterans. Jimmy "Carter appointed, Cleland to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Cleland held that post throughout Carter’s term. From 1982 until 1996 Cleland served as Secretary of State of Georgia. After long-time Senator Sam Nunn retired in 1996, Cleland ran for the open seat and was elected. He lost his re-election bid in 2002 to Republican Saxby Chambliss. if irst eleetediblacltf 1 . » governor a U.S.'state A J . 1‘, When Li‘ Douglas Wilder," aw - elected Governor of Virginia in 1989, ‘ he became the first blackgovernor of Guests to impart diverse perspectives on election Beau Biden Attorney General of Delaware Beau Biden is the son of long-time Delaware senator and recent presi- dential candidate Joe Biden. The 38- year-old waselected Attorney General THURSDAY, of Delaware in 2006. Before he ran for oflice, Biden went to the Univer- sity of Pennsylvania and earned his law degree from Syracuse University. Between 1997 and 2002, he served as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attomey’s Oflice in. Philadelphia. Biden took his legal expertise abroad in 2001, serving as a legal advisor for _ the Department of Justice in post-war Kosovo. He worked in the capital, Pristina, to establish a training pro- gram for judges and prosecutors in the province. Biden left the Department of Justice in 2002 and entered private practice. Biden is also a member of the Delaware Army National Guard, serving in the Judge Advocate Gen- 'eral’s (JAG) Corps, the branch of the army that handles legal affairs. as lieutenant goverrio first black to hold state ‘ toffice i-nthe‘ South since 13 or“ - gin 260,4; Wilder'was' elects M ye of Riclimond, his hometown ‘ I election fo ‘ Y " 9 eleetedkthe; ,near'ly__30 percent ofuthe-. ote ‘ In Se, A" ternbtfif .IessthanHtwo‘ye rribecom g V rtherpresidi , tial race.‘ He dropped a US. state. Prior to becoming, gov- ernor, Wilder . served ' as lieutenant, governor and was also thefirst black‘ ~ .3 Jim Webb Senator from Virginia Jim Webb, the freshman senator from Virginia, is the centennial con- vention’s keynote speaker. Webb won a razor-thin victory in 2006, surviving a nasty campaign against Republican incumbent George Allen that saw both sides throw plenty of mud. Webb beat Allen byabout 9,000 votes out of the more than two million cast. Webb’s victory‘ tilted the Senate into Demo- cratic control. Though he was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, Webb is a de- scendant of Scots-Irish settlers who moved -to the mountains of Southwest Virginia in the 18th century. Webb is ‘pUniversity,.helped found the iaw { of the race four‘ rnontlis later) V is a Korean’ War veteran an > awarded the Bronzestar for heroism in cornbat. V ‘Wilder, who graduate. ' from Virginia Union Universi an ‘then named a law‘ degree atiliowa .Wilder, Gregory and Associates, of the few minority~owned business in 1959. a 1968 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and served with the Marine Corps in Vietnam. He was awarded the Navy Cross, Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts. In 1987 he was appointed Sec- retary of the Navy, becoming the first Naval Academy graduate who served in the military to become Secretary of the Navy. Befitting his role as the man ' who gave the Democrats their major- ity, Webb has been given assignments on several prominent committees. He currently serves on the Foreign Rela- tions, Armed Services, Veterans Af- fairs and Joint Economics Commit- tees. ln January 2007, less than three weeks after he was sworn in as a Sena- tor, Webb was tasked with delivering the Democratic response to President George Bush’s State of the Union ad- dress. Before his Senate career, Web_b was a noted author. He has published ' eight books. Most of them are novels, but the latest book, published in 2004, is a non-fiction account of how people of Scots-lrish ancestry have shaped American history. He also wrote the script and was executive producer for the movie “Rules of Engagement.” 0 21 W. Nelson Street Lexington 540 463 6963 Open: Monday - Saturday WASHINGTON AW LEE UMVERSLTY MOCK EOQENYVDN 3008 AK JANUARY 24,2008 in Virgi_nia.when the ftrrnwas starts ‘ OCR::/Vol_111/WLURG39_RTP_20080124/WLURG39_RTP_20080124_003.2.txt THURSDAY,JANUARY 24,2008 ' 3 ' THE RING-TUM PHI‘ Gill |0Il Gill |0Il Carol Moseley Braun F ormer Illinois Senator The first and only African—Ameri- can woman elected to the Senate, former Illinois Senator Carol Mose- ley Braun is most well known for her candidacy for the Democratic Party nomination in the 2004 presidential election. However, she dropped out of the race days before the Iowa caucus, deciding instead to support Howard Dean. The year she was elected to the Harold Ford Jr. Former Tennessee U.S. Rep Former Tennessee U.S. Rep. Har- old Ford Jr. was born in Memphis, TN, and earned a degree in American Senate, 1992, was known as the “Year of the Woman.” She gained political experience when serving as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s office in 1973, work- ing in housing, health and environ- ment. She later won the Attorney Gen— eral’s Special Achievement Award. The year after she left the U.S. Attomey’s office, she won a seat in the Illinois House of Representa- tives, focusing on governmental re- form, education and civil rights. She angrily ran for a seat in the Senate when the incumbent voted in 1991 to confirm Clarence Thomas for the Su- preme Court. For her first six years in the senate, she was the only African- American. She has spoken out against the death penalty, against removing Saddam Hussein, for abortion rights and gun control and voted for gay marriage recognition. Recently, Braun was in the public eye again when she resisted a mugger tried to steal her purse. She has also made headlines for her organic food line called Ambassador Organics. Braun will speak in the convention late Friday night. History from the University of Penn- sylvania in 1992. That same year, he , worked for the Senate Budget Com- mittee and later became a staff assis- tant to the United States Department of Commerce. In 1996, he graduated from law school at the Universitypof Michigan but failed the Tennessee bar exam. Ford was elected into the House of Representatives in 2002. In 2005, he ran for Senate but was defeated by Bob Coker by a slim margin. In 2007, he was elected as chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council. He is currently a visiting professor at Vanderbilt University, teaching pub- lic policy classes. He serves on the Pentagon’s Transformation Advisory Group and as Vice Chairman of Mer- rill Lynch. Tracking down the speakers With some dzfiiculty, W&L receives top-notch speakers for this year 3 Mock Convention. By Queenie Wong srnrr wmrsn For the last two years, the Speakers Committee has worked hard to bring prominent political leaders to this weekend’s Mock Convention. With twelve speakers booked, Speakers Chair Logan Gibson said that she’s excited about the upcoming event. “I don’t think Mock Convention has ever had such a strong lineup,” said Gibson. This year’s speakers include Vir- ginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, former Texas Rep. Charles Wilson, Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council Har- old Ford Jr., as well as other speakers the committee believes will become more politically influential in the fu- hue Although students were hoping that one of the three main contenders for the democratic nomination would make an appearance at the event, the South Carolina primary this Saturday made it unlikely that Hilary Clin- ton, Barack Obama or John Edwards would come. “The front-loaded primary season made it difficult for us to get top notch speakers, because so many speakers are stumping for the candidates,” said Advisory Board Liaison Bill Larson. Gibson also pointed out that the Virginia primary isn’t until Feb. 12. The candidates don’t have much of an incentive to come down to the uni- versity, she said. Timing was probably the most difficult obstacle the com- mittee faced. The Speakers Committee includes nine other students—Natalie Murphy, Richard Cleary, Taylor Lawch, Hunt- er Branstetter, Laura Secrest, Dylan Merrill, Chris Martin, Alex Utsey and Weston Jones. Gibson assigned each member about five speakers to research and the committee reported back on their progress weekly. Each member contributed about four to five hours per week, cultivating contacts and trying to book speakers for the event. Gibson said the committee used about two-thirds of its budget, but would not specify the budget amount. In 2004, the Mock Convention raised over $450,000. General Chair- man Richard Friedman said that this year’s budget exceeded the amount of the last event. He, too, would not re- lease any exact figures. In previous Mock Conventions, the Speakers Committee had a knack for choosing speakers, who had promis- ing futures in politics—-Jimmy Carter in 1972 and Bill Clinton in 1988, just to name a few. Gibson said that selecting speak- ers did involve a lot of insight into the speakers’ futures, but that the com- mittee also wanted to target Virginian leaders. Gibson praised the committee’s se- lection of U.S. Sen. Jim Webb as the keynote speaker. “He’s a very pivotal figure on the national scene right now and having him come to Lexington for this event is huge,” she said. Marymount Manhattan Col- Geraldine Ferraro Texas House of Representatives sity of Missouri at Columbia where he majored in economics. After college, he went to law school at Harvard. He graduated in 1983 and went on to prac- tice law for 17 years in Richmond. He specialized in representing victims of housing discrimination. He taught legal ethics at University of Richmond Law School and was appointed to the city council in 1994. Later, he was elected mayor of Richmond by the city council. During his stint on city council, Kaine introduced a gun law that is credited with decreased the high murder rate in the city. Kaine was elected Lietenant Governor of Virginia under Governor Mark Warner and served as President of Virginia’s Senate. In 2005, Kaine defeated fonner Attorney General Jerry W. Kilgore and became Virginia’s 70th lege. After graduation, she earned a law degree from Ford- ham University in 1960. She served as ateacher, a lawyer and a member of the Queens County District Attorney’s Of- fice. In 1978, she was elected into the United States Con- gress. In 1984, she became the first female to be a vice-presi- dential candidate on a national A party ticket when Presidential candidate Walter Mondale chose her as his running mate. The pair was defeated by Ron- ald Reagan and George H.W. Former New Ymk US‘ Rep‘ Bush. She now plays an active Geraldine Ferraro was born in role in the campaign of Hflmy Newburgh, NY and attended Clinton. Tim Kaine Virginia Governor Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, a native of St. Paul, Minnesota, grew up in Kan- sas and attended college at the Univer- Charles Wilson Former Texas US. Rep Former Texas U.S. Rep. Charles Wilson (yes, the same Charlie Wil- son as the movie) has had an undeni- able impact on international politics. If you’ve seen the movie, then you know he helped to win support for Afghanistan to fight the Soviet Union in the Cold War, which has been called the largest ever CIA covert op- eration. However, some have said this very action helped to arm al~Qaeda. governor. Also known as Good Time Charlie, he served Texas as a representative for more than 20.years, from 1973 to 1997, while employing only beauti- ful women called Charlie’s Angels. As a teenager first got into poli- tics when, after his dog got into his neighbor’s yard, his neighbor (who held ofiice) put crushed glass in the dog’s food, killing the dog. He per- sonally drove people to the polls, tell- ing each person when they left the car about the incident. His neighbor lost the election. ( While still in the Navy, Wilson submitted his name for Texas state representative. Afier winning, he was recognized as a liberal, fighting for Medicaid, against the utilities, tax exemptions for the elderly, for abortion, minimum wage, and equal rights. Once he left Congress, Wilson worked as a lobbyist for Pakistan. Never one to let life pass him by, he married a former ballerina in 1999. Now 74,‘ Wilson received a heart transplant in September. Rev. Jesse Jackson Texas House of Representatives. Rev. Jesse Jackson, the outspoken activist of social justice, political activ- ism, and civil rights, will speak Friday night for Mock Con. Jackson participat- ed in the famous Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965 that were organized by Martin Luther King, Jr. Two decades later, Jackson tried to become the first black president in 1984 and again in 1988 and is returning to one of the six states in which he won the Democratic primary. He has travelled the world and met with American adversaries Hugo Chavez, Syrian President Bashar Assad, Fidel Castro and former Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic. He’s argued for the release of American pris- oners abroad, peace in the Middle East, the end of apartheid and against the war in Iraq. He also served as U.S. special envoy to Kenya in 1997. In 2000 Bill Clinton gave Jackson the highest award possible for a civilian, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, for his political ac- tivism. - Jackson has thrown himself into nu- merous recent issues, including Terri Shiavo (the Florida woman with brain damage), the Duke lacrosse scandal and Michael Richard’s (Kramer from Seinfeld) racist outburst. Jackson has already publicly an- nounced his support of Barack Obama, who has spoken on Jackson’s radio show. OCR::/Vol_111/WLURG39_RTP_20080124/WLURG39_RTP_20080124_004.2.txt THE RING-TUM PHI '4 And 30 CAN V005 as‘ a $3 :2 as E 4 THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2008 east’ Gas», rim ' etil By Abel Delgado srnrr wmrzn Only in America does the toughest job have the most absurd hiring process. The primary and caucus system used by political par- ties to pick their presidential candidates is outdated, un- fair and utterly ridiculous. Americans are beginning to notice that in order to avoid another painfully early and dragged-out campaign sea- son in four years, the rules of the game need to be re- written. A start would be to turn the caucuses into actual pri- maries. To those of us who do not live in one of the 17 states that holds a caucus, voting in private seems like a natural right. Not so in the caucus system where you have to publicly state your preference and make an ar- gument for your candidate to convince others. Nor do you have all day to vote like you do with regular prima- ries. Instead you have a set meeting time and place, and if you cannot be there then you obviously don’t matter enough to have a say. That means soldiers, on—duty police officers and firemen, the ill and anyone unfortunate enough not to be able to control their work schedule don’t get a vote. Do these people not deserve the right to vote? Then, debunk the myth that small states have a di- vine right to vote first and essentially decide each par- ty’s candidate. Regardless of how different they are from each other, Iowa and New Hampshire are not representative of the nation as a whole. According to the Census Bu- reau, they con- tain less than 2 percent of the total U.S. CON Primary overhaul Presidential candidates we can live with? Someday population. While the na- tion’s population is over a quarter minority, minorities comprise less than 10 per- cent of Iowa and less than 5 percent of New Hampshire. The number of voters in Iowa is so small that, by the end of caucus night, more Republicans voted via ab- sentee ballot in Florida than took part in the caucuses in Iowa. Yet, if one candidate wins both states, he or she is essentially crowned the nominee. You can certainly lose the nomination if you lose in the first two states - —just ask John Edwards and Rudy Giuliani in a couple of months. The solution is to hold every primary on the same day, a “Super-Duper” Tues- day of sorts. If we hold our general election on the same date throughout the country, why not the primaries? The last step to fixing the primary system would en- sure that radical candidates on both sides do not have an unfair advantage. By appealing to party bases, those considered very liberal or very conser- vative usually have the advantage in primaries. In many states you are only allowed to vote if you are registered with a par- ty. This could lead to some- one without general support gaining a party nomination. Other states, though, allow independents to vote in one of the two party primaries. This ensures centrists a fair shot and helps the parties by giving them a more electable candidate in the election. Registering with a party should be a sign of support, not the only way one gets to vote. Thus, every state should allow independents to vote in primaries. While there has been massive talk about changing the primary system, the prob- ability of change state-by-state basis.‘ If a revision does take place, we might end up one day with two candi- dates for president the nation could live with. Following the leaders of the nation New Hampshire and Iowa have yet to lead as wrong By Scott centorlno STAFF WRITER Our mother ducks: Iowa and New Hampshire. When a group of ducklings crosses the street, a mother duck leads it to safety. We know that without that mother duck, all the ducklings would confus- ingly scatter in different directions with no guidance, no sense of judgment and no experience of safe-crossing. The same is true of our presidential primary system, specifically of the early, small states such as Iowa and New Hampshire. Is very Sum‘ While neither Iowa nor New Hampshire have the population or power to normally The changes be considered mother ducks in politics, both states have a fine record and experience in would have showing other duckling states the right way to cross. to be First off, let’s dispel the theory that these two states have all the power. They do not. It is glad: South Carolina, not Iowa or New Hampshire, that can say its Republican winner has gone on to win the GOP nomination every election since 1980. Bill Clinton didn’t win in Iowa or New Hampshire but found his way to the White House. Both Iowa and New Hampshire have a long and storied tradition of independent, responsible citi- zenship above any influence of national media or outside influence. ‘ Almost every Democrat and most Republicans would agree that, in hindsight, John McCain probably would have been the better Republican nominee in 2000. New Hampshire thought so, too. Despite superior organization and name recognition, two features that would dominate a national primary, New Hampshire’s brand of door-to-door, retail politics allowed its voters to make a more informed decision. As someone who has seen presidential candidates during this election in both Iowa and New Hampshire, 1 can say with certainty how superior voters’ decision-making is given the chance to personally host a candidate in your home and have a chat. That is what politics truly is. That is true democracy. It’s up-close. It’s real. Voters don’t form opinions based on televi- sion commercials. That would simply empower those with money and leave lifeless those without the necessary funds to voice their message, antithetical to democratic principles. The ultimate test of a candidate should not be how effectively he can saturate media markets with sappy images of himself. The true testament to a statesman is his ability to get out there, meet people, connect with regular Americans, make a direct impact on voter beliefs and step outside plush D.C. offices. I want my leader to know me, to know my family, to be able say he’s met me. In that spirit, this nation has gained its strength. I want to know that he’s been to my town and seen the local problems. ' The counterargument to this, of course, is that the candidate won’t have time to meet every voter in the nation. So, in order to be fair, we should make it a national primary. That is simply selfish, irresponsible, and ignorant of history. It is the equivalent of a 4-year-old saying of a classmate, “Timmy has a toy car and I don’t,” and then yelling at the teacher about Timmy’s toy car until the teacher takes it away. This alternative is a Stalinist nightmare where you only elect people from a distance. No system will achieve perfection, and I am not claim- ing our current system has. Iowa and New Hampshire do not represent America as a whole, but only in that they think independently, unlike states which have no tradition of doing so. How much does a New Hampshire voter have in common with a New Mexico voter? Probably not a great deal. But that New Mexico voter can still trust New Hampshire voters to make the right choice because of proximity to the candidates and unique perspective and ability to make judg- ment. Candidates have been effectively judged by Iowans and New Hampshirites in the past because both groups understand the importance of their decision and take it seriously. Perhaps considering their shining track records, we should put more emphasis on the two states. So, I salute you Iowa and New Hampshire. I recognize the work you’ve done for yourselves and for this nation. I wish you the best in thwarting threats from childish states jealous of your position. And, I hope that for many years to come, presidential candidates will still have to speak on the farms and in the Veterans of Foreign Wars halls all across your two states. Your mother duck wisdom has yet to fail us. Lexington Animal Hospital Welcomes You and Your Pet!! 20% qfifyourfirst visit witfi tfiis aci New clients only/limit one per visit. Expires 06/30/2008 Dr. Sheryl H. Carls 28 Bones Place Lexington, VA 540-463-2715 Oil Exchange & Lube 754 North Lee Hwy. Across from Tractor Supply 540-463-5020 Save $1 .00 -— Show VV&L ID gerzézf ye 2 PEDAL CAR Dmtta & Tm Tm’ CAFS1 ()rder from our complete menu (Ir Jain rlajfbr one ofour ALL FOL’ CAN 7‘.B:.g{fet.s"! 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I_ 2-‘ rn MO?‘ 92¢ > 0|-3 MISSION STATEMENT: It is the mission of THE RING-TUM PHI to accurately, truthfully, and thoroughly report news affecting the Washington and Lee community for students, faculty, parents and alumni. Our goal is to look deeper into news affecting campus life and hold leaders accountable. Through our reporting, we aspire to spark discussions that lead to discovering information that prompts change. THE RING-TUM PHI is published Mondays during the undergraduate school year. THE RING-TUM PHI is a member of The Media Board, which can be reached at mediaboard@ w|u.edu, but is otherwise independent.THE RING-TUM PHI welcomes all letters. We reserve the right to edit submissions for content and length. Letters and advertising do not necessarily reflect the opinion of THE RING-TUM PHI staff. This ‘newspaper observes current court definitions of libel and obscenity. THE RING-TUM PHI uNwERmTYcoMMoNsRooM.341 WASHINGTON AND LEEUNIVERSHY LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA 24450 _ TELEPHONE:(540)458—4060 rAx;(54o)45s-4059 EMAn:PHI@wLuEDu SUBSCRIPTION RATE 545 S 0 UTHERN INN /I Lexington Tradition Since I 932 Serving Contemporary American Cuisine The Area’s Most Extensive Wine List 5:00 p.m. ~ 10:00 p.m. Monday-Tuesday 11:30 a.m. — 10:00 p.m. Wednesday—Saturday 11:30 a.m. — 9:00 p.m. Sunday 540-463- 3612 Reservations Reccommended 37 S Main St Lexington, VA 24450 info@southeminn.com elii |0ll Mncx cnmwum. 7u~'s 118!!!” '3“ i33ll.‘K‘I33”5l ill!” ‘ l'R)31,'y)q;9\4a~i<:)x pm ;a mm «ml and W SOUTH DAKOTA LAS1’ IN nu: N.»\‘1‘:£IN ms. 3 * WE‘RE IN no RUS8! OCR::/Vol_111/WLURG39_RTP_20080124/WLURG39_RTP_20080124_006.2.txt THURSDAY, JAN. 24, 2007 West Virginia, By Andrew Connelly and Brett Holton STAFF wRm:Rs Students across campus have been bombarded with the news surrounding Mock Convention, but how many are familiar with the delegations? We sat down with several State Chairs to ex- plore the personal side of Mock Convention. Wesley O’Dell, the State Chair of West Virginia, is mak- ing sure that his delegation per- forms to its fullest capabilities. “West Virginia is very seri- ous about its research and pre- diction,” said O’Dell. “Mock Con. is such an important facet of W&L li-fe — we definitely want to do what we can to continue its tradition of excellence.” But for O’Dell, the parties are just as important. “The social events surround- ing Mock Con are an integral part of the experience,” he said. “We Chiefs State Chairs By Celeste Cruz-caraindang S TA F F W R I T E R In all honesty, I am truly not stressed about Mock Conven- tion. However, you must con- sider the fact that I am a fresh- man delegate. The extent of my participation in this inimitable event has been the purchase of a t-shirt and maybe contributing a few dollars for a commemora- ti-ve shot glass. Despite my elev- enth hour efforts, I do realize that copious amounts of work have gone into preparation for this week and weekend. The state chairs of mock convention have voluntarily conceded to assume a large part of the responsibility for the success of this affair. Unbeknownst to many, the role of a state chair began last year. Since last winter term, Washington and Lee’s student leaders have been applying for positions, mailing in their re- sumes and going through an in- terview process. Fortunately for those interested, the university’s small community facilitated po- 6 0 THE RING-TUM»PH| nthusiastic state chairs speak up Michigan, Alaska and Hawaii chairs share their excitement and nerves already had a great Gala last fall and we look forward to enjoying the various delegation parties - this week—particularly an event we and a few other small states have combined to host.” Neil Sheaffer is the State Chair of Michigan, a state that “It’s disappointing to be sure, but there’s nothing we can do about it,” he said. “[Our] del- egation is all about finding ways to enjoy the convention, like by building a fun float, even though we will have no say in who the nominee will be.” “Mock Con. is such an important facet of W&L lif —- we definitely want to do what we can to continue its tradition of excellence... T he social events surrounding Mock Con are (also) an integral part of the experience. ” Wesley 0’Dell, West Virginia state chair in the actual political arena lost its delegates when it moved the primaries to‘ January 15"‘, break- ing the rules of the Democratic National Convention. But this hasn’t deterred She- affer from enjoying Mock Con. Sheaffer regrets the DNC’s decision to strip the state of its delegates. He says Michigan has a lot at stake in this election, citing its shrinking population, and the search for alternative energy, which will benefit both the statc’s auto industry and the farmers who produce corn for ethanol. Especially interesting is the approach taken by the smaller delegations representing Amer- ica’s more remote and often overlooked areas. For Robert Wilson, the Alaska State Chair, the reality of having few genuine Alaskans at W & L has a price. “No one in our delegation is actually from Alaska, so we’ve all had to do some basic research on the political climate there. Only three [out of fifteen] of us have even been there.” Compounding this is the lack of interest shown in Alaska by the mainstream media. “Research has been tough, as there have been no official polls taken in Alaska to gauge the sta- tus of the Democratic race.” This problem has also been noted by the Hawaii State Chair Grace Andrews. ' I “There is no polling data and a lot of major candidates don’t care. This makes our decision a hard one. Local newspapers are often the only source of data and they are potentially biased.” This has been a hindrance, but hasn’t stopped Andrews and her delegation from delving deeply into Hawaii’s unique local politi- cal scene. Close contacts with local political participants like Michael McCartney, the Demo- cratic Party Leader in the state, and Richard Boreka,‘ a lead- ing Hawaiian columnist, have helped Andrews and her team stay on top of their research. The unique nature of Hawaiian politics also helps to keep things interesting.” ‘ “Hawaii has an fascinat- ing political environment, that doesn’t follow many of the pat- terns in the rest of the US. There are lots of independents and the partisan atmosphere common 79 elsewhere is lacking somewhat. As an example,‘ she offers up the candidacy of Dennis Ku- cinich for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. Ig- nored by the media and not even on the ballot in many states he managed to come second behind John Kerry in Hawaii’s primary . with 31 percent of the votes. As with the Alaska, the Ha- waii delegation has few native members (one out of the twenty seven was born there and moved away at any early age), but An- drews maintains that the charac- ter of the islands is strong enough to bring the group together. “We are an eclectic group, like the islands themselves. We all come from different back- grounds, geographically, social- ly and academically. We were brought together by Hawaii’s exhilarating and mysterious na- ture.” of Mock Con share their thoughts discuss some of the trials and tribulations of heading delegations sitions for all those who were interested. “Mock convention is great because it allows everyone to contribute their own special talents,” said West Virginia State Chair Wes O’Dell, “The poli- tics people, social people, press people and so many more can be a part of the making of history.” Interestingly enough, all of these men and women consented to this procedure without a full un‘- derstanding of what each step would entail. “To me, the inter- view was hilarious, because I go in and there’s a line of people,” recalls Puerto Rico State Chair Aisha Davis, “We’re all thinking that we have no idea what's go- ing on right now.” Jordan Wilson’s experience was a little different. As the only freshman state chair, the ambi- tious student stands out. “Over the summer, I sent out-emails to the directors of Mock Con. to see ifl could help out...l found out that the position in Guam was open and my name got recom- mended and I got interviewed for it....I think that I’m living proof that if you’re interested in some- thing here, you can find some outlet for it.” The state chairs are respon- sible for managing their delega- tion. They are the lucky few who have the privilege of sending out the mass emails about meetings, t-shirts and float construction. According to'Arizona State Chair Justin McKeen, “Most impor- tantly, a. state chair is in charge of directing delegates under his state and coming up with, hope- fully, a correct prediction for how his state is going to vote.” The delegations are responsible for determining their position by extrapolating from the research done by both the state chair and his or her research chair. “The biggest and most important one [responsibility],” in the opin- ion of Maine State Chair James Dick, “is researching: state polls, newspapers, blogs, talking to people within that state in order to understand what the people in that state are looking for.” However, a project this large entails complicated planning and logistics on the part of its leaders. Every state had its own share of problems. “My delegation was pretty small, about sixteen peo- ple. So anytime that I needed something done, I needed ev- eryone to be there. As opposed to larger delegations like Texas and Virginia, who can send out a mass email and get twenty vol- unteers,” said Tennessee State don’t speak Spanish. So when I was on the phone I’d always be looking for someone who spoke English,” Davis said. However, a _lack of information was another obstacle that the state chairs had to battle. “[The] most particular obstacle,” for James Dick, “is that Maine is not considered by “A state chair is in charge of directing delegates under his state and coming up with, hopefully, a correct prediction for how his state is going to vote. ’ J Justin McKeen, Arizona state chair Chair, Rebecca LeMoine. Be- sides size, distance continually thwarted research and communi- cation. “I had to send out emails that would cross the internation- al dateline,” remembers Jordan Wilson. While Jordan had to overcome intemational barri- ers, Aisha Davis had to triumph over the language barrier. “Even though I chose Puerto Rico, I the national media to be an im- portant part of the nomination process, so there was a dearth of polls.” Despite all the difficulties, the state chairs still have interesting moments and a myriad of events to enjoy thisweekend. When asked what his most unique ex- perience was, James Dick im- mediately answered, “Buying a lobster costume for one of my fraternity brothers to wear on the Mock Convention float. I don’t know what I ’in going to do when Mock Con. is over.” Davis recalls the two hour long t-shirt planning meeting and a certain gift comes to McKeen’s mind. “One of my contacts in Tus- con was a W&L alum. When he heard that I was a state chair for Mock Convention, he gave me a bottle of Jim Bean that was es- pecially made for W&L’s Mock Con. when he was a student.” The state chairs are looking ' forward to rest, relaxation and the enjoying the events planned for the convention itselfi Nota- ble speakers, such as Jesse Jack- son and Tim Kaine, will be con- ’ tributing words to the ceremony. Still, others are ready to bask in the pleasure of smaller gifts. “I’m just happy thatil won’t have to send out mass emails any- more,” admits LeMoine. Through the years After I 00 years, convention has seen its share of highs and lows 1908 After a visit by populist William Jennings Bryan, students get to- gether and hold a replica of the real Democratic Convention. The event gets off to an excellent start, but the debate over whether to nominate Bryan or Minnesota Gov. John A. Johnson soon turns ugly, as fights break out in the Kansas delegation and several other spots on the Convention floor. The 2008 convention, like the 1908 conven- tion, will be held in Denver. At the 1908 affair, Bryan's victory gave W&L its first correct prediction. 1924 After a record-setting number of ballots, W&L students select John W. Davis, an undergraduate and law alumnus, who served as a Congressman from West Virginia, Solicitor General and Ambassador to Great Britain. At that summer’s convention, Davis, who received only three percent of the delegates on the first ballot, was finally elect- ed after 103 ballots, a record that will likely never be broken. Unfor- tunately, Davis gets massacred in the election by Republican Calvin Coolidge, who wins 54 percent of the vote while Davis earns less than 29 percent. 1956 Former Vice President Alben Bar- kley, who returned to the Senate after his term as Vice President ended, gives the keynote speech. in front ofa cheering crowd, he de- clares, “For I would rather be a ser- vant in the house of the Lord than to sit in the seats of the mighty.” As the crowd cheers, Barkley col- lapses and dies almost instantly. At the urging of Barkley‘s widow, the convention eventually resumes and picks Adlai Stevenson. 1960 Former President Harry Truman helps dedicate a memorial to Barkley and then delivers the key- 0 note address. Early voting puts Stevenson on top again, but the staff doesn't have enough adding machines to calculate the votes. While the convention waits, several delegations switch their votes to John F. Kennedy, sending him on his way to the White House. 19721 A fierce debate breaks out between supporters of George McGovern and Ted Kennedy. Kennedy wins the W&L nod, but McGovern gets the win at the real convention. After McGovern gets hammered by Nixon, some students wonder if the convention had a better feel for the national political climate than the Democratic Party did. Jimmy Carter, than the obscure governor of Georgia, addresses the convention. 1988 Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton, already a rising star in the Democratic Party, speaks at Mock Convention. But the real excitement comes that night at Zo|lman's Pavilion, when Clinton hops up on stage tojam out on a saxophone. 2004 1 Despite the noisy protests of a few Deaniacs, John Kerry cruises to vic- tory. Democratic strategist James Carville, sometimes known as the Rajun Cajun, bashes the GOP in his keynote address.