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October 2010 Politics in Hillsdale: (R) v (D) Catherine Sims

Staff Writer

The Hillsdale Forum
Masthead
Matt Cole
Anna Williams
Editors in Chief
Catherine Simmerer
Editor at Large
Catharine Clayton
Copy Editor
Mark Keller
Layout Editor
Jordan Adams
Mary Feeney
Calvin Freiburger
Catherine Sims
Rachael Weirenga
Staff Writers
Sam Sparks
Business Manager
The Local Race: Tim Walberg vs. Mark Schauer
in Michigan’s 7th District
Anna Williams
Editor in Chief
One month from now,
former Representative and
Republican Tim Walberg will
try to take his seat back from
incumbent Democrat Mark
Schauer here in Michigan’s 7th
District. Walberg gained the
seat in 2006 after defeating
the incumbent, moderate
Republican Joe Schwarz, in the
primaries, but lost it narrowly
in 2008 as an anti-Bush backlash
swept many Democrats into
office.
Now age 59, Walberg was
born and educated in Chicago,
worked as a pastor for ten
years, and sat in the Michigan
House of Representatives from
1983 to 1999, according to his
campaign website. His term in
College Republicans: Ready and Eager
This November, control
of both House and Senate will
be up for grabs again, and
Hillsdale’s College Republicans
know exactly what is at stake
for their party.
The College Republicans
are off to a busy start this school
year, reflecting the intensity that
always surfaces during election
years. Attendance has been high
both at their regular meetings
and at their special events,
such as the 9/11 memorial and
the recent speech delivered by
Congressman Mike Pence.
About the impending
elections, College Republicans
President Elliot Gaiser said he
felt “hopeful, but hesitant to
make any predictions.” While
asserting that regaining control
of Congress is possible for the
GOP, he acknowledged that it
will have to come to terms with
its past failure as a majority
party.
“Establishment candidates
and moderate Republicans have
to run scared,” Gaiser said.
Citing the Tea Party
movement as a “healthful and
the National House earned him
a 98% lifetime rating from the
American Conservative Union.
(Schauer’s first year in office,
for comparison, gave him an
8% rating from the same body.)
The Detroit Free Press
reported that although a poll
in late August showed Walberg
leading Schauer by ten points,
a new poll sets him just four
points ahead of his rival
(42 to 38). Why the sudden
narrowing? According to
College Republicans President
Elliot Gaiser, the prime reason
is likely the negative ads with
which Democrats have been
slamming Walberg.
In a moment of either
admirable candor or imprudent
bluntness, Walberg once agreed
with an interviewer that Social
Security is a Ponzi scheme.
While he’s right that the
reviving element” that has
“replaced spiffy talking points
with a new tone of rhetoric and
moral clarity,” Gaiser sees a
potentially brighter future for
the Republican Party.
While he found their voting
record on the Health Care and
Cap and Trade bills admirable
as a minority party, Gaiser feels
the Republicans should reach
out to such groups as the Tea
Party to ensure accountability.
The College Republicans
hope to see the GOP prove to
America that their solutions
to the economic troubles are
better in the long run. To do
this, Republicans will have to
drive home their case against
entitlement and dependence
without attacking President
Obama personally.
Besides the anticipation that
is building around the elections,
the College Republicans are
“feeling great,” Gaiser said.
The group’s current success in
garnering interest will no doubt
increase throughout this fall, as
Hillsdale’s politically involved
student body follows the course
of the elections.
program is in crisis and should
be privatized, he shouldn’t
have served his political rivals
such a perfect soundbite for
negative ads.
But he hasn’t taken the
attacks lying down: Walberg’s
most recent ad shows him
and his 94-year-old mother
reassuring seniors that he
supports Social Security and
wants only to protect it from
Democrats’ other big-spending
schemes.
Whatever the conclusion
of the fierce and colorful
battle of television spots, the
current wave of conservative
sentiment—and Michigan’s
gubernatorial race, which will
likely add more Republican-
ticket votes for Walberg than
Democratic-ticket ones for
Schauer—should be enough to
bring Walberg back into office.
College Democrats: A Dissenting Voice
Although conservative on the issues at hand without
political ideas definitively
dominate Hillsdale College’s
unnecessary acerbity, she said
the Democratic candidates need
campus, the Hillsdale College to show that the healthcare bill
Democrats and Progressives is real progress, not wasteful
provide the school with a spending. This task requires
vibrant and eclectic alternative. them to center on the bill
The group is “off to a “rather than casting aspersions
good start,” President Jo Burns against Republicans” and the
Tea Party movement.
said. The first meeting of the
Regarding the outcome
year attracted a solid turnout,
with the members and visitors of the elections, Burns said
discussing which topics they she has “faith in the American
would like to explore further voter.” While Democrats and
at future meetings. Besides Republicans have significantly
initiating dialogue about more divergent ideas on how to help
progressive political positions, America, she maintained that
they are also putting plans both sides wish the best for
in the works for community America. As to the possibility
service projects in the area. of Republicans taking seats
On the upcoming elections, formerly held by Democrats,
Burns echoed the concerns of she feels that engaging the
many Americans. “I think the present topics is better than lack
most important issue is health of interest, “stagnating.”
Whichever way the wind
care,” she said. She mentioned
blows this election season,
Missouri’s emerging opposition
to the Affordable Care Act: the Hillsdale Democrats and
the state recently passed a Progressives look forward to
proposition that curtails some another successful year as one
aspects of the bill. of the few sources of educated
“The Republican agenda dissent on campus. As Burns
appears to be to repeal this law said, “We’re looking forward to
and crack down on President an exciting year of giving back
Obama’s fiscal policies,” Burns to our community and deeper
said of the healthcare bill.
Emphasizing the need to focus
investigation of political issues
in an unbiased fashion.”
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