2008 Woodie Awards
Our Reader's Voices
Issue date: 1/16/08 Section: Voices
Students aren't alone with indecision on candidates
I wasn't surprised that on the front page of Central Michigan Life on Monday, three students who were asked if they were planning to vote in the primaries Tuesday, all said "no." The main reason given was indecision about whom to vote for due, it seems, to lack of familiarity with the candidates' positions. Believe me, students aren't the only ones who feel that way! Information overload makes it hard to feel "informed" and sifting the trivial from the serious, the PR spin from the genuine conviction only makes the problem worse.
I read a story in the New York Times a few days ago about a Web site created by college students for college students to give info on the candidates' positions on the major policy issues that concern voters. They promise no PR, sound bites, etc., just verifiable policy positions. Their goal: To help young voters like themselves gain "political literacy." Their motto: "we dig" (up the info)…"you decide!" Check it out: VoteGopher.com. Looks good!
Check out, also, the various activities on campus this spring and next fall geared to engaging students in the 2008 campaigns. (You can get started on January 30th, at a "Speak Up, Speak Out!" forum on the economy which will raise issues of concern to voters, especially in Michigan. It's at 7 p.m. in the U.C. Auditorium.)
Merlyn E. Mowrey
Department of PHL/REL
Chair, Speak Up, Speak Out, The Current Events Series
Have something to say?
Leave your comments at cm-life.com.
I wasn't surprised that on the front page of Central Michigan Life on Monday, three students who were asked if they were planning to vote in the primaries Tuesday, all said "no." The main reason given was indecision about whom to vote for due, it seems, to lack of familiarity with the candidates' positions. Believe me, students aren't the only ones who feel that way! Information overload makes it hard to feel "informed" and sifting the trivial from the serious, the PR spin from the genuine conviction only makes the problem worse.
I read a story in the New York Times a few days ago about a Web site created by college students for college students to give info on the candidates' positions on the major policy issues that concern voters. They promise no PR, sound bites, etc., just verifiable policy positions. Their goal: To help young voters like themselves gain "political literacy." Their motto: "we dig" (up the info)…"you decide!" Check it out: VoteGopher.com. Looks good!
Check out, also, the various activities on campus this spring and next fall geared to engaging students in the 2008 campaigns. (You can get started on January 30th, at a "Speak Up, Speak Out!" forum on the economy which will raise issues of concern to voters, especially in Michigan. It's at 7 p.m. in the U.C. Auditorium.)
Merlyn E. Mowrey
Department of PHL/REL
Chair, Speak Up, Speak Out, The Current Events Series
Have something to say?
Leave your comments at cm-life.com.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 8
michmediaperson
posted 1/17/08 @ 6:48 PM EST
I checked out this website.
Here's the problem I have with it.
First, Harvard undergrads tend to be liberal.
Second, the news articles are from the extremely liberal New York Times, a newspaper whose reporters favor Democrats over Republicans. (Continued…)
Nick Smith
posted 1/17/08 @ 9:03 PM EST
So what if FOXNEWS had higher ratings than the other networks? Perhaps you missed the studies regarding major media networks in recent years. One, I forget if it came out in 2003 or 2004, compared basic knowledge of certain topics, such as, for example, Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, Iraq didn't have WMDs, etc. (Continued…)
Pistol Pete
posted 1/19/08 @ 11:05 PM EST
Firstly all of those commentators dont contribute to the "news". If you ever took STA 282, you would know that the first thing you should check is who funded the survery, they will limit or lengthen the parameters of what the study can do. (Continued…)
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