Gore campaigns to young voters

By Yael Kohen

Daily Staff Reporter

Common political rhetoric suggests that students are apathetic to the political process and have historically neglected to vote on Election Day. But Vice President Al Gore said political indifference is not plaguing youths as much as believed.

"This generation of young people is the most socially aware and civically involved generation ever in American history," Gore told a group of Michigan reporters yesterday before he left Willow Run Airport on his way to Des Moines, Iowa. But Gore acknowledged that "as of yet, they have not been attracted to the democratic process in the same way they have helped out charities and community groups and social causes."

Studies have shown that although voter turnout among young people is low, the number of young volunteers is on the rise. And presidential candidates are making efforts to use that civic engagement to promote political awareness and to attract what could be one of the largest voting blocks in the country.

Gore participated in MTV's Choose or Lose 2000 town-hall style forum at the University yesterday to give young people - both voters and non-voters - a chance to bring up the issues that most directly and deeply concern them.

Despite some criticism that the MTV program was contrived, commercial breaks allowed for a question-and-answer period that was more spontaneous than the portions broadcast on television.

One audience member expressed concern about the lack of attention given to residents in states that already have been locked up by either candidate. "That's just the nature of the process," Gore said.

Michigan, a state considered to be a major battleground, has not been deprived of visits by any of the political candidates. But it is the "process" that many young people across the nation have grown cynical about.

"That part of the process I think is just human nature. It's always been that way," Gore later told reporters. "It's been that way since George Washington's time."

Gore also discussed what he believes can and should be changed in the electoral process. "There are things about the political process that are unacceptable. The role of money is way too big," he said.

Campaign finance is at the top of Gore's list of reforms. He said he supports public financing of campaigns and intends to sign the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Bill as the first piece of legislation in his administration.

But his devotion to the subject has not hindered his use of money from large corporations and at the MTV forum one audience member questioned Gore's use of financial backing from corporate contributors.

Gore said although he does advocate the public financing of elections, he cannot run a campaign with "one hand tied" behind his back, which would impede his chances against Republican Texas Gov. George W. Bush.

Gore cited two things that can help heal students' cynicism toward government: First is the need for campaign finance reform and the second is the need to have "forthright, candid discussion of what our choices are, without trying to sugarcoat some of the options that we have to consider now," Gore said.

During the MTV forum, Gore said that if elected president he plans to continue meeting with young people, giving them an opportunity to have their voices heard. "I think that young people for their part need to push past any fear of disillusionment and disappointment and roll up their sleeves as previous generations have," Gore later told reporters, "to get involved and make our country a better place. And I think more of them are beginning to do that."

The increased cynicism towards the political processes have driven some students toward third-party candidates such as Ralph Nader, who was on campus last week trying to appeal to students while attacking Democrats.

But Gore did not seem very concerned about losing student votes to Nader. "I think that in the final analysis, as we get close to the election the majority of people are going to want to vote in the contest between the candidates that they themselves think are most likely to be the finalists of whom the president is picked," Gore said.