Don't Forget about Mike Gravel

At Students in the Public Interest this week we briefly joked about how much better the Democratic Debates would be if Mike Gravel could participate. Remember his raucous behavior at earlier debates? I had all but forgotten about him...

Here's a fun video of him being very presidential:

Pull it Together

We are divided. We are Clintonians versus Obamanites. Partisan policy versus Washington reform. The personal advocate versus the community organizer. And I don’t like it.

Despite how exciting this primary season has been, and regardless of which candidate any of us supports, it’s time to start looking at the bigger picture. The longer this showdown continues between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, the more divided the Democratic Party becomes.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the Democratic Process. Let the candidates go on to compete in every state. Let those citizens and political junkies unfortunate enough to fall under the geography of a late primary finally have their day. Let that little state with twenty delegates speak as loudly as the one with four hundred.

I’m all for the political fever that seems to have spread to the most unlikely places. A toll-taker on the PA Turnpike asked me who I preferred, “Clinton or Obama?” Family members, usually outspoken opponents off all things political, have started e-mailing me New York Times articles. And in my three years with the College Dems, I’ve never seen more enthusiasm over our table at the mid-year Student Activities Night as I did two weeks ago.

So it’s tough for me to say that we need to start anticipating the end of all this commotion. I wish the scene at this University (once named the fourth most apathetic in the country) was always rich with interest and discussion and debates. However, the more energy we put into Clinton versus Obama, the farther we get from our true goal as Democrats. We need to refocus and start organizing around the Democratic Party. Will you tried-and-true Clintonians and you passionate Obamanites (by the way, I think made up these terms…) be willing to support the very candidate you have grown so accustomed to opposing? Because we need to look past all that if we are going to start off on the right foot against John McCain.

We can enjoy the political fervor without turning against one another. We can disagree without ruling each other out. I was a Democrat long before I chose which candidate to support, and I’ll continue to be one after. As Democrats, it’s time to start pulling it together. We need to support one candidate in the general election, and both of our choices are strong. So stop the hate.

As for the College Democrats – I look forward to the general election, when we will sit together and watch a debate and again (hopefully) be unified.

Hit the Ground Running!

Well, UD's Spring Semester has finally begun and the College Democrats have hit the ground running. Americans are more excited about politics than they have been in decades, and the scene in Delaware is no different. If you're as excited as we are, come to a College Dems meeting and get involved!

Tonight, Wednesday February 20th, at 6:30 we will hold our first meeting of the semester in Gore Hall room 320. We are playing a Clinton/Obama trivia game for prizes, and there will be snacks as usual. Want to learn more about the College Dems? Tonight we will begin discussing big plans for 2008, including the 4th Annual College Democrats/College Republicans Debate and a possible trip to Washington DC! Don't know much about politics? The best way to learn is to get involved! NEW MEMBERS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!

As you can see, the Smart Blue Hens website recently got a face lift. Let us know what you think about our new appearance and please contact us if you have any questions or suggestions!