Shifting politics
(In response to Kyle Daly’s March 2 article, “Conservative shift boosts College Republicans.”)
Kyle Daly’s recent article about a supposed national shift toward conservative values has little basis in reality. Andrew Clark [president of Associated Students of ASU’s West campus] emphasized the recent dissolution of the Young Democrats at NAU, but what he failed to mention was the recent establishment of an already- flourishing Downtown chapter of the ASU Young Democrats.
Daly claims that the recent election of a few Republicans definitively proves America is starting to trend conservative, but take note that each governor of Virginia has belonged to the opposite party of the president since 1977. Scott Brown’s election signifies only that Martha Coakley was not an ideal candidate, and that the residents of Massachusetts wanted to protect their current healthcare system.
The Young Democrats at ASU are out in the field every week campaigning for Democratic candidates. As President Erica Pederson said, “Every election year is a tough year,” and the Young Democrats are more committed and motivated than ever to elect strong liberal candidates. I disagree with Daly’s sentiment that the Democratic Party is losing momentum, but I do applaud the College Republicans for gaining membership. Political involvement is an integral part of civic engagement regardless of what party you identify with.
Sarah Aagard Undergraduate
