Following a hotly contested election season, College Democrats and Republicans are working to show how their policies directly impact students' lives in order to build support for the 2012 elections, according to political activists. Leaders of the College Democrats and College Republicans say their groups play a crucial role in shaping future debate.
College Republicans' goal is to emphasize substantive campus dialogue following a contentious election season, according to the group's President, Richard Sunderland '11.
"For right now, I think we're going to take a step back and return to our roots of discussing issues," Sunderland said in an interview. "Through dialogue we maintain our relevance and provide a service to the community."
Sunderland said that the College Republicans will look to collaborate with two newly elected New Hampshire Republicans Sen. Kelly Ayotte and Rep. Charlie Bass '74 and to serve as an informative resource for the Upper Valley.
In reaction to the elections, the College Democrats plan to focus on policy advocacy, according to President Ryan Tincher '12. In particular, the group will work with Democrats who hold state offices to help them prevent the soon-to-be Republican-dominated state legislature from repealing the state law permitting gay marriage, he said.
Republicans will hold a veto-proof majority in the incoming legislature, meaning that the legislature could override attempts by Gov. John Lynch, D-N.H., to block legislation that he opposes.
Tincher pointed to the College Democrats' advocacy for the passage of the law enabling 17-year-olds to vote in primaries, as long as they turn 18 by Election Day, as an example of the student organization's track record of influencing local politics.
The groups' emphasis also diverges at the national level. While Rob Lockwood, the communications director for the College Republican National Committee, said College Republicans nationwide are pressing the issue of national debt, Tincher said Democrats will be more focused on preventing Republican efforts to repeal health care legislation.
Despite differences in policy, both parties are looking to make their agenda relevant to young voters.
The connection between unemployment and debt makes the debt issue a particular concern for young people, Lockwood said. Unemployment leads to difficulty repaying college loans, he said, adding that the high unemployment rate among young adults means that they will have to be subsidized by the government, increasing national debt further.
A short-term concern about jobs has translated into a long-term concern about debt, he said.
Lockwood pointed to the "Not on our Tab" campaign overseen by the College Republican National Committee to suggest how College Republicans around the nation have unified around the debt issue.
"Even our fiercest critics have praised the fact that we're taking the initiative to stand up and speak out for our generation," Lockwood told The Dartmouth. "[This campaign] will allow our generation to inherit an America in which we can thrive."
"Not on our Tab" seeks to educate college students about the nation's debt so that they understand how current fiscal policy will present them with a future financial burden, according to the organization's website.
Tincher said Republican efforts to repeal health care legislation will mobilize young people to support Democrats in the 2012 elections, particularly because college students stand to benefit from the provision in the health care law allowing students to remain on their parents' insurance until age 26.
"It's going to be easier to get Democrats fired up about things that Republicans are going to do in the next two years," Tincher said.
Tincher disputed the idea that nationwide Democratic losses in this year's elections would dampen young voters' enthusiasm for the 2012 race.
"It's easier to get people to vote for change than for the same old status quo," he said.
The recent legislative success of the Democratic majority in Congress which passed reforms to student aid and loans and regulations on credit card companies will ensure youths' support for Democrats in 2012, according to Amanda Stanley, the press secretary for the Young Democrats of America.
"Young people are motivated by accomplishments of the Democratic Congress," Stanley said in an interview with The Dartmouth. "As a result of [last] Tuesday's elections, people will be more energized to bring Democratic voices to Congress."
Stanley added that there was reason for Democrats to be optimistic toward youth following last week's elections, noting that young voters preferred Democratic candidates by a margin of 19 percent and that this past election witnessed a record number of Democratic youth volunteers for a midterm election.
