The Nation: Candidates Clash on Iowa Student Vote

[marmar]

CANDIDATES CLASH ON IOWA STUDENT VOTE...On Saturday a spokesperson for Hillary Clinton slammed Barack Obama's campaign for encouraging out-of-state students from Iowa to come back from winter break early to participate in the caucuses.

"There's a real difference here," said the spokeswoman Mo Elleithee, "We are not systematically trying to manipulate the Iowa caucuses with out of state people. We don't have literature recruiting out of state college students. We didn't bus in folks from out of state." Chris Dodd was quick to jump in with his own reprimand. A spokesperson said he was "deeply disappointed…at the Obama campaign's attempt to recruit thousands of out-of-state residents to come to Iowa for the caucuses."

The comments came in response to an opinion piece by David Yepsen in the Des Moines register that criticized the Obama camp for handing out pamphlets on campuses reminding students that, as Iowa residents, they were all eligible to participate in the caucuses on January 3rd. There's been much speculation as to whether the early date will affect the number of students voting in Iowa, since no colleges will be back in session.

A number of commentators are saying that Yepsen, Clinton and Dodd's comments effectively amount to a promotion of voter disenfranchisement. In fact, Iowa, like most states, does give out-of-state students the right to participate in the caucuses and vote. Iowa also recently changed its election laws to allow voter registration on caucus night--another measure that helps out-of-state students.

Obama's not the only one reminding the kids to vote. Most candidates' websites have a section for students encouraging them to register, and both Obama and Edwards have a page specific to Iowa. The tips listed under "Iowa students for Obama" –reminding students of the date and registration requirements--are a bit more explicit than "Young Iowans for Edwards" simple "register to vote," but they're hardly nefarious. The information is no different from that put forth by Rock the Caucus, an initiative sponsored by Iowa's Secretary of State.

It seems unlikely the other candidates would make such a mountain out of this issue if a number of new polls didn't give Obama quite an edge among young Iowa voters, and especially students. One survey of 2,000 students at Iowa State University--an admittedly small sample--has Obama at 58% to Clinton's 15% among self-identified Democrats. Yepsen's opinion may have been misinformed, but in light of those numbers, Clinton and Dodd's comments make them seem as though they're grasping at political straws.

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?bid=45&pid=256359

[Adelante]

1. Well, maybe they will be happy

If college students across the country will start picketing Democrats for voter disenfranchisement. That should work.

I can just see it: DEMOCRATS USE REPUBLICAN PLAYBOOK AGAINST STUDENTS TO SUPPRESS VOTES.

Oy.

[flpoljunkie]

2. Key: Iowa, like most states, gives out-of-state students right to participate in caucuses and vote

[bunnies]

3. "trying to manipulate the Iowa caucuses with out of state people"

jeebus kryst. The law allows for it. Deal with it and stop fucking whining.

[Debi]

4. This is a bunch of baloney! n/t

[CTLawGuy]

5. Its not surprising coming from Hillary

this was the same woman who called young people lazy and condemned them to die in Iraq.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12591415/ (link to comments).