Opening Up the Campus Debate

In the past few weeks, both Hillary Clinton and CNN have taken fire for planting questions with students in forums with candidates. Clinton's camp provided a Grinnell College freshman with a pre-prepared query from a list entitled "College Student." CNN, after featuring an exclusive interview with the Grinnell student about the planted question then caused a furor at the Democratic debate in Las Vegas by substituting a student's question for Clinton about the Yucca Mountain nuclear site with a "diamonds or pearls?" softball.

A few colleges have had enough of being the settings for these scripting scandals. Allegheny College in Pennsylvania has started The Soapbox Alliance, a group of colleges and universities in favor of doing away with closed political events on campuses. Calling it a "democracy strengthening initiative," Allegheny is calling on other colleges to host only "open candidate events"--events without ticketing or other restrictions on attendance. The Soapbox Alliance claims that, "by tightly controlling access to campaign events, modern political strategists are subverting the American tradition of the town hall meeting and undermining the foundations of our democracy." So far only four other Pennsylvania colleges have signed on-- Rosemont, Chatham, Point Park University, and Robert Morris University, but the examples above certainly seem to buoy their case.

Despite the supposed democratizing effects of the Internet on this race--YouTube debates and the like--campaign events and debates are still under the control of campaigns and the major news outlets that cover them. Nowhere is this control more damaging than on college campuses. Dan Shea, a professor at Allegheny, sums it up on the Soapbox Alliance's website: "closed, ticketed events are inconsistent with the mission of higher education and with the spirit of democracy." If candidates want to use a particular setting to campaign, be it a state fair or a university, they should be answerable to the real issues that present themselves there, not pre-packaged queries that supposedly matter to a generic voting bloc.

While students aren't the only demographic whose interests are being selectively addressed by campaigns, these scripted events have repercussions for the youth vote as a whole. In a moment when young voter participation is on the upswing, it is frustrating to see young voters used as props and pushed into conveniently labeled boxes. Mike Connery, a blogger at Future Majority takes on CNN and the media's handling of the youth vote in general in his "Tips for Reporting the Youth Vote." He outlines all the ways in which facts about young voters--students and otherwise--are consistently misrepresented by the mainstream media through planted questions, inaccurate statistics, and lack of context. Closed forums on campuses only add to the problem. By restricting debate, campaigns and the media present young voters as a single entity with limited concerns, ignoring the nuances of their involvement in politics. Campaigns get off easy by addressing an entire demographic in one convenient sound bite, and the stereotype of the superficial young voter persists.

Comments (19)

1. Posted by FRANKGRITS 11/26/2007 @ 6:40pm

   Yeah they all do, but she got caught doing it and then tried to lie about it.

   Posted by ACook at 11/26/2007 @ 6:48pm

2. "Campaigns get off easy by addressing an entire demographic in one convenient sound bite, and the stereotype of the superficial young voter persists."

   Hmmm...could it because of this (from earlier in the piece)?--

   "So far only four other Pennsylvania colleges have signed on--"

   Posted by Mask at 11/26/2007 @ 7:41pm

3. I have a problem with the phrase "planting" that has been so unquestioningly adopted here. I think it's a rhetorical escalation from rival camps and doesn't really describe what happened.

   The much-drawn parallel to the FEMA mock-reporter fiasco is not appropriate. A "plant" is someone pretending they're a member of the public when they're really from the organization. The FEMA idiots did this. No one has accused the Clinton campaign of doing this; members of the campaign did not pretend they were students or members of the public.

   You can't really "plant" a question if the person asking it is not also a "plant". Otherwise, what's to stop the person from just asking a different question when called upon?

   What campaigns do is -coach- their supporters so that exchanges are smooth and on-topic for the candidate's talking points. Whether they do this in person just before a live appearance or well ahead of time through streams of e-mail and official blogs, it's essentially a matter of massaging the official message and making sure it prevails. And yes, they all do this, and they will keep doing it, they will just shift tactics to avoid the whiff of scandal even when the scandal is entirely fabricated.

   There are certainly plenty of people willing in blogs and elsewhere to adopt and repeat talking points from Obama, Kucinich, Edwards, and God knows Ron Paul has no shortage of parrots. Does that make the process dishonest? I don't know - probably not if that's what the person wants to get across. If a supporter shows up and wants to ask a question and want to help their candidate, should they be forbidden from asking the campaign for advice? On the other hand if you bill an event as a totally un-rehearsed open forum and set rules that this is what's expected, you'll still get people showing up who have prepared their questions to be either for or against the candidate, based on campaign information - deliberately either reinforcing or detracting from the campaign's official message.

   This whole topic isn't really all that controversial - I think it's just called "politics". And honestly, if the student journalist who accomplished this exposé were really on the level as an undecided voter, shouldn't she have used her opportunity to ask a more challenging question than the campaign suggested, rather than playing the part of a compliant supporter all for the sake of an amateur and much-exaggerated exposé?

   Posted by ccorbell at 11/26/2007 @ 7:47pm

4. Posted by FRANKGRITS 11/26/2007 @ 7:24pm

   I'll rephrase that, her campaign minons got caught doing it and she professed to "not knowing about it".

   Posted by ACook at 11/26/2007 @ 8:00pm

5. Posted by CCORBELL 11/26/2007 @ 7:47pm |

   CCORBELL is right. The term "plant" isn't correct.

   "Pre-programmed android" would be more appropriate.

   heheh

   Posted by Mask at 11/26/2007 @ 8:01pm

6. To all the Hillary Rotten BALL LICKERS out there....The BITCH is going down hard....and I'm not refering to Rotten giving her old lug of a husband B.J. a bj....

   She has done nothing, has run NOTHING and is as qualified as the white house cook to being president...

   I am quite sure if her head was shaven, 666 would be easily visable...

   The only thing entertaining about it all is the fact B.J. the other day when confronted with John Edwards...(aka the slip and fall lawyer) could not stop singing to Edwards.....

   "YOU AIN'T WOMAN ENOUGH TO TAKE MY MAN"

   Trust me when I say....real Americans will not want that fucking soap-opera again in our White House...except maybe to get all the furniture back the Clinton Crime family stole when they left before!!!!

   Posted by Frankshitsz at 11/26/2007 @ 8:39pm

7. they all do it? who got caught before ms. clinton?

   Posted by ibbleblibble at 11/26/2007 @ 9:50pm

8. They are manipulateing the public. That is the very reason we are where we are today. Media has become a disgrace. Didn't the Friends of Coal sponser that debate in LV?

   Posted by BlindBob at 11/26/2007 @ 9:51pm

9. They all do it is an excuse of children. As adults, it is an outrage that this "they all do it " attitude is indulged.

   Posted by BlindBob at 11/26/2007 @ 9:54pm

10. Posted by BLINDBOB 11/26/2007 @ 9:54pm

    friends of coal? the guys passing out money to pols for the folks chopping the tops off of mountains in appalachia and poisoning poor hillfolk? nice...

    Posted by ibbleblibble at 11/26/2007 @ 11:00pm

11. hey ibbs. check out the fun things the friends of coal ladies auxiliary are up to:

    Welcome to Friends of Coal -

    What we're up to:

    The Ladies Auxiliary recently had an information booth at the Bluefield Coal Show which was a great success. We raffled off a compound bow which was won by Brandon Twyman of Sesco Data and a weekend retreat that was won by Gary Dotson of Hurley, Virginia.

    We also had a booth at Chili night in Beckley, another great success. We gave away water and bake goods along with stickers and information on coal and its importance to West Virginia. We provided stick on temporary tattoos for the kids, and a few for adults, which were another great success.

    What we have planned:

    Plans to purchase and distribute "Mr. Coal" stuffed dogs for children in the hospital and perhaps nursing homes.

    Currently putting together a cookbook, if people have a favorite "coal camp" recipe we want them to email it in.

    We are now representing Sweeteez, the makers of Coal Cookies. They look like coal and taste like cookies and would make great gifts. Contact us for more information.

    We're also planning a limited edition Christmas ornament and a spring golf outing.

    Membership is of course free.

    http://www.friendsofcoal.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6 8

    cool, free membership.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 11/26/2007 @ 11:25pm

12. Posted by FROSTY ZOOM 11/26/2007 @ 11:25pm

    wow...coal cookies? mr. coal stuffed dogs! oh man...

    i'm sorry friends of coal! where can i get some of those coal cookies? can i register to win a compound bow?

    great find, frosty...maybe i can be a friend of coal!

    Posted by ibbleblibble at 11/26/2007 @ 11:43pm

13. aww man! i went to frosty's friends of coal website and guess what i saw?

    You are not authorised to view this resource.

    damn! i must be blacklisted. i can't view that resource!

    can i view oil?

    Posted by ibbleblibble at 11/26/2007 @ 11:46pm

14. I agree w/ZERO, especially for events held at colleges where supposedly, the most open Q&A by young folks is (supposed) to take place....even as liberal colleges are increasingly shutting out conservatives speakers. Let's face it, she isn't holding these at Oral Roberts or Bob Jones U. where she'd be mostly on defense....all them small-name colleges are probably `small, liberal arts' colleges full of HRC-wanabes!

    Posted by Happy at 11/27/2007 @ 12:32am

15. sorry iblblblblblblelble,

    i posted some weird interior ghoulash.

    try this:

    http://www.friendsofcoal.org/index.php? option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 [tinyurl.com]

    Posted by frosty zoom at 11/27/2007 @ 12:50am

16. i can't view that resource!

    can i view oil?

    Posted by IBBLEBLIBBLE 11/26/2007 @ 11:46pm

    duh, i just got the joke.

    maybe your humour isn't the same as MINE.

    go to the ANTHRA* site for more info.

    *American National Tunnelers, Hole-diggers, and Rock-pickers Association.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 11/27/2007 @ 12:57am

17. As the recent Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial on the Soapbox Alliance put it, "Phony politicking is an equal opportunity employer, and Democrats as well Republicans need to be kept honest."

    Real town hall: Allegheny College puts the people in democracy [post-gazette.com]

    Posted by Barbara1234 at 11/27/2007 @ 06:08am

18. Posted by BARBARA1234 11/27/2007 @ 06:08am

    from the link:

    "No more. From now on, private groups wishing to appear on campus can reserve half their tickets but the other half must be made available to the general college community through a nonbiased distribution."

    looks like no more townhalls or debates for allegheny.

    more appropriate "freedom centers" will be found.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 11/27/2007 @ 08:35am

19. Somebody asked if question control was happening on other campaigns:

    From a Rudy Giuliani townhall meeting "What makes the liberal democrats so wrong about the threats to this country?" The questioner wasn't a "plant" per se but he does volunteer for the Giuliani campaign and appeared at multiple Q&As, and was called on more than once. Giuliani knows him and knows the type of questions he is going to ask.

    http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2007/11/27/2007-11-27_vol unteer_lobs_softball_queries_at_rudy_.html

    Video: http://cameron.blogs.foxnews.com/2007/11/26/giuliani-volunteer-lob s-friendly-questions-hizzoners-way/

    Posted by leek at 11/29/2007 @ 2:35pm