It’s time for the College Democrats and Republicans to set aside their differences, be they social or fiscal, and take solace in at least one point of common understanding: the District 5 County Board seat has been about as effective as Nair on Robin Williams. In recent discussions with the groups, both made it clear that the actions of District 5 Supervisor Wyndham Manning have been less than inspiring. With his term ending in 2010, this presents a unique opportunity for the College Dems and Reps to replace those complaints with a viable candidate of their own; yet, it’s uncertain whether this will actually happen.
When asked if they were actively searching for young politicos to run in the District 5 race, both groups responded that while they’d like to see an individual in the race whose ideology matches theirs, they weren’t going to run a candidate just to back a warm body. And sure, it’s probably not in anyone’s best interests to throw a freshman with a West Wing DVD box set into the fire of local politics, but the notion that another less-than-stellar candidate (like Mr. Manning) could be allowed to take the seat unopposed feels unethical.
This is no time to be searching for the perfect candidate. If the College Dems and Reps are worried about embarrassing themselves, someone should remind them how low the bar is right now. Everyone wants to bring a cheerleader to prom, but most people would gladly take that plain girl with a decent personality over the two-biller with the neck tattoo. Right now, that heavyweight is District 5. Instead of looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right (or Left), the Dems and Reps should be actively courting anyone with a passing interest in county issues. Even candidates with pet issues should be helped along, as long as those issues are relevant to the student body.
Too often, groups like the Reps and Dems think they can bring the County Board to the campus. Unfortunately, the vast majority of students couldn’t care less about any level of government that isn’t featured prominently on The Daily Show. There just isn’t anything sexy about the County Board, and there’s little to suggest that’s going to change. However, despite the lack of interest, County Board can be a vehicle for real campus policy reform.
In a recent interview with the Editoral Board, Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., spoke of her time as a student on the County Board and her struggle to deliver basic health care rights to students. It worked, and she cited this as the beginning of her road to Washington. Her success is probably the exception to the rule, but it dispels this idea that County Board can’t help students.
If the College Dems and Reps are unwilling to force some action in the District 5 race, they should be forced to seriously reconsider their role on campus. Elections can be won and lost, but they should rarely be conceded before they have begun.
