By Robert Clements
News Intern
SMU’s College Republicans and College Democrats held their first debate of the year Wednesday in the Varsity.
Topics covered included a discussion on “The Dream Act,” which repealed the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy, extending the Bush tax cuts and the Texas gubernatorial race.
Chad Cohen, junior and president of College Republicans, moderated the event. Panelists included College Democrats’ President David de la Fuente and secretary Brandon Bub, as well as College Republican officers Christoph Schmidt and Daniel Summa..
The four spoke about their positions on key issues of today and shared some background information about their respective organizations. Cohen encouraged audience participation as well, making the debate interactive and dynamic.
Two vocal Republicans included treasurer Charlie McCaslin and freshman Arthur MacAlpine, whose comments garnered both applause and rebuttals from the audience.
Generally, the two groups agree more than they disagree, perhaps symbolic of the current state of affairs in Washington.
On the “Dream Act,” a bill that would grant citizenship to children of illegal aliens after satisfactory completion of military service or a college degree, Democrats de la Fuente and Bub firmly supported it, while Republicans Schmidt and Summa took a moderate stance, stating that their only concerns were about the physical impact of the bill. Cohen, meanwhile, supports the idea.
Repealing the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy generated the largest audience response.
While understanding the sensitivity of the issue, both Republicans were against it and worried about its impact on troop morale.
The Democrats quickly responded by stating that most other NATO countries allow homosexuals to openly serve in the military and that, at a time when recruitment is low, the United States should not be turning away otherwise qualified candidates.
On the gubernatorial race, most out-of-state participants viewed Gov. Rick Perry in a favorable light, arguing that Texas’ growth and prosperity speak for themselves.
One student from New York said, “Up north, we’ve had a whole string of bad governors. Texas, meanwhile, has had consistently strong leadership.”
Politics aside, both organizations agree that SMU’s spirit of open debate is a tremendous asset to our campus.
Another debate between the two parties can be expected next semester.
