xt7h445hf10m https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7h445hf10m/data/mets.xml The Kentucky Kernel Kentucky -- Lexington The Kentucky Kernel 2008-11-03 Earlier Titles: Idea of University of Kentucky, The State College Cadet newspapers  English   Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. The Kentucky Kernel  The Kentucky Kernel, November 03, 2008 text The Kentucky Kernel, November 03, 2008 2008 2008-11-03 2020 true xt7h445hf10m section xt7h445hf10m ttttgitttt *

KENTUCKY KERNEL

 

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This speual section Is only the beginningoithe Information avaIIabIeontheKernaIs oniIne election guids Ifyouarestiil unsure thciI candIdatebostmitsyou, Mom
on no WebsiteiwwwkykemelcomnorevamhingvouneodtomakeadecisionbeioreTuesday.
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PRESIDEi "[7
PROFILES

 

Chuck Baldwin
Constitution Party

Running mate: Darrell Castle

Economy: Supports tarrtts on lorelgrr
goods

Education: Supports tax reliet tor
homeschooling, private and l€llgl0U5
schools Supports GiSbalIUIng the De
partment ot Education

Environment: Supports drilling In the
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. and
more drilling, rellneries and nuclear
power plants

Foreign policy: Opposes intervention
in foreign nations attarrs Supports
wrthdrawl from lraq

Health care: Opposes government reg
ulation and subsidy of health care

 

Bob Barr
libertarian Party

Running mate: Wayne Root

Economy: Supports government Spend
ing cuts, reducrng overall SDenOl'ig
Education: Supports federal tax pro
grams for college students
Environment Supports reducrng tl'
rent federal regulations on the environ-
ment, development of alternative fuels
Foreign policy: Supports DOD-lnlE‘WP’l'
tion in international affairs. but sup:
ports the War l-"l l'ao

Health care: Supports Irmrtmg dam
ages in medical malpractice lawsuns,
opposes government supported health

C578

    

John McCain
Republican Party

Running mate: Sarah Palin

Economy: Supports increased spending
for defense and education Also sup
ports tax cuts

Education: Supports increased tundrng
of Pell Grants and Stafford Loans
Environment: Supports strengthening
enforcement ot Clean Water Act and
Clean Air Act, as well as during in the
Archc National Wildlrte Retuge
Foreign policy: Suppo'ts cont need
murtaw presence. .: lrau no u rec: talks
with lran W‘lhtltii llPQ'Ji a' pa ‘ rat
Health care: Supports treats to

 

individuals and smart pus messes to
health care

    

 

Ralph Nader
Independent
Running mate: Matt Gonzalel

Economy: Support-r ‘JT‘il" g tr 'r‘
rtanv spend-no. assist ”:2 ‘avi pa 3' WM
ers

Education: Sticrnort: r' no mves'ne't
l". K-‘2 education Opposes sia «tart
ized testing

Environment: Supports "rC'Gdf-Eil v
’ODME'ila regulator -r '
natrora‘ parks
Foreign policy: Supports strong ta,
"tartar a" presence " Two Won't
wrthdrawal ‘rorn IraC

Health care: Support; 5., 1e new
it: tarsal “ealth tart.

   

 

 

Sen John McCain shakes hands wrth members oi the crowd on the way out of
the Inez, Ky courthouse alter speaking in Inez on April 28

Offllllllls, CARI

By Danielle Pritchett

news@kykernel.com

While the youth \otc has been
criticized as sporadic at host. this
election season has seen an upswing
in the importance of youth inyolvc—
merit to political leaders. especially
in thc presidential racc

But some local candidates and
clcctcd officials question vyhcthcr the
youth vote is necessary for success
and whether students carc

"l'K studcnts don't \rotc. sadly."
said liric 'l‘homason. a candidate for
the 3rd district seat on tho I cyington—
Fayette Urban (founty (‘otrncil.
which represents UK. “Now is rcally
their time and I‘m not surc thcrc has
bcen much intcrcst in this racc from
UK.”

Dick l)c(‘;imp. \s ho held thc .ird
district scat for I: y'car‘s. noticcd thc
same trcnd.

“I don‘t think collcgc studcnts
have turned out in the past likc thc-y
could hayc." DeCamp said.

While he tried to work yyit'n Sill-
dcnt Goycmmcnt and othcr orgaiii/a
tions to increasc studcnt interest in
local politics. l)c(‘amp said the :it-
tcmpts oftcn were not ci'l’cciiyc.
Many studcnts are registered in their
home county and are not intcrcstcd iri
Faycttc (‘oimty politics.

“1 can understand (the lack ol
intcr‘Csti." DcCamp said, "Studcnts
are busy ci'cating thcti acatlcmic at~

   

mosphcrc and iinlcss they grcw tip
in lcyington. thcy probably arcn‘l
going to bc intcrcs‘tcd in local poli—
Ilc‘s '

Hiiyyc".ct. thc long—hold idca that
collcgc students do not use ilicii' right
to \‘otc could bc changing on more
than the pi'csidcntial level.

Bobby (7luc is the campaign
manager tor (‘huck Ellingcr II. the
chublican candidatc in thc l3th dis-
trict staic Scriatc racc. which i'cpr'c‘
scnts l'K, Hc has noticed a diftcr'cncc
in the young potcntial y'otcrs.

“()nc- thing you scc morc today is
thc youth bccoming morc politically
cducatcd at a youngcr‘ agc." (‘ltic
said. “I bclrmc that the political land--
scapc is changing and yyc‘rc sccing
that this clcction cyclc '7

(ircatct' acccss to iniormation. in-
cluding social itclyMtilss such as l‘accA
book and 24-hour ncyys broadcasts. is
thc main reason lot‘ this changc. (‘luc
silltl

l:lhngcr has a lutccbook pagc.

 

PHOTOS 3V ED MAWNEWS | STAFF Sen Barack Ohama shakes hands With the crowd Ill the itmriqtnn Convention
Center on Aug 28, 2007, after holding a campaign rally

and (‘luc said it has bccn wry liclpiul
in i‘clcasing cycnt inlortnation and rc»
questing \ oluiitccrs.

Sonic local politicians continuc to
court tlic collcgc \otc ~rust in casc

"l hayc inadc an citoit to roach
out to students." ’l‘honiason said.
"Bciorc the primary. I sat doyyn with
studcnt lcadcrs to pick thcii' brains
and see what they want changcd."

(‘luc said hlliitgcr‘s campaign
had help from tho studcnts. ’l'hc carn-
paign has vyorkcd with about it) I'K
l'ratct‘nitic‘s and sororitics. as well as
ClVll and political organizations on
campus.

“We wouldn‘t have bccn ablc to
run such a sticccsstul cait‘ipaign \\ iih~
out thcm." L‘luc said. "Thcy hayc
bccn critical to thc campaign."

An arca oi incrcascd youth lll-
yolycmcnt is the pic-sidcritial clcc~
tion.

Dcmoci'atic pl'csltlc’llllcil catidr
datc Bai‘ack ()bama's campaign is cs-
pccially tccling the positiy c ct'lccts oi

c

 

lBhTES MlllEll 0N STllllEN'l' Tllfillflil? '

youth support

r\ rcccnt USN Today (izillup poll
found that ol rcgistcicd \otcrs agcd
its to 2‘). til pcrccnt supported (lba
ina as opposcil til i: pciccnt for Rc-
piihhcaii opponent John McCain.

Sincc tlic loM a caucuscs. ()baina
has targctcd thc youth \otc Hc hit
cy'cry collcgc and many high
schools in Iowa and has sincc uscd
onlinc l‘uiitli‘aising. social network
ing and lcyt riicssagcs to roach
young \otct's.

“l hayc a \llt‘Lllsll‘if.‘ suspicion that
collcgc \llltlt'llls \‘.lll bc Tittll" iiitcr
cstcd in this clcction.” l'k-(Iuttp said.
"l'his is an inmortant prcsiilcntial

'clc-ction whcic a lot of policy ai'tcci-

ing young pcoplc is going to bc
niadc

( llic does not loi'csc‘c an cnd to
int r'casing youth imolycincnt.

"Thc political landscapc yyill .ll
ways bc changing.” (‘l'ac said. "l‘hc
day that you stop lcartnng is lhc day
that you an: loft in thc tlli\l 7'

Studcnts arc busy or utting thcir academic atmos—
phcr , and unless they grow up in Lexington. they

probably ai‘cn’t going to bc intcrcstcd in local politics.”
~— Dick DeCamp, 3rd district representative, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councrl

 

Cynthia McKinney
Green Party

Running mate: Rosa Clemente

 
 

Economy: Supports tea" 2
ernrren' mow t', more '
r: specr‘ tally awav " lv‘fi“ -
miter Diagram;

 

Education: Suppats our: ' are. ‘;'
education and ex ‘rir rle’v'i'rvl ri'.
grams

Environment: Sit-rpm an... . a, .,
etgv Dt’r.iti(‘r'itt aw! t'rrsarp' , :y
mas

Foreign policy: Bel We: , “'I’aw .3
ad to unde'awe ppm 'i-q “v . y“ W
'sraelr presonio . palocnvn

Health care: ”Manon ~23 L L ”in
iin vorsa ’tea‘tt ’dl‘

 

 

Bareclt Oliania
Democratic Party
Running mate: Joe Biden

Economy: Supports a tax cut ‘or NJ”
rnq tamrlles and small businesses *ra in
agreements with torerqn rountries
Educetion: Supports tail credit W in?
loge students in exchange for public
servrce. "No Child Left Behind" returns
Environment Support" funding lot at
ternatrve fuels search Crista-nabilrtv
Foreign policy Supports. ri pro-mart
wrth ltan, puliout horn lran

Heellh cave: Supports affordable. at
ceSSrble health care :rian that uses 3:
isting provrders dor'ors and plan:

 

WEIGHING lltl Bit NEE“ EilllllGlTlES’ 891E lit §t§§$§§§lfl§hi EMS

By Laura Edelen

news‘flhyke‘tnelrctan

(inc of thc higgcst qticsiions dur'
ing this clcction season is whether
yyhitc \mciica will \otc tor a blat k
calitlltlalc

l’itit \sltilc that qucstion has inadc
national hcadlinc's. anothcr qucstiori
has not bt-cn grcally yycighcd “lint
about ihc \otcs oi otlici‘ cthiiit
groups ’

l’icsidcntial candidatcs loud to
malsc promiscs that appcal to lhc
group iicithci candidaic is a part «it to
"\sin” thc group. said Sicphcn \oss. a
l.'K political scicncc protcssor

“Both sides start to ottcr bids tor
the support of thc swaying group 7‘
said \‘oss. uho is [caching an "lzlcc
tions and Voting Bchayior" class this
semester. "Both sides want you. It‘s
bctlcr to be thc group sitting on ihc
sidclincs."

But arc other minority groups lclt
otii of thc campaigning in this ycar's
prcsidcntial clcction ‘

\Ztss saitl c'lc‘ill L'l‘ltll'l\ ll:i\c‘ ltt'c‘ll
rnadc by both Rc-ptibliran noiiiincc
.lohn \lc( :int and lk‘l‘Jtri‘tdllL' caiidr
datt- Barri: ls ”harm to syrr‘ Hispanic
\orcs syitlr \l.lllt'L‘s on lcgal and illc~
gal inin‘irgialioi‘. politics

In contrast. \oss said hc has
hcarrl litilc Ironi cithcr iandidalc
that might appcal to \siatt \iilc‘h. ln
l.lt‘l. \iisx \ciltl lllt‘ t;il‘itlltl.llt\ .ll't‘
doing llit' ripposiic; in spccchcs .iiid
dcbaics, tttcy .irc singling out .\s:an
\tllllllllt'\ as ptoblcnis lot thc l nitctl
Sliilt‘s

"lhcic hayc bccii tutu-s yshcii
()bania could hayc ciidcil statcmcnts
but instcad lic addcd iiaincs ol :\sian
couiitr‘ics ()bama has said ‘ losing
'tll‘\ ti\t‘l'sc‘ii~ lti (lilihi' .ilitl ' c’llr
rcncy issucs Vl'llll (hunt in his
speeches." \oss said "\ial lic has
singlcd out South Koi'ca. at lcast
oncc. in thc sarnc ncgatiyc way 7‘

ls'cntutlxy Republicans and DC
ltltit‘ltlls \tlltl lltttll‘ Pill'llt'\ tltt liiil ltirr
gct onc cthriit group or Allitllllcl'. btit
try to pull in pcoplc ot all hilt'lk

grounds with this party's stances on
issues

"Hispanics and Asians tl\L'l‘
syhclmiiigly stippoit tlic ()baina t am
piiign bccausc ol' lllt‘ solutions the
”Clinic'l‘uls t‘llt‘t ‘xilltl 'l‘lttillt
Karimlc. cominiinications clirccior ol
thc lscittuclsy llcmocratic [flirty
"‘l‘hcy lccl tlic l)cniocratic l'aiiy rcp
rcscnts thcni bcttci '7

Andi Johnson. (Olllllllll‘rlfdlltlll‘
dirccioi of thc Kcntircky chirlilican
l'aity. said thc chublican l’arty trics
to "bring in cyciyoric "

"\Ac hayc Hispanic and .'\\l.lll
Amcrican rticnibcrs oi our pill'ly 7'
Johnson said ”Wch a big lcni
(‘onic on in."

Biology and international stirtl.cs
sophomorc lony \csta said iicitlici
his Asian licritagc not thc candidatcs'
clliiiicity vyill affect his mm

”It might mama to gi'aiidpaicnts
and oldcr gcncrations. but it docsu‘i
inattcr to inc." he said.

.luan lispano/a. thc le|7 on pls‘s
idcnt ol lr'K‘s Latin '\lllt‘llc‘illl Sin

t Racc i might mattcr to graiidparcntsf and oldcr
gcncrations. but it docsn‘t martcr to mc.“

Tony Nesta. biology and international studies sophomore

    
   

 

dc'it Organization. sztrrl hc \i ill con
\ ci‘itialc on issitcs mcr tacc.

"l \yi‘il malc my dccisron llascd
o2: \\ho otlcrs tin bcst ltl'tipt>\lllt't‘is
on cconomy. health care and ctttica
lioiial policics.” l'spailo/a said, 'l
don‘t Iilcnlil'y niy'scll as bcriigr \inh or
against oric particular group.”

lhc i'olc ol \liislinis in thc picsi
dciitial tariipaign playctl a big part
this ycai bccutisc of rumors cuttilat
mg through thc political campaigns
that (lbaitia is Muslim ()bariia has
public ly dcniccl thosc claims and
conlirrnt'il his ('hiistian bclicis. as
has \lct am

But thc rcactions of l’ S \oti-is
\s'hcn it is suggcstcd (Mania is “its
lllll. including thc cinphasis sonic
conscnatiy‘cs pot on ()l‘arna's nuildlc
iiartic. lltisscin. arc gcncrally‘ ricga
tiyc. said Muslim Studcni Assaicld:
iron l’l‘t‘sltlc‘lll ,»\iin Mums

“(ibyiously thc nation isn't i'caily
rtor a Muslim pi‘csidtniti. but pcoplc
arc using it as a ncgaiiy c thingf Mu
ms said " | lic chublicans \il't'\\
liaiack lltisscin (lhaina. ll is an is
silt“ ..

\tiss said it is an acciiialc nlca
that a Muslim cannot yiiii a high of
lltt iighl now

"lltcy arc not saying a .\ltrslini is
iintpialilicil. tlicy‘i‘c inst rctogriiriiig
that yolcis arc not mainly to ill» 'b.il "
\l\\\ nlltl

VHS/9"

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man-non “no-Qua Frog)

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H3

e e emit“; 1:
ELECTION 2008

PAGE A3 ! MUNlMY, NOVEMBER 3, 2008

HIGH-TECH CAMPAIGNS

CANDIDATES Plllli‘i ""0 NEW TEOIINOlOGY TO REAOII VOTERS

8 Austin Schmin
newsfikykarnefioin

"Change in Washington." is a
theme playing a major role in this
year‘s election season, but “change"
takes on a different meaning for
young voters.

Candidates are turning to new
technologies to reach young voters in
2008, including Web sites like Face-
book and Twitter.

The 2008 election season has
shown the continued improvement in
technology used by candidates and
their supporters. including blogs.
fundraising tools and video.

In 2004. Howard Dean's attempts
to capture the Democratic presidential
nomination fell shon, but his candida-
cy sparked a new era of campaigning.
said Jeremy Horton. executive direc«
tor of the Kentucky Democratic Pany.

Dean was among the few and
first to understand the power of the
lntemet. Horton said.

“He started the movement of the
lntemet age as a tool for funding." Hor—
ton said. “Now. everybody from Oba-
ma to the local city council uses it."

Presidential candidates John Mc—
Cain and Barack Obama. and Ken-
tucky U.S. Senate candidates Mitch
McConnell and Bruce Lunsford.
boast Web sites where viewers can
find the candidate's position on is—
sues. as well as his or her blog. biog-
raphy and the ways to donate money.
among other things.

Web sites provide easy access to

 

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Rate:****i

Cast your online vote: 2008 Presidential Election

 

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watcn in hlgh quality

Views: 3,086

 

 

YouTube is a growrng tool for political messages Other sites itiéiifiiiv‘vflfr'fi'i

book and MySpace

candidates. said Andi Johnson. com-
munications director for the Kcn«
tucky Republican Party,

"The presence of the lntemet has
allowed people to get infomiation easv
ier and quicker." Johnson said. “Web
sites and technology allow you to go
directly to the candidate's Web site
and lind out exactly what‘s going on."

And voters' personal contact with

candidates has improved with the
emergence of blogs and Facebook
pages. ()bama has a blog on TWitter
where site \isitors can watch videos
of his speeches from previous cam—
paign stops. McCain and ()bama
both have Faccbook pages. On these
pages. supporters of the candidates
can post messages and view upcom-
ing campaign e\ents_

The old—fashioned device. the offline method. is
still the most effective way to reach young voters. It
still comes down to grassroots personal contact.”

«Andi Johnson, communications director for the Kentucky Republican Party

"The second wave of campaigns is
Facebook and MySpace," Horton said.
"It's not just for young people. but the
middle-aged. I'm 39 years old and
I've been on Facebook for a year."

But despite the advances in tech-
nology from the 2008 candidates. the
most effective way to reach voters. in
particular young voters, is to start by
meeting voters in person. Johnson
said.

"The old-fashioned device. the
offline method. is still the most effec—
tive way to reach young voters."
Johnson said. "it still comes down to
grassroots personal contact. Young
people are a big part of our victory
campaign this year and the College
Republicans on campus are key in
doing a lot of the legwork."

Giving young people the credit
they deserve is something candidates
must do. Horton said.

“As always. young people itl‘t‘ get—
ting smarter zuid smarter." Horton said.
“They know so much more about the
world than we think. Talking down.
talking lake to them is not possible. lt's
about talking the truth and finding out
what people‘s hopes and dreams are."

On UK‘s campus. the (.‘ollege
Republicans connect with young
people on a personal basis. said .la—
cob Sims. president of the group.

“Grassroots is still the most im-
portant thing.“ Sims said. "’l‘alking to
individuals and letting them know
that you have an active interest in
them is most effective."

The new advanced technologies
can never replace the value ot \oter—
to~voter contact. said Robert Kahne.
a member and former president ot'
the 1K College Democrats.

“Research has shoun. through
seminars I‘ve been to. that voter—to-
votcr contact is the single best up to
change opinions and increase voter
turnout." Kahnc said “You are never
going to do better than voter'toootcr
contact."

 

 

 

 

Bush 8t Cheney
I Kerry & Edwards

2004 Election Results

Election results county by county

 

 

 

 

 

Election results coiinty ti, mirty
Bush 8. Cheney
I Gore 8 Lieberman

2000 Election Result

 

   
  
 

 

 

 

BOTII PARTIES CAMPAIGN IN A MORE OOMPHITWE STAIE

By Rosalind Essig
ressig@kykernel corn

 

With Republican presidential
nominee John McCain's lead in Ken-
tucky. Democratic and Republican
students are heading nonh to cam~
paign for their candidates.

McCain was leading Democratic
rival Barack Obama by eight points
in Kentucky. according to a Ras—
mussén poll conducted ()ct. 21.

Campaigning in Ohio for Obama
could make a greater impact than it
would in Kentucky because the race
is closer there. said Sydney White. a
UK College Democrats member.

“When we got the offer to go to
Ohio. you knew you could make a
difference there." said White. a polit-
ical science freshman.

A group of UK College Republi-
cans campaigned for McCain in Ohio
- this weekend and will stay and cam—
i_ paign through Election Day. said

College Republicans President Jacob
Sims.

Some members have been travel—
ing out of state on their own to cam-
paign. he said.

"They normally take the initiative
themselves." be said

Though in many cases Lexington
residents. including UK students.
vote for local Democratic candidates.
the state generally votes Republican
for national ollicc. which political
scientists call “dualvpannership.“ said
Christopher Rice. a political science
professor at UK.

Kentucky Democrats tend to be
much more conservative than their
national counterparts. Rice said.

Kentucky‘s electoral votes “cut
to the Republican candidate in the of
the last eight presidential elections
Kentucky \vent to Bill (‘linton in

It»): and l‘JQo and to Jimmy Carter
in 1070. This could be attributed to
the fact that (‘artcr and (‘linton were
both goxcrnors in the South. Rice
said. (‘artcr vvas a (icorgia govcmor.
and Bill Clinton sei'y ed in Arkansas.

l‘ayette (‘onnty went to the Rev
publican candidate in sewn of the
last eight presidential elections dc-
spitc Lexington being considered
onc of the more libeial areas in the
state. according to the State Board of
lilections.

()bama might “in in the
l_0tlts\‘lllt‘ and Lexington areas. Rice
said. but it would not be enough to
“in thc state. .

”Kentucky is inst one of those
states that docs not stand a chance ol
going tor ()bama Rice said

The [K ('ollcge Democrats
knew someone working tor the
()baina campaign in Portsmouth.
Ohio. and decided to go campaign
because the state Democrats needed
volunteers. said (‘onrtncy Roberts. a
l’ls' (‘ollegc Democrat. Members ot‘
the club vscnt to Portsmouth twice
to campaign and once for a rally.
said Roberts. a psychology and lam-
ll_\ studies iiinior

"It‘s important tor us to go where
help is needed." Roberts said. “Not
where it's convenient for us to go."

Kentucky isjust one of those states that docs
not stand a chance of going for ()bama.”

~ Christopher Rice, UK political science professor

 

()Tl lER
PR()FII,.ES

 

Bruce lunetord
U.S. Senate

Party: Democrat

Occupation: Businessrrrarr

Political experience: treasurer. Ken
tucky Democratic Party WED 83

On the issues: Supports Iraq pullout.
tuition tar credits tor college students.
investments tr research and universal
health care Arso supports clean coal
technology development and other
forms 0‘ renewable energy

  

Mitch McConnell
U.S. Senate

Party: Rural} tri‘

Occupation: US senator

Political experience: Maturity
leader LJ‘S serrate ZDUErpresem ma
Joritv with US Senate 2002 08 Sena-
rrrr U 8 Senate 198’; {resent

On the issues: S innorts rr. Haw ores
iii-re m l'ilfl tors (a mat iron or

.xlr“ v nix " due as: r $800 of: in

'i‘" in . 11.5 i .1 charts: u'paig“ ‘

    

Ben Chandler
U.S. House
Party: in.
Occupation: w: ..:
Political experience. 94'
. .4.., ‘i<._:»r..n

 

.r~ i.~ M

 

‘r.’ v . - .
:“h (was h.‘

Onthe issues: t. u z 4‘ '

    

Jon Larson
U.S. House
Party:

Occupation: 5 ' . .
Palitrcalexperience' " : 4

0n the issues:

 

Chuck Ellinger ll
State Senate

Panyi MHZ. .. . .
Occupation
Political experience . .w i'
-. -.--_.-.

Dnthe issues ‘ 4 ' “ "an-

     

Kathy Stein
State Senate

Party: We'rrrir '3‘

Occupation: Art a»

Political experience: Meow Kw
turty Hoiisr it Representa: yes ‘998
prasPr‘t pinrtnr at ‘a'un Vi'ona Fer
twat Coileqe 3980 treasurer «pm
Town oil/Vise v’a 7974 «'5

On the issues: Srioiltttfs ‘iindno \r'
pnbtir saturation etrira’uon 'P'r"i‘“ r
rreased “ml?! rare ‘ii’tdiiu ir‘(’Pasn "
cigarette l3!

  

   
     
     
      
 
     
     
     
       
           
     
       
     
       
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
      
 
     
       
       
       
     
  
     
    
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
    
    
   
    
  
   
  
  
 
    
   
   
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
   
   
    
  
  
   
    
 

   
  
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
 
  
 
   
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
   
 
 
 
 
 
    
  
   
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
    
  
  
 
  
   
 
 
 
  
  
    
 
   
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
    
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
  
    

   
  

 

\lI intlav
\ovcriilwr l,
.‘llllH
Page M

n
ELEE'

OPINIONS

ttfifiiti

“ON 2008

Km Erma» Bow
Bred Moll. editor In chief Melitta Vault. asst opinions editor
Eric Unduy, managing editor Kenny m Sports editor
Blair than“. managing editor mm features editor
Brad Bowling, opinions editor Ellily m. columnist
Wesley Wm columnist

 

the opinions page provrdes a forum for the exchange of Ideas Unlike news storm, the Kernels

unsrgned editorials represent the Views ot a majorrty of the editorial board Letters to the editor,

columns. cartoons and other features on the opinions page reflect the Views of their arm: and
not necessarily those of the Kernel

 

Rlil’l.'Bl.l(L»\.\' SI<:.\'.\'I‘L)R

 

08A with Mitch McConnell

'I‘hcfolluvr'nrg M Lin L'icL'r/rtfronr on t’rlllilll llllt‘I'Vlt'H' the Kcrncl L'oriiliicti'il with Mitch Mc-
(‘omIL'lL Iv'L'iitriL'lLy'iv incumbent warrior and L‘Liiitliiliitc for this year's scat.

W hat would you say is your principal goal during your next term in the U .S

O. . Senate?

.( learly we must improve our eL onornic and jobs outlook. I will continue to work to keep

.taxes low and to cultivate an environment where small businesses can flourish and hire
more workers. 1 will also continue rny long support of Kentucky s research universities by in-
vesting in research that creates jobs and prepares our students for jobs in a competitive econo—

rn y.

0:What is your plan for higher education in Kentucky"?

-......- .-

.-..u-L...~-.'............-..-..-....o-o..-..-.....¢.....-.

.l understand that a college education is critical and that s' why I am working to make it
.Inore .Iftordable for Kentucky‘ s students i worked with Democrats and Republicans to
pass the SAVE Act which Is helping thousands of Kentucky families save tax- free for college.

I have also supported numerous increases in the federal Pell Grant Program. Because of my
efforts U K ranks 14th out of- 7 .300 universities across the country in terms of federal earmark

spending (top 1 percent).

0-What are your thoughts on the state of our economy?

..-.s-.s.n.-..-...-o-no.no.goo-ocnoeuoun.o-.....-~o-oo-noo-.nosunot-o-

. While l am angry at the those executives whose greed and incompetence led to this crisis,

.l believe that the recent rescue plan was necessary to protect families on Main Street from
suffering for mistakes made on Wall Street. In the face of a serious crisis like this, inaction is
not an option. That’s why I fought to make sure the financial rescue plan includes numerous
taxpayer protections. strong oversight and limits on executive compensation.

.How does your position as minority leader put you in a unique position to help
- Kentucky? .

u-uno.os..-uo.aas...suo-no.no.ocu...so.un-aas.neseoono-nso-ooucouo-uo-

. As one of only tWo Kentuckians to ever serve as a party leader in the US. Senate, 1 have
.a unique opportunity to influence nearly every piece of legislation that crosses the Senate
floor and improve it on behalf of the Kentuckians I serve.

.You have been very critical of Bruce Lunsford’s proposed gas tax that could help
.the state budget. What would you do differently to help grow the state budget?

.I criticized the Lunsford gas tax because it hits Kentucky drivers hardest when gas prices

.are highest. which Is unfair. It also allows politicians to raise taxes on Kentuckians with-
out ever having to take a vote on it. which is dangerous. I opposed major gas tax increases
during both Democratic and Republican administrations.

 

 

I)li.\'l()( 2R-\'l‘l(2 (1.:\.\'I)II).\'I‘I«:

 

The following is an excerpt from (i phone interi-icvi' thL' Kernel conducted with Bruce
Limsflrrd. Kentucky 3‘ Democratic candidate for this year 's U 5. Senate seat.

.Mitch McConnell has said his clout as Senate minority leader has allowed him to
.offer financial support to the state. How do you think your influence as an entering
junior senator compares with McConnell s now?

............. ..»..p....s...q. ..

...... ..,..........................

.When you re part of a minority. especially a minority that s hanging on by its fingemails.
. someone in the majority is going to have clout

I,You have talked often on the campaign trail about the close relationship between
uPresident George W. Bush and Sen. McConnell. Do you think their economic

outlooks are similar‘.

...... o:sv:anau

conceive: .....

.They have a 100 percent policy -- George Bush. \litch Mc( onnell -- that you go from
.thc top down you takL care of the richest first They constantly have policies that benefit
the very wealthy that fund the smear that i ve seen during this race.

IYou have said the economic bailout was a good thing. but ultimately rushed. Can

- you expand on that?

with Bruce Lunsford

.I don‘t believe it‘s the best use of money. We have to get inventory cleaned up, and
.buying toxic mortgages is not the way to do that.

.According to your Web site. (www.bruce2008.com), “We can help more students
uafford college by passing a tuition tax credit to help ease the burden on working
families." How do you intend to get this tax credit?

........... r...us.n.....»~.-..--.n.....u~.-..a.L.-.--o.-o--.o-~ano.n

A. .l m going to hope our of 100 senators there s going to be someone like me who owes
.their life to education

.On the Web site. you also mention reforming financial aid applications, perhaps by
.making a simple Internet form. Why?

.a.s...e.s...oo..ns ....... .u...........-...s.....-.o....-o-nocno-.auuu

. We have to make sure people who have an education have an advantage over those who
.don't.

Do you believe Sen. McConnell has a good working relationship with Gov. Steve

I g
0 - Bcshear?

.u..-.

.One thing Mitch has always done is make it about himself. I want to make it about Ken-
.tucky. I‘m not trying to build a monument to me.

.un.....n.-c....n...-sun.I...usauusuno.o..-.nuuneua-uuaoaosn-eu-

 

Forget numbers. voting
is your patriotic duty

Tuesday. millions of people will go to
their local polling place and cast their vote
for our new president. At that same time.
many other millions
will opt to spend their
potential ballot time
taking a refreshing nap.
in recent years. there
has been a massive
push to convince this
second group to make
their voice heard by
voting. Unfortunately.
the mathematics of the
\lluflllttn clearly support
the choice made by
those who choose to
sleep In.

A recent study. re»
ported by the .»\~.sociaied Press. found that
the odds of a person casting a deciding vote
In the President echiIon to bc astronomical.
.\ person living In New Mcxrco has the best
odds at iv 1 million to one. Those chances
sound .Istronoiiiical. but they are Ljuite good
Loniparcd to those III othcr places, l‘or resi-
dents of Washington D.(‘.. the odds are 490
billion to one. With that kind of probability.
why bother Inconvcnrcncrng yourself to
\iilt‘ '

Keith Dowding. III his journal article "Is
it Rational to Vote" Five Types of Answers
and .I Suggestion." lays forth the Idea that .I
purely rational thinker should probably not
bothcr to vote. He proposes that the den
\lltll is \llllj‘l} a game of numbers l'iilcss
ilic ban-lrts of your desired candidate‘s \ lsr
iory multiplied by the probability that your
\otr‘ will be the dccrding factor Is greater
than all the costs associated with voting.
their It Is a bad economic choice to head to
the polls.

When one thinks about the astronomical
odds of a single vote matterrng. it Is difficult
to believe that any potential benefits are
great enough to take time out of the day to
cast your ballot from a purely logical stand
point. It would be Wiser to go buy a lottery
ticket With your time The odds of Winning
are better than your vote mattering. and the
resulting benefits from winning are much
more life altering than any election With all
the fun and productive ways .I person can be
spend his or her time. why waste a single
moment of It Lasting an ultimately meaning-
less vote ‘

One can claim that sometimes an ex

 

TIM
RILEY
I” ontribuiing
( olumnist

trernely small number of votes actually do
matter. Granted. In the 2000 election in
Florida. a few hundred votes made the dif—
ference in the election; however. this is an
extremely unusual occurrence In our na—
tion‘s history. Most states are decided by
thousands or even millions of votes. Using
another possible close call as a logical base
for voting is as Irrational as residing in a
bomb shelter just In case the (‘old War re»
turns.

livery single vote docs count. but when
it's the equivalent of adding a grain of sand
to the beach. why bother? Time Is a commod-
ity. and coming from a logical viewpoint. it is
wasted inside the voting booth. So unless
there Is some non~numcrical basis for casting
a ballot. Tuesday should just be a great op
portunity to catch tip on sleep or finally mas-
ter a song in Guitar Hero. Fortunately. such a
reason exists.

There is an immeasurable symbolic value
to voting inherent In our nation‘s structure.
By choosing to live III a democracy. one as—
sumes the responsibility of participating in
elections. This duty is given value by every
single person who has laid his or her life on
the line over the course of our nation's hlslttr
ry to protect It. Some things override the ba-
sic tenants of mathematical logic. Clearly III
this Instance. the numbers really amount to
nothing. llnthinkablc sacrifices have been
made to preserve this nation. and the only
way to even begin repaying this Immense
debt Is to exercise th