Party Heavyweights Debate the Role of Government
In the weeks preceding the election, it was an exciting opportunity for Cornell students to be able to attend a debate with two prominent figures of the Democratic and Republican parties. Howard Dean and Rick Santorum went head-to-head in Bailey Hall on October 18. The topic of the debate, moderated by director of the Cornell Forensics Society and ILR School senior lecturer, Sam Nelson, was the government’s role in a free society.
Although Dean’s position seemed to resonate with the largely liberal audience, Santorum’s presence energized the conservatives who, at times, feel overlooked or underrepresented on campus. In his opening statement, Santorum spoke of the values of the founding fathers.
“I stand by what are the traditional American principles that made this country successful about what the role of government is,” Santorum explained. “The role of government is the understanding that rights come to us, not from the government, but from God.”
Dean, on the other hand, took the position that the Constitution is meant to evolve over time. “I don’t believe that the Constitution was a document written meant never to be changed,” he said. “There is no basis for originalism at all.”
Throughout the debate, Santorum expressed disapproval of President Obama’s policies. He lamented, “this administration has gone hog-wild on regulating everything.” He specifically mentioned the regulation of domestic drilling, to which the audience responded with a loud applause. When Santorum pointed out that the audience was applauding $6-10 gas prices, the clapping and cheering became even louder.
Despite an obvious liberal-leaning slant, the audience was united in its support for Santorum when he shared a personal experience. In order to illustrate why the disabled should have guaranteed rights, he recounted how his four-year-old daughter is affected by a disability that essentially constitutes “a death-sentence.” His statement that, “as a parent of a special needs child, I don’t want the state determining what the best interest is of my child” was met with clapping and approval by the audience.
In preparation for the debate, The Cornell Review asked Cornell Republicans chair, Jessica Reif, what she thought Santorum and Dean’s perspective would add to the debate.
“Santorum is a leader in the conservative movement, and I expect his thoughts on issues pertinent to the upcoming election will be of interest to Cornell students,” she responded. “While Howard Dean has not run for office in several years, his stances certainly resonate with the political left. He is well-suited to debate Santorum.”
Reif recommended that students become engaged with politics on campus through the debate, stating that “debate is a great way to expose students to opposing political ideologies, as well as common ground between party lines.”
Professor Rosemary Avery, chair of the Policy Analysis and Management Department, introduced the debaters.
“Although they are not the nominees, this does not mean that they are not an important part of their respective party,” remarked Avery in an interview with the Cornell Review. “Candidates run on party platforms, and both these individuals contributed toward the creation of those platforms, so they can speak to the core values of their parties.”
Professor Avery further believes that engaging with the Dean and Santorum debate is significant and important.
“There can be nothing more important at this critical time in America’s history than making an informed vote – Cornell students might be voting for the very first time in their lives and it is our duty as citizens of this country to be informed in terms of voting,” she added.”
The Santorum / Dean debate was indeed a valuable opportunity for the Cornell community because it gave the audience a chance to hear different perspectives directly from the politicians themselves without bias. No winner was announced, so it is left to Cornell students to determine which politician made the most convincing arguments for his position on the role of government in society.
Laurel Conrad is the junior in the College of Arts & Sciences. She can be reached at lrc54@cornell.edu. Caitlin Deming is a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences. She can be reached at cad275@cornell.edu.