With a key election approaching, the Winona State University College Democrats and Winona State Republicans gathered on Tuesday, April 8 to debate the issues expected to be important to the voters this fall.
The Political Science Association hosted the annual spring debate, and this year was moderated by association’s president, Dan Flynn, a junior political science major. Flynn said that the questions where chosen by other PSA members.
There were 12 questions asked of both sides, with 60 seconds to start, then a 30 second rebuttal after the opposing side spoke.
The questions ranged from national security issues to domestic issues to finally the presidential candidates.
The College Democrats were represented by their president, Gerald Strauss, a junior computer science major with a minor in political science, along with member Ashley Butler, a junior social work major and political science minor.
The College Republicans were represented by former chair Bryon Pavelka, a senior social science education major who will be graduating in December.
Fellow member Thom Heiderscheit joined in the debate. He is studying history and political science and will graduate in 2009.
The opening statements of the two clubs set each other apart. Pavelka spoke on the beliefs of the Republican Party, and how they are set apart from the Democrats.
He called it the “party of light,” and the party that believes in the “ideals of freedom and democracy, and understands that these noble principles are worth defending.”
Strauss chose to speak briefly on two issues: Reducing higher education costs to all students,and equal opportunities for all people.
When the two clubs where asked what the best course of action is for Iraq, it was the first opportunity for the audience to see the extent to which the parties differ.
Pavelka proposed a plan to create a stable government. He said if the troops leave now, the “Shia and Sunnis will fight amongst each other and start a genocide.”
Butler spoke on a very different platform. “We need to get out of the war because we have been over there for too long,” Butler said. “They have had plenty of time.”
In the Republican’s rebuttal, Heiderscheit responded, “Never before in history have we set a timetable to get out of a war. We want to leave a war better than when we entered, the point is to prepare them for life after the war.”
The debate became heated with several more foreign policy questions, a subject that is expected to be huge in the minds of voters this fall.
When the questions were brought back to domestic issues such as the death penalty, abortion, and health care, the debate followed with party disagreement.
The final question of the night was to critique the other party’s presidential candidate. Experience was the word thrown around the most: who has it, and who doesn’t.
Sen. Barack Obama was praised by the Democrats, and highly criticized by the Republicans.
Obama is “the type of guy that can bring us together,” said Butler.
Strauss and Butler believe Obama can bring the change needed to America, and that he has a great chance of winning with the number of supporters he has.
The Republicans believe that “Obama is not ready to face problems abroad,” Pavelka said. “Let’s hear one major accomplishment Barack Obama has had in the U.S. Senate, or one at all that was bi-partisan. The way to bring the country together is not to go to the far left, it’s to go to the middle.”
Pavelka and Heiderscheit believe that Sen. John McCain has the experience needed to run this country, and is a moderate who can get both parties to come together.
The two parties at Winona State will be rallying for their candidates in what has been deemed one of the most influential presidential races.

Contact Claudia at CDCappie9866@winona.edu