Dozens of tired but enthusiastic Harvard students push through the narrow doorway of Emerson 105 last Monday evening. Drawn in with promises of free Felipe’s burritos, seniors and first-years alike excitedly crowd together and scan the room for friendly faces.
It’s the first official weekly meeting of the Harvard College Democrats, “the largest and most active political advocacy organization on campus,” according to the pamphlets being distributed at the door. Things immediately quiet down when Eric P. Lesser ’07, president of the Harvard Democrats, takes the stage, dressed to impress in business casual attire. After a couple of quips about the Bush administration, the self-proclaimed liberal begins to incite the crowd about the upcoming midterm elections. “Do you want to be a part of history, to be part of something bigger than yourself?” His questions are met with immediate applause from his fellow Dems.
The Harvard Democrats have been swept up in a political whirlwind in anticipation of the upcoming midterm elections, putting in long hours with campaigns in an effort to try and swing the political status of the nation. These students, along with their counterparts in the Harvard Republican Club (HRC), work hard in hopes of securing their spot in history as part of the group that changed the nation’s political course. Although both groups have a stake in securing wins in the upcoming election, the Harvard Republican Club struggles to keep pace with its counterpart on the left side of the aisle, falling short when it comes to creating a commanding presence on campus. That being said, students representing both sides are fighting this year’s battle like underdogs—the Dems because of memories of the recent past, the Republicans because of predictions for the near future. Harvard’s parties, all told, are raging.
NO PAIN NO CAMPAIGN
As the Dems’ first meeting comes to a close, Brigit M. Helgen ’08 resumes her post at the door ready with a firm handshake and confident eye-contact for the fledgling members. She cordially thanks them for attending, double checking that everyone has a copy of the list of upcoming campaign events. Dressed neatly in a light sweater and jeans, Helgen puts up her business front when it comes to distributing information about the volunteer opportunities she has organized. Helgen serves as the campaign director for the Harvard Democrats and has coordinated their three major campaign efforts for the midterm election.
Every Tuesday night, the Dems organize volunteers in the Science Center to make phone calls to residents of Albuquerque, N.M., encouraging them to get out and vote for Patricia Madrid, the Democratic candidate for the House of Representatives. On Wednesdays, Helgen rallies the troops together for a trip down to Deval Patrick’s campaign headquarters in Boston.
But for those willing to put in a little extra travel time, Helgen has also coordinated a system of shuttling volunteers out to Rhode Island in order to deliver some much-appreciated support for Sheldon Whitehouse, the Democratic candidate for Senate. Students drag themselves out of bed by 10 a.m. every Saturday to climb onto a bus full of fellow Dems ready for a long day of phone calls, envelope stuffing, and making sure there’s enough caffeine to go around.
With the midterm elections rapidly approaching, students active in the Dems organization jump at the opportunity to help out with various campaigns—even if it means tedious phone calls without any compensation or an uncomfortable bus ride out to Rhode Island with only HUDS bagels for sustenance.
SWITCHING HORSES
Vocal Democrats have been making their opinions known both on and off campus. But what about their conservative counterparts? Current Vice President of the HRC Mark A. Shepard ’08 rattles off a list of campaign efforts the HRC has been orchestrating to match those of the Dems.
“We’ve been making trips to the Kerry Healey headquarters every weekend for the past three weeks, as well as making phone calls for Arnold Schwarzenegger this past Wednesday night,” Shepard says. Phone-banking, street-corner canvassing, and even going door-to-door in regions where the stakes are high have become routine procedures for students in both parties. At last Thursday’s debate in Harvard Hall 202, sponsored by H-Vote, Dems leader Lesser and legislative director Kyle A. Krahel ’08 squared off against Jeffrey Kwong ’09 and Colin J. Motley ’10 of the HRC to answer questions posed by fellows from the Institute of Politics (IOP). Democrats took seats on the left while conservatives—who were significantly fewer in number—gathered on the right.
Indeed, it seems that HRC still has some work to do to catch up with the left. Although their CampusTap blog is alive and well, their official website falters as a source of up-to-date information, with an online weekly bulletin that hasn’t been updated since May 7 as of press time. The Dems’ official website, meanwhile, features an easy-to-navigate format filled with updates on daily political events, a guide for getting involved, and an e-mail contact form for any additional requests. “I think that what is happening with our two clubs is a microcosm of the national political mood that will probably hand the House and possibly the Senate to the Democrats in a week,” says Stephen E. Dewey ’07, who served as HRC president until he unexpectedly left his post over the summer.
Perhaps that recent, rather sudden, shift in leadership for the HRC has distracted the members away from the upcoming midterm elections. Members of the HRC voted Dewey as their new president last semester, but as of September, John M. Souther ‘07 fills that position. Dewey has taken a voluntary leave of absence from Harvard to pursue his own personal business venture in Boston.
“Any club that lost their president is going to be at a disadvantage with someone new stepping in at the last minute,” Krahel says.
Other executive members of the HRC feel that the organization has managed to take the sudden leadership change in stride. “Every year you have people who leave who are valuable to the club, and every year you get new members to try and fill the gaps,” says Kwong, HRC director of membership and minority outreach. Still, Kwong admits that Dewey was a “major asset,” and that his “departure is certainly a loss for our club.”
Motley, the freshman who debated the Dems alongside Kwong last Thursday, has faith in Souther’s ability to command from the top. “I can’t think of a better individual to lead the club,” Motley says.
The recent leadership issues seem to have slowed the Republicans down in these past few months. “In 2005, we were not extremely organized but we still broke 200 signups,” Dewey says. “This year we pulled out all the stops and aggressively solicited pre-frosh, but we only got about 150—and this is an election year, so our numbers should have been higher than last year.”
But though the Dems have more students attending an on-campus debate, that is not what will make a difference once the polls open on November 7. The Democrats have set their sights on making an impact on the national scene by contacting various competitive campaigns across the country. The Republicans make similar efforts, but the impact is not as strong without significant member participation.
The Democrats certainly get a few extra credit points for effort, according to Alex Swartsel, the communications director for the Whitehouse Senate campaign. “The Harvard Democrats have come down to Rhode Island every weekend since mid-September to reach out to voters,” she says. “They have been a tremendous help.”
Further across the country in New Mexico, the staff working on the Madrid Congressional campaign echoes these rave reviews. “The Harvard Democrats have done a lot of work, they have talked to a lot of voters, and it is really going to make a difference in the election,” says Heather Brewer, Madrid’s communications director.
The Republican Club’s targeted campaigns did not return phone inquiries.
MOTIVATION STATION
But with time being a precious commodity for most Harvard undergrads, why are all these kids dedicating hours upon hours of their free time to the campaign trail?
“It’s important,” says Helgen, the campaign director for the Harvard Democrats. “What happens on November 7 will affect what happens in 2008.” Others feel a personal attachment to a certain election, especially if the candidate will ultimately be affecting their hometown.
“I’ve got a stake in this election,” says Hana C. Merkle ’08, a Massachusetts native who has targeted her efforts towards helping Deval Patrick run for governor. But making a change in the local community is only the beginning of the kinds of changes the Democrats hope to put into action with this election.
“It’s this desire to affect and change what’s going on in the country,” says Lesser. “You get this sense that you’re involved in something much bigger than yourself.” It’s difficult to imagine a bunch of over-achieving Ivy-Leaguers taking such an altruistic approach to the election without considering how impressive it will eventually look on their resumes. However, these student activists appear to be much less interested in reaping the personal benefits than they do with using their passion to actually make a difference.
At last Thursday’s debate, both sides faced tough questions from the IOP Fellows in an effort to inform their undergraduate peers on the main issues being tackled by candidates. Former Democratic Governor of New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen kicked off the event, reminding the debaters to “keep it civil.” Members from both sides relied heavily on impassioned political rhetoric to suggest just how much weight is resting on the election’s outcome. Grandiose statements like Krahel’s “America’s best days are ahead of us” attempted to shift the tone of the debate from a friendly undergraduate discussion to a rally for national political awareness. “We will stay the course to keep America great,” HRC’s Kwong said in response to Lesser and Krahel’s insistence on change.
In this very public forum, it appears that students on both ends of the political spectrum are in this not just to get their targeted candidate into office, but to change America—at least for the next two years. The kinds of comments leaving the lips of all the debaters strike a chord not dissimilar from those on the professional circuit. But while they may look the part as they command the crowd in Harvard Hall, many of these politically involved undergrads don’t picture their names on a ballot any time soon.
These kids don’t seem to be getting involved in an attempt to find some networking connection for post-graduation positions. Rather, they exhibit a genuine concern for the political future of the country and they’re trying to implement a change that they believe in.
NO FUTURE
During the debate, Kwong proclaimed that he was “an aspiring teacher” when discussing policies regarding student affairs. Indeed, while some campus politicos are undoubtedly keeping their futures in mind as they prepare to enter government professionally, many members of HRC and the Harvard Dems are simply embracing the excitement of this election and acting on the urgency of the moment. Helgen, for instance, the no-nonsense campaign director for the Dems, remains ambivalent about the prospect of taking the political route herself after graduation. “I don’t do this for my future,” she says. “But if I do go into politics, these skills I’m learning now will be very useful.”
And Margaret “Maggie” C. Jack ’09 started off volunteering for the Patrick campaign independently before joining the ranks as a bona fide member of the Harvard Dems. The history and science concentrator says she has “no political aspirations,” but was merely “looking for a way to get involved in student politics.”
Merkle, meanwhile, opted for the independent route and nabbed herself a great internship without any help from the Harvard Democrats. “I had always been interested in politics, but more as an observer,” Merkle says. At Harvard, she found her democratic outlet at the IOP during her freshman year, making connections that would eventually give her the opportunity to spend her summers interning for the Patrick campaign. But watching Patrick go from virtual unknown to hometown hero doesn’t have Merkle preparing herself for a career in politics just yet. “I’m worried that I’ve been spoiled by my experience with Patrick,” Merkle says. “If I continued working with other campaigns, there’s a chance I may just be disappointed.”
Sure, some big hitters on the campus political scene are primed to suit up for their own aspiring political careers right away. But former Dems President Gregory M. Schmidt ’06, for instance, has been spending his time molding the minds of youth with Teach for America. And Lesser, his successor, is currently tackling a slew of law school applications that will hopefully secure his choice of career path. “Ideally, I’d like to get into a law school, defer for a year, and possibly work on the presidential campaign in 2008,” Lesser says.
RACE TO THE FINISH
Within the Harvard gates, the political scene has slowly grown to mirror the bigger picture painting itself across the nation. The Harvard Democrats have tackled their campaigning efforts with a vengeance, seeking to take back a dominance they have not tasted in years. The Harvard Republican Club, meanwhile, faced with internal conflict and a bad rep amongst their “Kremlin on the Charles” classmates, has not quite kept up.
While voters may remain suspicious of the smooth-talking politicians on the national stage who make big promises to hide their ulterior motives, this undergraduate class of political activists has proven to be sincere in their campaign efforts. Harvard students in both the Dems and the HRC find fuel for their fire in a desire to actually make a change on a larger scale, rather than merely booking their schedules with resume-padding activities. Each race, no matter what the pre-election polls report, can be lost, leaving volunteers who have given everything with absolutely nothing to show for it. But failure does not seem to factor in for these dedicated students as they make one final, aggressive push toward election day.
