Incumbent Senator rallies the young vote
Chambliss was introduced by current senator and long time colleague and friend, Senator Johnny Isakson (R), as part of a vigorous 13-day bus tour campaign and as the Nov. 4 election draws near.
“It gives me a last minute opportunity to go face to face with constituents from our great state,” Chambliss said. “To make sure we look people in the eye one more time to tell them how much we appreciate the opportunity that I have had to serve in the United States Senate and to make sure we address the issue you are concerned about.”
Chambliss is among the politicians appealing to the young demographic believed to be the “swing vote” in the upcoming election in GCSU this week. The college is also expecting a rally from his opponent Jim Martin (D), and the upcoming and anticipated debate for Congressional District seat against Representative John Barrow (D) and John Stone (R).
With an attentive bipartisan audience at hand, Chambliss was quick to address the fragile state of the economy and how that affects college students.
“It’s critically important to look into the future and we make sure that from a credit stand point that those of you that depend on student loans to get you through school that you have the availability of those loans to continue,” Chambliss said. “.this crisis. we’re going to get through it. America is a very resilient country, and American’s are very resilient people. We will work our way through this.”
Chambliss also tackled issues including advocating energy independence from foreign oil.
“All of us today are relieved now to be paying $2.70 a gallon, but that should not be the case,” Chambliss said. “If you said that five year’s ago you’d be relieved to pay $ 2.70, you’d say ‘I’ll never pay that much for gas’.”
Chambliss jokes that he is a member of a bipartisan “gang”, working together to reduce foreign dependency on oil. This “gang” refers to a group of Democrat and Republican U.S. Senators for the Boone-Pickens Pledge.
The pledge will call for the U.S. to reduce foreign oil consumption by using domestic energy sources and promoting renewable sources. The pledge calls for a 30 percent decrease in foreign oil dependence in the next decade.
“We shouldn’t be buying oil from people who don’t even like us,” Chambliss said. “There’s no reason we should be doing that.”
Aside from economy and energy issues, Chambliss had a chance to get some face time and answer tough questions from students and community members who were concerned with various issues from the war in Iraq to health care plans.
“It’s important for students to take a stand in this important and historic election,” Joel Graham, junior SGA senator said. “I’m glad students from all different view points came to Senator Chambliss’ rally because there are tough questions out there that all candidates, Republican or not need to answer. ”
The university attempted several times to have Senator Chambliss and his opponent Jim Martin, who is holding a rally less than 24 hours after Chambliss, for a debate to no avail.
A representative for the Chambliss campaign cited a busy and conflicting schedule as the reason for their refusal to meet.
Opponent Jim Martin’s interview could not be completed at press time, but will be available in the next issue of The Colonnade.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Oct 24 2008. Filed under News.
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