The Observer, April 6, 2007
Volume XXXIX, Issue 23
Editorial: Kucinich talk muddies Case policy on political events
There is no debate that campaigning for the 2008 presidential election is well underway. Trademark issues such as education, healthcare, and taxes have resurfaced as every politician maps out his or her vision for the country. Among these issues is one that is currently garnering the greatest amount of attention – our involvements in the Middle East. The unsettling war in Iraq and the brooding tensions in Iran have left politicians as well as the rest of the county divided on what our next steps should be.
To discuss such prominent issues, Congressman and Case alum Dennis Kucinich gave a free talk, "Iran and Iraq: A Way Forward" in Strosacker this past Tuesday, April 3. Sponsored by the Case for Peace organization, Kucinich was able to speak to the university community because his talk was an academic program open to the public.
This is in contrast to the Barack Obama political rally that was not allowed to take place on campus due to the university's non-profit status. After the opposition to his arrival, Obama held a rally at Cuyahoga Community College – also an institution with non-profit status. However, the presidential hopeful would have been able to hold a rally at Case if other politicians from different parties were also hosting rallies on campus at the same time.
Though Kucinich's event included commentary and discussion by Case faculty – making it an academic program – it is still evident that the politician presented a speech about a issue that will surely be present in the upcoming election.
The definition of a political rally or campaign event is open to interpretation – a politician and speech are certainly key elements of these programs. However, if these features were also a part of the Kucinich talk, then what is the difference between a rally and an academic program besides pure semantics?
There are many more similarities between Kucinich's academic program and Obama's rally than there are differences. Kucinich gave a speech regarding a controversial topic that is obviously related to the issues that will be present among the presidential campaigns. By simply speaking on these issues, he is drawing the attention of the media and Case community to his own presidential campaign. Whether it was called a talk or an academic program, the results of the Kucinich event were no different than the intentions of the Obama rally.
If Case wants to play by the rules and adhere to its strict non-profit status, then the university should ensure that the rules are applied to everyone. By not applying the rules to all groups, the administration is once again losing its credibility. The imbalance between these recent political events serves as just another example of the Kremlinesque nature of the administration. The many achievements of students, faculty, and staff are made very apparent through news articles in Case Daily, press releases, and awards. While the Case community should be made aware of these accomplishments, the university also has a responsibility to share the less glamorous stories about the nuts and bolts of policy-making and decision processes at Case.
