MOUNT VERNON — Given the opportunity, what questions would you ask the presidential candidates about issues that are important to you? Students at Mount Vernon High School had that chance, sort of, at Tuesday’s “Political Panels in the Schools” event. The bipartisan discussion, moderated by Carol Rubenstein, featured John McCain supporter John Elliott and Barack Obama supporter Micah Rubenstein. Both men were participating and speaking as concerned citizens and not as official political party representatives.
The first student question related to the candidates’ views on the bailout of Wall Street. Elliott and Rubenstein said the candidates’ views are similar in that both feel “we have to do something.” They also believe it will take cooperation and a bipartisan effort in Congress.
Another student wondered about Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s experience in foreign affairs. Elliott said foreign policy experience counts more at the presidential level than at the vice presidential level, and Rubenstein said the question does come down to whether one supports McCain’s foreign policy stance or Obama’s stand on foreign policy.
The candidates’ views on health care, Social Security, rising gas prices and alternative energy sources were other issues raised by the students, as was the war in Iraq.
Ty Sheffield was one of the students in the audience and one of the “interrogators.” He thought the panel was good. “It would have been better if it was a little longer,” he said. “I had some more questions that weren’t able to be answered. The panel did help enlighten some of the students who aren’t as involved in knowing what’s going on. It helped for them to hear a little bit of both sides. There was a lot more that people needed to hear that they didn’t, though.”
Students were provided with information about accessing the candidates’ Web sites to find the answers to unanswered questions and to locate other pertinent information.
MVHS student ambassadors also handed out contact information for the Knox County democratic headquarters and republican headquarters for fellow students wanting to become involved in the campaign, and distributed voter registration materials.
Additional “Political Panels in the Schools” forums will be held at other high schools in the county.
