Wednesday, November 1, 2000
|
Wednesday, November 1, 2000 |
|
Students
get firsthand view of how politics works By PAT NEWMAN
The race for president of Starr's Mill High School is over and Tony Tofanelli, the candidate for the Free Liberty Party, is the winner. He defeated Rob Fine of the New America Party, capturing two-thirds of the votes cast by student constituents. The political campaigns waged by Tofanelli and Fine were engineered, managed and supported by students, all part of a creative lesson in American government. Their teacher, Mike Raymer, crafted personas for Tofanelli and Fine, along with party platforms. There was even a "scandal day" when the candidates were faced with embarrassing revelations about their past. A debate focusing on real issues preceded the voting. Both candidates came away enlightened. "It gave us a real in-depth perception of a two-man election," Tofanelli said. Fine said the issues helped him find a voice, and form an opinion on controversial subjects such as capital punishment and abortion. "It was good for me; I never had an opinion before," he said. So who were these fictional candidates and where did they stand on the issues? Tofanelli was a two-term congressman from Missouri. While in office, he has stressed family values and a stronger military. In the past, Tofanelli has repeatedly voted in favor of laws that would limit the right to abortion. Prior to his work in Congress, Tofanelli owned and operated the largest poultry plant in Missouri. He is married and has one child. Fine is a two-term governor from Vermont. As governor, he stressed free trade and education. In the past, Fine has supported the right to abortion, as well as gay rights/legalized gay marriages. Before he became governor, Fine was a lawyer for the ACLU. He is married and has five children. Some of the issues tackled by the two included defense and foreign policy, the environment, taxes, education, gun control, abortion and Social Security. Raymer's class of seniors was divided into two parties, the New America Party and the Free Liberty Party. Their job in the course of three weeks was to nominate a candidate, brief him on the issues, campaign and get him elected. Campaign managers strategized and played trouble shooter when their men got into trouble. Fine's campaign staffers even made cookies to distribute to prospective voters, promoting cookies over guns. The debate found a Sunday-suited Tofanelli, standing confidently behind the podium, while Fine, tie-less and sporty, courted his liberal followers. Both candidates were well versed on the issues and knew their facts. The audience was attentive and interested. In the end, however, conservatism and Tofanelli won out. The victory party followed the election with Fine and his supporters serving apple pie to Tofanneli and his staff. If only real politics were this civilized.
|
||