Allegheny College launches crusade against handpicked audiences at campaign events

[RamboLiberal]

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

When Vice President Dick Cheney stumped at Allegheny College in 2004, school leaders welcomed the exposure of a national campaign event but disliked a condition now common among political parties: that the candidate controls who attends.

It led to a new policy at Allegheny requiring half the seating at future such gatherings to be open to the campus community.

Now, with the 2008 presidential campaign under way, the liberal arts campus with 2,100 students is going national with an effort to ensure that colleges are not used as convenient backdrops for events that resemble town meetings but are, in fact, limited to handpicked supporters.

The school plans to send letters to the leaders of 600 colleges and universities asking them to consider policies that would open up such events on their campuses.

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Officials plan to hold a news conference Monday to promote formation of what they have dubbed the Soapbox Alliance, a coalition of campuses that either have an open event policy or will work toward developing one by Sept. 1, 2008. The event will coincide with the 150th birthday of Ida Tarbell, an author and crusading journalist considered by many to be Allegheny's most famous alumna.



Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07306/830562-176.stm

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Kudos to Allegheny College and it's president Richard Cook!

[RufusEarl]

1. Great idea, hope it catches on!

Peace!

[rcsl1998]

5. Great Idea - Seven Years Too Late...

...but better late than never...

[C_U_L8R]

2. only half?

i never knew we lived in a half democracy.

Any candidate who want to limit or censor the people needs serious ridicule.
What are they afraid of? The people????

[kestrel91316]

3. It's ABOUT TIME.

[Drifter]

4. Real FREE SPEECH ZONES

what a concept. We are going to reserve seats for Real people, and not just campaign stooges.

Cheers
Drifter

[yellowcanine]

6. How democratic of them. Why do they hate America?

[dbackjon]

7. Awesome!!!

[JerseygirlCT]

8. Good for them! A college campus is most especially not

the place for hand-picked audiences.

[Kermitt Gribble]

9. Let's hope

alot of them sign on as soon as possible!

[eppur_se_muova]

10. L'il ol' AC! Bless their hearts!

:patriot:

[grilled onions]

11. Why WOuld ANyone Want To Speak To Their "Fan Club" Anyhow?

A true candidate wants to know what their weak spots are,what the people want and what they dislike. It seems a waste of time to bend the minds of those already in your camp. You are supposed to be trying to reach out to others or has that gone the way of the covered wagon?

[1932]

12. Ida Tarbell isn't Allegheny's most famous student. Clarence Darrow & Wlm. McKinley attended

but didn't graduate.

[knitter4democracy]

13. "Common among political parties"?

I haven't heard of any Dems having "free speech zones" or having security kick out anyone who doesn't seem to be a rabid supporter.