Students react to first presidential debate

Students expressed mixed emotions towards Democratic candidates after their first nationally televised debate held April 26.Half the students who attended the viewing, sponsored by the College Democrats of America, were undecided while others expressed determined support for Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama. Many agreed that Clinton and Obama would make a great team for the presidential ballot.The debate also included former Senators John Edwards (NC) and Mike Gravel (AK) as well as Senators Chris Dodd (CT), Joe Biden (DE), and U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (OH).”I think all of the candidates made a great impression on me,” Prakash Mansinghuni, a political science major, said. “Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, however, made the most lasting impression for me because throughout the entire debate she was extremely calm and collected,” Mansinghuni continued.The debate, hosted on the grounds of South Carolina State University, presented the eight Democratic presidential candidates with their first opportunity to highlight their campaign platforms and to inform a national audience on their positions regarding a host of national issues – with the war in Iraq garnering the most attention. All of the candidates took the opportunity to criticize the handling of the war by the Bush Administration.”There was no specific candidate that made the strongest impression on me,” Lorraine Ramirez, English major, said. “The two candidates that stood out from the rest were Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama,” Ramirez continued.In a post-viewing question-and-answer session, at least two attendees also expressed support for New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. Richardson, the only Hispanic running for the presidency, highlighted his experience in the areas of bi-partisanship, healthcare and international foreign relations.During election time, the College Democrats work hard to organize campaigns and recruit student voters. The College Democrats of America was founded in 1932 and was first brought to the city in 2005 at Laredo Community College and in 2007 to the university.