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Kevin Geary
interviewed by Brian Hecht on 19 September, 1995
Our membership has gone up 33 percent since Newt Gingrich took office.
Kevin Geary is President of the College Democrats. He spoke with Tripod about prospects for the Democratic Party and for political interest on college campuses.
Tripod: So tell me how you spent this last weekend.
KG: I spent it helping out the White House advance office getting together for the President's trip to Philadelphia. Helped coordinate a lot of the events, which were both governmental and political.
Tripod: Why was the President in Philadelphia?
KG: He was in Philadelphia for a couple of reasons. One, he met with African-American ministers in Philadelphia. He also met with both labor, business, and government leaders about the closing of the Philadelphia shipyard.
Tripod: Did you get to spend any time with him one-on-one?
KG: I got to spend a little bit of time with both the President and Vice President Gore. I spent more time talking to the Vice President.
Tripod: Tell me about that.
KG: It was good. He actually remembered me from our meeting in DC. He actually saw my C-Span interview.
Tripod: That must have been quite a thrill, for a college student to spend time with the President and the Vice President.
KG: It is. It is. It definitely is. Some people said, "Uh, it's getting old." But when meeting the President and the Vice President gets old, you know you're a Washington insider, and you're inside that beltway too long.
Tripod: Tell me, what do College Democrats actually do?
KG: What we predominantly do is educate not only the Democratic college students, but college students in general, about Democratic ideals and principles and, in the coming election year, Democratic candidates. This year, there's a lot of different things. We're focusing a lot of our efforts on what the Republicans are doing in terms of cutting back on student financial aid. And registering voters.
Tripod: How did you achieve your position with College Democrats?
KG: I was last year's communications directions and ran from there.
Tripod: How many college students are registered to vote? How many voted in the last election?
KG: I don't know the overall totals. However, in 1994, it was 54 percent voted Democratic, 46 percent voted Republican, and the 18-24 age group was the only age group that voted Democratic.
Tripod: Do you know what the numbers were like in the 1992 Presidential race?
KG: In '92, Bill Clinton drew 20 percent of his vote from the 18-29 year old age group.
Tripod: ...So the status of the position of running the College Democrats must have gone through the roof.
KG: It did. It definitely has a bump.
Tripod: Are you in a position where you interact with national Democratic leaders, where they come to you for advice or help?
KG: I wouldn't necessarily say for advice or help. I do interact with them, I do sit on the executive committee of the Democratic National Committee.
Tripod: What's the one issue right now that you think really ought to be mobilizing college students to get involved in politics. Are there really compelling issues?
KG: The Republican cutbacks in student financial aid. The Republicans essentially want to eliminate $10 billion in loan programs. They want to eliminate national service. Those are the issues that essentially are rallying students around campuses ... Our membership has gone up 33 percent since Newt Gingrich took office. There's a direct correlation to what he's doing in terms of cutting back financial aid. I mean, these are people who received financial aid in college, and now they're trying to cut it back.
Tripod: Do you get the feeling that there's been more of a grassroots buzz since Newt took over?
KG: There definitely has. There's no doubt about it. We're seeing more voters registering, especially due to Motor Voter. We're also seeing more students becoming interested, not only in our group, but I think in other campus political organizations because of what's happening with the Contract with America.
Tripod: People say that there are no rising stars in the Democratic party anymore -- especially younger stars who might rouse the interest of college students. In your opinion, who are the people to watch?
KG: I think clearly the Vice President, for one. Vice President Gore will one day be president, probably in the year 2000. Governor Evan Bayh of Indiana. Governor Howard Dean of Vermont. There are people out there. I think that with the Democrats in the minority, at least in Congress, you don't necessarily see that as much. But you still have a lot of people out there who are going to be the future of the Democratic party.
Tripod: Where were you on election day in 1994?
KG: I was in Boston.
Tripod: Doing what?
KG: Actually, kind of sitting at home watching TV. I didn't want to go into Boston for the Kennedy rally. It's not going to be a day that I want to remember.
Tripod: Out of the field of the Republican primary contenders, which one upsets you the least?
KG: Upsets me the least? They all upset me a lot.
Tripod: None of them upsets you less than the others?
KG: Obviously, someone like Pat Buchanan probably upsets me a little bit more than the others, but there's not anyone I can stand. Let's put it that way.
Tripod: What's your opinion of the third-party possibilities -- Powell, Perot, Bradley, Jackson?
KG: If Ross Perot wants to run with a third party, if his money is going to let him, I don't think a third party when it comes down to it, I don't think they have the organization. This is inherently a two-party system. In my mind, until we see some incredibly credible, and someone who can win on a national level, I just don't see it as that viable.
Tripod: Last question. Honestly, give me some odds on the President in 96.
KG: The President's going to win.
Tripod: Yeah? That's 100 percent odds?
KG One hundred percent odds. Not only that, but I think the Democrats are obviously going to take the House back as well.
Tripod: You say obviously. Is it obvious?
KG Yeah, I think it is. My bet is, get a little bit closer in the Senate, but the House and the White House are both Democratic.
You can contact Kevin Geary by e-mail at [email protected], or view their new Web page at http://www.democrats.org/college_democrats.
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