Contact CU Independent Opinion Columnist Emily McPeak at emily.mcpeak@colorado.edu.
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People come to Boulder for many reasons. Nationwide, it’s known for its iconic location at the base of the Flatirons, its seemingly endless access to vast areas of open space and its strikingly liberal atmosphere. This July, it was announced that the third Republican debate in the 2016 presidential race would be hosted here, at the University of Colorado. But even as the campus prepares to welcome a few notable visitors — 14 of them to be exact — many people are still left wondering why the GOP decided to come to a place where it’s easier to find a raccoon than a Republican.
Colorado is a purple state, with nearly as many registered Democrats as Republicans. It is, therefore, a key battleground between the two parties in national elections, and a place where the GOP is eager to assert itself.
Boulder County, on the other hand, isn’t a model community for political diversity. Unlike the rest of the state, Democrats outnumber Republicans by a wide margin in Boulder — 22 percent, to be exact. Facing an invasion by the ultra-conservative field of candidates for the Republican nomination, many in the Boulder community are greeting their guests with protests. This is only to be expected from a community known for its leftist mentality. So why would the GOP choose to subject themselves to it?
Historically, college campuses are common debate locations for politicians vying for the presidency. Of the last 30 presidential debates, 19 have been hosted by universities, including the most recent 13. However, the upcoming GOP debate will be the first one on a university campus during this election cycle. According to CNBC, CU was chosen as a venue because of its ability to manage such a large event, and because of the network’s success with the 2011 debate between Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama at the University of Denver.
This reasoning was echoed in a statement released by CU when it was first announced that it would host the debate. In the press release, CU Chancellor Philip DiStefano said that the university has a long history of “hosting high-profile visitors who bring exciting and engaging opportunities for our students and community to hear a variety of viewpoints.” Regent Sue Sharkey expressed the university’s goal to bring political diversity to the campus.
However, these notions were challenged after it was revealed that the CU community wouldn’t have the opportunity to participate in the event as promised. Facing the anger of a student body that genuinely wanted to be involved in the debate, DiStefano modified his original position to reflect the underlying reason behind CU’s decision to host the event: the coverage of the university provided by the debate will spread the institution’s name worldwide. While this benefits the entire Boulder community, when done in this fashion it more or less means that our campus will be globally advertised as an ideologically diverse place, but students will be mere shadows in the background.
While it may be clear why CU wants to host the debate, the reasoning behind the GOP’s decision to come to Boulder isn’t as evident. Hosting a debate on a college campus in a state like Colorado makes sense — but why would the GOP make their debut at a university where they’re almost guaranteed to face opposition? Perhaps so that a group of conservatives can prove that they, too, can vibe with the nation’s liberally minded youth. Perhaps to show they can put forth their image and win Colorado, despite the strong left-leaning factions that exist within it.
No matter the reasoning, there is something that the GOP, CU and CNBC have in common — they’re exploiting the students who attend it.
We’re being used by the GOP to prove a point. We’re being used by CNBC to make a profit. Worst of all, we’re being used by CU in a branding opportunity that may not be worth it. The vast majority of students at CU are being exploited to ensure the success of an event that they aren’t even invited to attend. We all came to Boulder for various reasons, but unlike the GOP, we view this city as our home. And while we’ll certainly be welcoming hosts to these powerful guests, we deserve to know why we have to open the doors in the first place.
