Politician speaks to college republicans about election

Republican Secretary of State nominee Todd Rokita visited Bloomington Tuesday night to speak about the upcoming election. The event, hosted by the IU College Republicans, was attended by more than 50 IU students.\nThis was the year's first mass call-out meeting for the College Republicans.\n"It's an opportunity for IU college students to see someone who has a potential impact on Indiana politics," said alumni board liaison and political director for Monroe County Steven Reeves.\nRokita has been employed as deputy secretary of state and chief of staff under current Secretary of State Sue Ann Gilroy for the past five years. Rokita is running against Democratic candidate John Fernandez and Libertarian candidate Rebecca Sink-Burris. Tuesday marked the third time Rokita has come to Bloomington to speak before the college Republicans.\nRokita graduated from Wabash College in 1992 and from the IU Law School in 1995. At age 32, he emphasized his age as a major factor in his ability to identify with the younger generation.\nRokita encouraged the audience to "take the road less traveled." After graduating from law school, he volunteered to work on three campaigns, all of which he lost, but said he never regretted his decision.\n"If I hadn't taken the road less traveled, I would never have had the opportunity to take a vacation and take part in the recount for Bush in 2000," Rokita said. "Taking the road less traveled presents a whole array of opportunities. If I hadn't taken that first non-paying job, I wouldn't have the privilege of standing before you today."\nRokita served the Bush campaign as legal counsel for seven Florida counties during the 2000 election recount.\n"I saw firsthand that politics mattered," Rokita said. "Everyone in this room knows that. How easily we forget that politics matters."\nRokita asked the audience to raise their hands if they were originally from Indiana. He then asked the audience to keep their hands raised if they planned on staying in Indiana. After a considerable number of hands were lowered, Rokita noted a major problem facing Indiana is the state's lack of enticing job opportunities for its college graduates.\nIn 2001, Indiana was ranked 46th in the country in job growth -- a dramatic decrease from the late 80s and early 90s. Rokita proposed introducing new business into Indiana's economy as a solution to the problem.\n"You are like the crops in this state, but you are being harvested by out of state companies," he told those planning on leaving Indiana. "I want to make it so you stay here."\nRokita listed Indiana's great assets such as railways, highways, and waterways. Rokita mentioned Lake County as the country's leading steel producer. He said these assets should be utilized to boost Indiana's prosperity. Junior Karl Born, an active member of the College Republicans, said he is encouraged by Rokita's planning. \n"I am glad he is thinking about increasing the work conditions that the O'Bannon administration left the state in," Born said.