IU seeks ’08 U.S. presidential debate

The IU Student Association and the city of Bloomington submitted a proposal to the national Commission on Presidential Debates on Saturday in an ambitious attempt to land one of 2008 U.S. presidential debates at IU sometime before the November 2008 election.\nAlthough IUSA Vice President Andrew Lauck, one of the plan’s key players, called the proposal “not typical,” due to the city’s size, he said Bloomington was in a “competitive” position to land the bid.\n“This would probably be one of the largest, if not the largest, political event IU has ever hosted,” Lauck said. A public decision about debate venues will be made in October, he said.\nWith the event’s magnitude comes a price tag eclipsing $1.3 million in direct event fees alone, which would likely fall mostly on the shoulders of the University. Lauck said IU president-elect Michael McRobbie has already indicated that if the University were to secure a bid, proper funding would become available. Lauck said any initial costs incurred by the University or city in securing a bid would be outweighed by the economic impacts the massive event could bring.\nBefore November 2008, three U.S. presidential debates will occur. In addition, the commission will select one vice-presidential debate site and two alternate venues. Location selections will be based on nine different categories, including facilities, hotels, city services and finances, according to the Commission’s application.\nExact dates for next year’s presidential debates have not yet been announced, but they usually occur in late September and early October before the November elections.\nPresidential debates are some of the most highly publicized parts of the yearslong campaign process. Nationwide TV audiences are common, while about 3,000 members of the world’s news media would converge on Bloomington if IU hosted a debate. About 2,000 more people, such as spectators and Secret Service agents, would pack area hotels, Lauck said.\nLauck said organizing efforts started around the beginning of March, when IUSA first examined the proposal’s feasibility. The team had only about a month to put together an extensive proposal, demonstrating why IU was qualified to host the event. \nLauck said some cities, such as fellow Indiana bid-seeker Richmond, Ind., could have trouble fulfilling facilities or transportation requirements. But he said an established university campus could focus on lobbying the debate selection committee.\n“Bloomington will need to spend the next few months lobbying our senators (and) our congressmen to go forward and to endorse this proposal and to speak on behalf of the state of Indiana,” Lauck said.\nAs the notion of a proposal became more serious, widespread University endorsement emerged.\nBoth Dick McKaig, IU dean of students, and Bruce Jacobs, IU vice chancellor for auxiliary services and proposals, have already committed a serious University presence to the project.\nMcRobbie has also granted formal support for the project. Already, his office has paid two-thirds of the $7,500 application fee. McRobbie will not become the University’s leader until July, but Lauck said that McRobbie, rather than current President Adam Herbert, has been the primary decision-maker.\nSuch support seems to encourage both Lauck and IUSA President Betsy Henke, who have previously questioned McRobbie’s dedication to student interests. They agreed the initial success of the proposal has demonstrated the power of student leaders in organizing significant University events. \nNo indication has yet been announced by the Commission on frontrunners for the coveted debate. Still, Lauck said IU has already received significant attention by Commission representatives. He said a representative has met on campus with student leaders and administrators, examining the logistics of holding the event.\nA more extensive campus review will take place during the summer, Lauck said. That review will include an examination by Secret Service agents to analyze the University’s safety measures.\n“We are hard-pressed to say the commission is ignoring us,” he said.\nNeither Lauck nor Henke would say whether this preliminary attention equaled the likelihood for success. Many uncontrollable factors, including Indiana’s political climate, could have a determining hand in the Commission’s final selection. Regardless, both student leaders vowed optimism in the project, acknowledging its sheer vastness.\n“It’s like bring the Rolling Stones to campus times 100,” Henke said.