Dear MSU Democrats,
This year has been a terrific experience for me to serve you as the President. I have gained a lot of perspective on not only the executive leadership style and group interactions, but also the breadth and depth of organization that is necessary to maintain the high standards of the group.
I want to thank those of you who took time out of the busy school schedule to come to our general and executive board meetings. Thanks to those, as well, who attended our debates, our social events, and our fundraisers. This group would not function without the support of the student population.
Other outside entities need to be recognized for their contribution to this organization as well. I extend my personal gratitude to Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, East Lansing City Councilman Nathan Triplett, Candidate for the 8th Congressional District Bob Alexander, Governor Jennifer Granholm, Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer, Michigan Democratic Party Youth Coordinator Derek Dobies, Practical Political Consulting CEO Mark Grebner, Former Governor Jim Blanchard, State Representatives Meadows and Byrum, and State Senator Whitmer.
Thank you as well to those groups who partnered with us to put together meetings and partnerships as we build relationships to extend the political awareness to students on campus. Such groups include the following: Students for Hillary Clinton, Students for Barack Obama, Spartans for Bill Richardson, Spartans for Progressive Divestment, Black Student Alliance, MSUECO, the Biodome Project, and many more.
This year has proven to be a success in many aspects. During our Voter Registration efforts, this group has broken records for the sheer number of democratic voters activated on campus with a total of nearly 3500. This all happened during an off, off year election. We have doubled our operating budget through our fundraising efforts such as the mailing fundraiser this winter, our voter registration efforts, and our Lansing Lugnuts fundraiser. We have had many successful social and informational events that drew large crowds of members and non-members from across campus. We amended the group’s constitution to better reflect the lessons learned from the past year and elected a strong executive board with big intentions for next year.
I am confident that this group will continue to grow under the leadership of next year’s executive board. There will be changes, and many of these changes will be positive. Look forward to a busy and rewarding experience after a candidate is selected for the Presidential race and the MSU Democrats stumps around campus and enhances the existing and new support for the Democratic candidate. There will be many social events and volunteer opportunities for general members to get involved.
Whether or not you have been involved in the group this year, I encourage anyone interested in politics, volunteerism, activism, or simply finding a fun group of people to hang out with to get more involved with the MSU Democrats in the coming year.
Again, thank you to everyone in the group for your support and I look forward to seeing you all in the fall!
Go Green! Go White! Go Democrats!
Scott Hendrickson
Outgoing President
MSU Democrats
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
YAF Change in Leadership
Conservative, extremist politics at Michigan State University took a hit recently as Kyle Bristow decided to step down from his post as Chairman of the Young Americans for Freedom. The group, which has tried to host events like "Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day" and successfully hosted events by ultranationalists, vigilante border guards, and those of a similar ilk has been a blight to the university for a long time now.
We can only hope that Bristow's departure means the end of an era for the Young Americans for Fascism, or at the very least, a shift away from the lunacy that he brought to the organization. I personally hope that this timely departure, right after a hate speech bill was passed by ASMSU, will have a similar effect to Wiggins, former College Republican Chairman and YAF officer, leaving the College Republicans. Since Wiggins' departure, the group has been able to shift closer to its more moderate roots, and away from the extremism that it had so recently been.
Is this the end for Kyle Bristow? I doubt it. He is still a junior and has a year to go, as far as I can tell. He will by no means leave the spotlight, it isn't in his nature. We will no doubt see his cowboy hat-laden head at many more events, dishonorable speakers, and protests in the months to come.
I can only hope that this means a shift in ideology for the YAF, for their own good. While Bristow contends that it is a "leftist" organization, the Southern Poverty Law Center has never before labeled a university group as a hate group until the MSU Chapter of YAF. Talk about bad press for our school and our state. Maybe Kyle leaving will allow the other members of YAF to express themselves in a more civilized way, something that Bristow did not allow under his rule. He even instructed them not to talk to the press or disagree with any tactics or leadership (as if anyone would have the gall to oppose the great and powerful Kyle).
Still though, you have to give Kyle the limited respect that he deserves for being able to stick to his guns despite the ire of the entire Michigan State Campus and administration, however insane his guns are.
Finally, in full tribute to his only favorite Spanish words, I close by saying this about the regime change within YAF...
Viva la Revolucion!
We can only hope that Bristow's departure means the end of an era for the Young Americans for Fascism, or at the very least, a shift away from the lunacy that he brought to the organization. I personally hope that this timely departure, right after a hate speech bill was passed by ASMSU, will have a similar effect to Wiggins, former College Republican Chairman and YAF officer, leaving the College Republicans. Since Wiggins' departure, the group has been able to shift closer to its more moderate roots, and away from the extremism that it had so recently been.
Is this the end for Kyle Bristow? I doubt it. He is still a junior and has a year to go, as far as I can tell. He will by no means leave the spotlight, it isn't in his nature. We will no doubt see his cowboy hat-laden head at many more events, dishonorable speakers, and protests in the months to come.
I can only hope that this means a shift in ideology for the YAF, for their own good. While Bristow contends that it is a "leftist" organization, the Southern Poverty Law Center has never before labeled a university group as a hate group until the MSU Chapter of YAF. Talk about bad press for our school and our state. Maybe Kyle leaving will allow the other members of YAF to express themselves in a more civilized way, something that Bristow did not allow under his rule. He even instructed them not to talk to the press or disagree with any tactics or leadership (as if anyone would have the gall to oppose the great and powerful Kyle).
Still though, you have to give Kyle the limited respect that he deserves for being able to stick to his guns despite the ire of the entire Michigan State Campus and administration, however insane his guns are.
Finally, in full tribute to his only favorite Spanish words, I close by saying this about the regime change within YAF...
Viva la Revolucion!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
How-To Guide to Voting Democratic on January 15th
There has been much controversy over the January 15th primary election, especially within the Democratic Party in Michigan. The feuds between the state party, state legislators, the federal Democratic National Committee, and the candidates for president have been publicized often in recent months as different dates and methods of electing a nominee have been discussed and finally implemented.
All of the confusion has caused many to consider not voting in the Democratic Primary, as there are many questions left unanswered. Where do I vote? What time can I vote? How do I get the Democratic ballot? Are there any new election procedures? Why are there so few candidates on the ballot? What if I support a candidate not on the ballot? Should I write in my candidates name or vote uncommitted?
Several of these questions are easy, but have not been well explained by the news media. On January 15th, during the normal election hours, voters should travel to their normal polling location. This is where they have voted for every past election. If you are unsure where to vote, you can look at the state website and input your information. The website is www.michigan.gov/vote
To obtain your ballot you must first present photo identification. If you do not have a piece of photo id, you may simply sign an affadavit attesting that you are who you say you are. To get a Democratic or Republican ballot, you must tell the election workers which ballot you wish to receive. They will give you the relevant ballot.
Once you get the Democratic ballot, you will notice that there are only four candidates on the ballot, with two extra options. Senator Hillary Clinton, Representative Dennis Kucinich, Former Senator Mike Gravel, and Senator Chris Dodd, will be listed as candidates on the ballot, with other options labeled “Uncommitted” and “Write-In.” Those Democrats supporting one of the other candidates who does not appear on the ballot are being encouraged to vote Uncommitted on the primary ballot, as the delegates elected by uncommitted votes will be free to vote for whomever they choose at the national convention. Voters are discouraged from using the “write-in” option, as candidates must declare as write-in candidates several weeks before the election, and none of the other four candidates have.
Please don’t forget to get out to the polls on Tuesday! This primary decides our future as a nation, and decisions are made by those who show up.
Scott Hendrickson
President of the MSU Democrats
All of the confusion has caused many to consider not voting in the Democratic Primary, as there are many questions left unanswered. Where do I vote? What time can I vote? How do I get the Democratic ballot? Are there any new election procedures? Why are there so few candidates on the ballot? What if I support a candidate not on the ballot? Should I write in my candidates name or vote uncommitted?
Several of these questions are easy, but have not been well explained by the news media. On January 15th, during the normal election hours, voters should travel to their normal polling location. This is where they have voted for every past election. If you are unsure where to vote, you can look at the state website and input your information. The website is www.michigan.gov/vote
To obtain your ballot you must first present photo identification. If you do not have a piece of photo id, you may simply sign an affadavit attesting that you are who you say you are. To get a Democratic or Republican ballot, you must tell the election workers which ballot you wish to receive. They will give you the relevant ballot.
Once you get the Democratic ballot, you will notice that there are only four candidates on the ballot, with two extra options. Senator Hillary Clinton, Representative Dennis Kucinich, Former Senator Mike Gravel, and Senator Chris Dodd, will be listed as candidates on the ballot, with other options labeled “Uncommitted” and “Write-In.” Those Democrats supporting one of the other candidates who does not appear on the ballot are being encouraged to vote Uncommitted on the primary ballot, as the delegates elected by uncommitted votes will be free to vote for whomever they choose at the national convention. Voters are discouraged from using the “write-in” option, as candidates must declare as write-in candidates several weeks before the election, and none of the other four candidates have.
Please don’t forget to get out to the polls on Tuesday! This primary decides our future as a nation, and decisions are made by those who show up.
Scott Hendrickson
President of the MSU Democrats
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