College Republicans and University Democrats at the University of Virginia recently held a forum for first years to talk political policy and make the case for their respective sides.

Peter Finocchio of The Virginia Advocate reports.

College Republicans and University Democrats Hold First-Year Political Forum

On Tuesday night the College Republicans and the University Democrats had the opportunity to reach out to first-years through a forum on the 2012 presidential election hosted by the Echols-Humphrey Dorm Association. Each political group picked one of their own to make the case for their party’s candidate by answering an array of policy questions. The forum was moderated by Joseph Liss, a second-year who is an RA for the Humphreys basement.

Liss emphasized in his opening remarks that the forum would be policy-based, not politics-based. “You can turn on Fox News or CNN or MSNBC and get the politics, that’s not what we’re here for,” Liss said. “We want to see what the candidates believe.”

Representing the College Republicans was first-year College student Ian Robertson, while the University Democrats picked third-year Alex Preve to make the case for President Obama. Preve defended the President’s signature “achievement,” the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. “With ObamaCare you can stay on your parents’ health care until you are 26. That’s a very big deal for us and it is moving health care in the right direction.” Robertson argued that President Obama’s policies weren’t working. “Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan stand on a conservative platform that will restore America’s founding values,” Robertson began. “His number one priority will be to create American jobs.”

Robertson reminded the audience that unemployment still hovers over 8%. On education, Robertson countered Preve’s belief that higher spending on Pell Grants is a viable long-term solution. “Long term solutions get to the root of the problem,” Robertson explained. “President Obama’s plan is ‘spend it, don’t mend it.’” When Preve defended the right of states to make their own drug laws, Robertson replied that “this is perhaps the only time Democrats actually say ‘leave it to the states!’” “It should be that way on almost everything!” Robertson continued.