U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Indiana), who many speculate could be the next Democratic candidate for president, emphasized the importance of bipartisanship yesterday as he addressed a crowd of more than 400 students in Wilson Hall.
"He's exactly the kind of candidate that the Democrats should nominate if they want to win in 2004," said Larry J. Sabato, government and foreign affairs professor.
Presidential hopeful Al Gore considered Bayh, the sixth-youngest member of the Senate at 46, to run on his ticket in 2000.
Bayh, who graduated from the Law School in 1981, declined to comment on the possibility of running for president in 2004, saying "speculation is very premature."
In February, Bayh followed in the footsteps of former president Clinton and vice presidential hopeful Joseph Lieberman when he assumed the position as chairman of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council.
Elected to the Senate in 1998 by a predominantly Republican state, Bayh is considered one of the more moderate Democratic senators.
Bayh began his speech by addressing the state of voter apathy that plagues the American citizenry.
"We're no longer a representative democracy in the model Jefferson talked about," he said. "We don't offer a compelling vision for the process of self-governance."
According to Bayh, only about half of eligible Americans voted in the 2000 elections.
He said he believes a direct, popular vote is best, but he does not think a proposal to abolish the Electoral College would garner enough support. He also supports the McCain-Feingold bill, legislation that would reform campaign finance.
Bayh responded to students' questions regarding national defense by saying Bush acted admirably in the hostage situation in China, during which the Chinese government held American soldiers involved in a spy plane collision. But he said he has serious concerns with President Bush's national defense proposal.
Bayh said he finds common ground with the Bush administration on educational policy but questions the effectiveness of Bush's tax cuts.
"The issue now is money, and you have to have the resources to make [education policy] possible," Bayh said.
He encouraged students to take advantage of the opportunities a university offers and to get involved in politics.
"Being a good public official ... is what ultimately matters," he said. "We should never abandon our values to hold public office."
First-year College student Ashley Taylor said Bayh "was really well-spoken and supported a lot of different kinds of views."
He was "very realistic" about the political process, a quality that many party members do not possess, said first-year College student Kevin Graney, who identifies with the Republican Party.
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