The Republican presidential race has drawn mixed reactions from some student political groups who believe President Barack Obama shouldn’t be re-elected in November.
ASU Green Party First Officer Nathan Ralph, a sustainability junior, said he was wooed by President Barack Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign but has since found Jill Stein's campaign for Green Party more reflective of his own values.
“I think (Obama) is disappointing a lot of people that he considers to be his base,” Ralph said. “(Stein) has highlighted the failures of Obama and even outright lies.”
He said Republican nomination hopefuls have trouble maintaining a positive public opinion.
“Each one of (the candidates) had the spotlight but subsequently fell when the chinks in their armor were discovered,” Ralph said.
Ralph said he feels Republicans are disillusioned with their own party because of the lack of a strong candidate.
“I honestly feel like (Romney) is the best politician that money can buy,” Ralph said. “He just wants the presidency so bad that he’s willing to do anything for it.”
Young Americans for Freedom at ASU President Dylan Langley, a political science junior, said the group's greatest problem with this year's Republican candidates is their lack of representation for conservative views and policy.
“One of the problems we had with Rick Santorum was that he talked the limited government game, but he never really walked it,” Langley said. “Mitt Romney had really the same issue. We really don't see (limited government) out of his time in Massachusetts.”
He said the Young Americans for Freedom want to encourage conservatives to vote for a Republican candidate who can reestablish right-wing values in the U.S.
Langley said he hopes Romney, the likely Republican nominee, will become more conservative approaching the general election.
“We're hoping he moves more toward the right and makes a stark contrast between himself and Barack Obama,” Langley said.
He said Romney will lose conservative votes if he chooses to remain moderate for the duration of his campaign. Moving to the right will bring Romney closer to what Langley considers “the path that has a government that works for us.”
Langley said if Romney is elected, he hopes he will follow through with his promise to repeal “Obamacare” and lower taxes.
He said he never anticipated Romney would succeed in the campaign.
“There is that Occupy-style ideology out there that the rich don’t pay enough taxes, they don’t represent the 99 percent of Americans,” Langley said. “That’s definitely something we’re worried about in terms of whether (Romney) can connect with the independents and the everyday American.”
Students for Mitt President Jordan Tygh, a political science sophomore, said Romney has the greatest chance of defeating Obama.
“As conservatives, any of the candidates would be a better president than the current president,” Tygh said. “Our main goal is beating Barack Obama.”
He said Romney has been hindered in his campaign by negative media coverage.
Tygh said Romney’s liberal past has discouraged some conservatives.
“At the end of the day the concern should be what is legislated,” Tygh said. “People often forget that Ronald Reagan was once a Democrat. We shouldn't punish somebody for changing their ideology for the better.”
Reach the reporter at dgrobmei@asu.edu
