Editorial:
News endorses Menendez, Holt

The heart of this nation is still beating strong, but our government has left us with a weak pulse. All it takes to understand this is a scan of a newspaper or a glimpse of national or local news broadcasts. The war in Iraq, the cuts to higher education funding and the escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran are leaving young people breathless, in doubt about their futures. Like it or not, the democratic system America prides itself on is in need of a transfusion from a part of the citizenry facing its largest test to date — young voters.

As the poll reported on this page indicates, barely half of Rider students plan to vote next week. The lethargic trend of this voting demographic must be reversed. College students need to take a stand against a government that is broken and is leaving us with growing challenges to inherit. For political leaders, Election Day is the day of reckoning.

The presidency is not at stake this year, but the balance of power in Congress is, as Democrats seek to wrest the House and Senate from Republican control. Students should look beyond the cynicism that portrays all politicians as crooks and government as a way to enrich the wealthy and further impoverish the working poor. The only way this will change is if you do your part this year and every year – vote.

The challenge for students is the work required to make an informed decision when voting. Pulling the lever in the voting booth is easy; doing your homework before is essential. In fact, take the half-hour you ordinarily use to check Facebook and MySpace to research the candidates in your state and district.

The editorial board of The Rider News has voted to endorse Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez in his neck-and-neck race with Republican state Sen. Tom Kean Jr. Menendez brought the election campaign to Rider when he spoke last week to the students and community, offering a decisive reminder of the strong leader he is. After all, Menendez stood up and challenged President Bush in 2002 by voting against the pre-emptive strike on Iraq. Just as important is Menendez’s ardent support for embryonic stem-cell research, valuing the potential miracles it could bring for so many battling Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and other ailments.

Menendez’s opponent is riding on the coattails of his beloved father, the former governor of the Garden State, without providing any substantial ideas for overcoming the challenges New Jersey faces. Kean’s stance on the Iraq war seems problematic, and his incessant attack on the ethics of Menendez does not help the voters reach a conclusion of who he is.

Although he is certain to be re-elected, this newspaper also endorses Democratic Congressman Rush Holt, who debated his opponent, Joseph Sinagra, on this campus two weeks ago. Once a college physics professor, Holt understands the value of education and has worked tirelessly to help reduce the financial burden on students and parents.

The foundation of democracy is crumbling before our eyes. Simply taking the time to vote will help fill the cracks and begin to restore the integrity into the electoral process.

Remember, one vote can make a difference.