CNN news correspondent Lou Dobbs took to the Quick Center stage for the Open VISIONS forum Wednesday night after a busy day that included hosting his radio show, his TV show and a trip from New York City to Fairfield.
However, Dobbs was not concerned about this November day – he is worried about one next year.
“This time next year we will have elected a new President,” said Dobbs. “Are you excited? Because I sure am not.”
Addressing the crowd of nearly 500, Dobbs said there is not one serious candidate on either side of the isle that he could see as President. It is for this reason that he has called for a rise in a three or more party system.
“I am so proud to be an Independent,” he said. “An independent American and an independent thinker.”
In a Mirror exclusive, Dobbs said one of the problems with the current political system is the high number of “Ivy League” candidates since 1998.
Dobbs who worked on a bean farm in Rupert, Idaho, said his humble upbringing has caused him to shift away from current politicians.
“Maybe we should have a candidate from a state school or maybe even a Jesuit school,” said Dobbs.
Along with the lack of what he sees as viable candidates, Dobbs said he hopes that students register as independents.
One such independently registered voter is Fairfield junior Mike Csorba, who took to the microphone in the question and answer portion of the forum.
Csorba said the downside of being registered as an independent is that he has basically given up the ability to vote in primary elections, and by the time it gets to the general election there are only two voters.
Dobbs said, “The power you and I have as voters isn’t power at all; it is no accident that Kerry and Bush were the nominees in 2004.
“All the major decisions have been made before we get to them. This year they [Democrats and Republics] have anointed Giuliani and Clinton.”
Besides the control over presidential candidates by the two main political parties, Dobbs said big businesses are also having a more significant role in running the country.
“We have to decide that we are citizens before consumers,” he said. “This is first a nation before it is an economy.”
Steve Bottari’11 agreed with Dobbs’ call for an independent mindset among American citizens.
“I think that we need more of a third party system because the two we have now are not doing the job,” said Bottari.
Yet, Dobbs remained hopeful about the surprises that still may be in store for the 2008 election season.
“I wager and I believe that a leader of great character will emerge and enter this race, and be our next President,” Dobbs said.
“I think we all should start looking around at each other. It might be your neighbor or a local councilman,” he said. “That will be our test over the next year; if we allow this to be business as usual we will have someone else pick our president.”
After his address to the crowd, and his tired hand signed the last of many copies of his book, Dobbs said, “It is a pretty wonderful thing to be an independent American.”
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