OXFORD, Miss. The University of Mississippi is among 19 proposed host sites for the 2008 presidential debates.
The
Commission on Presidential Debates announced the list of debate host
applicants, which includes 14 universities or colleges, on Monday. The
commission is scheduled to visit the Ole Miss campus to conduct a site
survey before June, and the final four host sites three for
presidential debates and one for a vice presidential debate are to be
announced next spring.
"We had a preliminary visit from
Martin Slutsky, the executive producer of the commission's debates, to
determine if our campus had the necessary facilities to be a serious
contender," said Andrew Mullins, UM executive assistant to the
chancellor. "He enjoyed his visit very much and encouraged us to
apply."
The university has a long tradition of producing governors, congressmen, judges, corporate leaders and a host of others renowned in the creative arts, Chancellor Robert Khayat said.
"William Faulkner introduced Oxford and Ole Miss to the world, and the university has been a magnet for writers since the mid-20th century," Khayat said. "Hosting a presidential debate would attract even more worldwide attention to the university, and the national spotlight would be focused on this extraordinary community."
Leading the effort to bring one of the debates to Ole Miss, Mullins met with representatives from other campuses that have hosted debates. He said the total cost to host a debate is estimated at $2.2 million.
"Despite the costs, the advantages are tremendous," Mullins said. "We'd have more than 2,000 journalists from across the globe reporting from campus, providing Ole Miss with huge international exposure. It would also be a historic first for Mississippi and offers unprecedented opportunities for our students and faculty to launch spin-off programs, events and lectures."
Mississippi Higher Education Commissioner Thomas Meredith said Ole Miss is a great choice for one of the coveted host sites.
"The past successes of Ole Miss in hosting national events make this great university a logical choice to host the presidential debates," he said.
Bill Gottshall, executive director of the Lott Leadership Institute at UM, agreed, saying the debate would afford a great opportunity to showcase the university, including its faculty and students.
"This would be an enormous opportunity for the Ole Miss campus and the state of Mississippi," Gottshall said. "It would be a tremendous challenge logistically, but we can't buy this type of international exposure."
While debates are an effective way to inform and involve voters in the political process, they tend to reinforce a voter's perception of the candidates rather than alter their preconceived notions, said Richard Forgette, UM chair of political science.
"Most voters say the presidential debates are more helpful to their vote choice than campaign advertising," Forgette said. "Presidential debates tend to showcase candidates' personalities and leadership attributes, rather than change voters' minds on issues."
Excited by the prospect of hosting a debate at UM, Forgette said it would undoubtedly elevate students' interest in the campaign.
Colleges and universities vying for the 2008 presidential debates include Arizona State University, Belmont University, Centre College, Hofstra University, Indiana University, Ohio State University, Wake Forest University, Washington State University, Washington University, Wesleyan University and the universities of Central Arkansas, Cincinnati and Miami. Other finalist applicants include the Economic Development Corporation of Wayne County, Ind., Metropolitan Exposition Recreation Commission of Portland, Ore., the state of Illinois, VisitPittsburgh, Pa., and Women of the Storm in New Orleans.
The 2004 presidential and vice presidential debates were all held in metropolitan areas, including Miami, St. Louis, Cleveland and Tempe, Ariz.
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