Last week’s issue of the Oracle presented a comprehensive list of candidates running for various seats in the 2014 election cycle. The published informational section, located on the right side of the paper, below the masthead, starting above the fold gave HU students, staff and faculty not only the names of candidates, but also a short platform narrative. Oracle, pursuant to HU’s political policies listed “all” five candidates running for the governor’s seat in Minnesota. Unfortunately, the partnership between HU and Minnesota’s Fox9 News, the most liberal Fox News outlet in the United States sidestepped the HU’s political campaign appearance policy and the meaning of “all” to hold an on-campus debate between the incumbent candidate for Minnesota governor and the Minnesota GOP-endorsed candidate (Democrat and Republican). The Independence, Libertarian and Grassroots candidates for governor who all will be on the ballot in November had no standing even when HU policies strictly forbid such exclusions. 

HU’s “Political Candidate or Campaign Policy” as adopted by President’s Staff and per the HU website posts the policy is owned by HU’s strategic communication pertaining to “all” students, faculty, and staff (us). HU adopted American Council on Education (ACE) Guidelines for political candidates and campaign policies states the following: 

Sec 1-Paragraph 3: Candidate appearances. Universities may invite political candidates to speak at events or public forums as long as “all” candidates are provided equal access and opportunities to speak. Universities are prohibited from institutionally endorsing a particular candidate at those events. In addition, campaign fundraising at university events and forums is prohibited. (Quotes mine.)

I really do not need to continue. But…

Personally I am shocked by the exclusion of the Independence Party candidate Hannah Nicollet. This corrupt activity can be viewed as suspect in part because of the historical precedent set by Hamline University in past debates and the change from adherence to HU’s political candidate appearance policies and the current switch-and-bait for the 2014 on-campus debate. The Internet, via HU’s website, gives detailed history about the 2010 governor’s debate held at HU. On Oct. 9, 2010 HU held an on campus governor’s debate. For this event, the Independence Party candidate was allowed to participate; the other candidates included Republican candidate Tom Emmer and Democratic candidate Mark Dayton. The Independence Party candidate in 2010 was Tom Horner; this debate was also a partnership with Fox9 News.

So why in 2014 are Fox9 News and HU determined to create a master-method of voter suppression by obstructing “all” candidates running for governor to participate? Is the white-male political construct afraid of what will happen if the mainstream media and Minnesota voters see the wide variety of platforms and opinions from all five gubernatorial candidates?  In 1998 Jesse Ventura pulled off a major upset. Sending a message to the two-party system and voting for someone other than a Democrat or Republican that politics as usual will not be tolerated could be worth looking into. Sometimes doing something different is a good thing. 

HU has many programs and student organizations that labor relentlessly on issues of social justice, civil rights, human rights, environmental issues and voter suppression. The glad-handing by HU and Fox9 News is absent in meaningful ethical, moral and academic integrity by exclusion of candidates from campus debates. I see this as the ultimate form of voter suppression in 2014. 

George Bernard Shaw wrote, “When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth.”  The funny thing…to see the debate. Other right-leaning organizations were not given tickets; the HU Veterans organizations was told by the marketing department, “The veterans group is not a political organization.” This would be true if HU was a campus that never had requirements to read a history book.  HU’s marketing department did not answer my last email, nor did Fox9 News return any of the phone calls. I find it funny and a stunning show of partisan favoritism for not only HU, but also the usually left-leaning Minnesota FOX News outlet.   

At this point, I wonder if  HU’s Board of Trustees are on notice for what is to come next? Officials from the Libertarian Party of Minnesota have contacted HU’s president as well as their communications director who organized the debate, to notify them of their obligation to host inclusive debates by inviting all five candidates. Still, even today, Hannah Nicollet has not received callbacks from HU’s marketing department or Fox9 News. 

In violation of policy, HU has decided to redefine the meaning of the word “all.” The hidden truth in this whole mess is that HU policies can bend for some, but not others. HU’s mission, “To create a diverse and collaborative community of learners dedicated to the development of students’ knowledge, values and skills for successful lives of leadership, scholarship, and service,” has been abandoned in favor of a political process that has historically and generationally excluded women, minorities and now HU students and the voters all across Minnesota. Unfortunately there are only a few undermentioned student groups organizing against this injustice. A free ticket for a televised on-campus event placed strategically in the hand of a twenty-year-old does wonders for silence.

 The debate on campus should have all students, staff and faculty worried about HU’s commitment to community, policies and governance on and off campus. If a policy imitates the atmosphere it is in, then HU policies have no standing for students, staff and faculty. One could argue the malfeasance, obstruction and oversight in this matter should trigger questions on campus about diversity and fairness. The question we must ask is why are limits being established where there should be none? At the end of the day, privilege outweighed policy and common sense.