A closer look: With primaries over, Democratic student groups to unite behind one person

With the California primary election behind them, student
political groups supporting Democratic presidential candidates are
taking on different roles on campus.

Other than Bruins for Dean, whose members will not be endorsing
anyone come election time, the student political groups will work
together to campaign for the Democratic presidential candidate,
regardless of who he is.

Most of the groups will also continue working for their
candidates, just concentrating on different aspects of the
campaign.

Bruins for Kerry will be shifting gears to campaign for its
candidate outside of UCLA.

“We have a member of the UCLA faculty who is very involved
in the L.A. Kerry office,” said Kristina Doan, a second-year
political science student who co-founded Bruins for Kerry.
“We will probably work with him in doing mailings and phone
banking for other states.”

Group members have spent the last few weeks rallying for
supporters on Bruin Walk but with Big Tuesday over, they will be
taking on less visible roles, at least until the presidential
election gets closer.

Once all the primaries are over, both Bruins for Kerry and
Bruins for Edwards will most likely work with the Bruin Democrats
in supporting the Democratic presidential candidate, with John
Kerry almost certain to claim main honors now.

“It is so important to get George Bush out of
office,” said Erin Templeton, an English graduate student and
a leader for Bruins for Edwards.

“I think the most important thing to do is to present a
unified front.”

Supporters of Kerry also acknowledged the importance of forming
a united Democratic group.

“Once the nominee is picked, the Bruins for Kerry will
probably not exist, it will join with Bruin Democrats,” Doan
said. “It is best to put our manpower together into one
group.”

That may be true, but this unified Democratic group will not
have the support of Bruins for Dean, whose members are taking their
group down a more independent path.

“We’ll probably be a little different from the other
groups,” said Cameron King, a fifth-year theater student and
co-president of Bruins for Dean. “Most of the members of
Bruins for Dean are not supporters of other candidates.”

Instead of joining with the other groups in supporting the
Democratic candidate, the leaders of Bruins for Dean hope to make
their group part of a national organization supporting candidates
with “Dean ideals.”

“We will continue to be a group but we will change our
name and support senate candidates, state representatives, and
other local offices with Dean ideals,” King said, adding that
most students involved in Bruins for Dean are not very drawn to
politics, rather just to Dean’s more left-wing ideals.

Consequently, Bruins for Dean will not be endorsing anyone for
president this November.

“We want to push for more progressive candidates than
Kerry or Edwards,” King said.

Although the three groups will be operating under different
goals and names, their members will still be active on campus and
welcome participation.

“We want to work for better registration and better
education,” Doan said.