But times have changed. Despite the school’s distinguished liberal heritage, students at the University of Minnesota are approaching Campaign 2004 with a decidedly pragmatic bent. Democrats here conform strongly to the “anyone but Bush” paradigm and are wary of any candidates who stray too far from the mainstream. You can sense the rightward tilt of this campus by comparing it to our archrival, the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Avowedly liberal, Madison students still come out in droves to hear Ralph Nader, even though some of his supporters acknowledge Nader may have helped George W. Bush into the White House in 2000. The Madison retort is, “So what? We’re voting our conscience, not picking the lesser of two evils.” At Madison, Howard Dean’s supporters actually fear that Dennis Kucinich will drain support from Dean. Only at a college chock full of idealists is Howard Dean the centrist threatened by an attack from the left.

Minnesota Democrats have a better window on the mindset of Republicans and swing voters. After all, increasingly, Republicans and swing voters are their classmates and friends. Minnesota has trended Republican since 1988 and so has its largest state school. The students here actually interested in politics (a minority) are evenly split between Bush and his Democratic challengers and the two parties wield equal influence over campus institutions like the student council and the Minnesota Daily. Students who come from Minnesota’s Republican strongholds–wealthy suburbs and rural areas–tend to support Bush’s war in Iraq and the religious tenor of his politics. In these students’ eyes, the dismal job market is out of the president’s control. They like his tax cuts and believe they will lead to higher employment.

Faced with this challenge from the right, Minnesota Democrats are ever mindful of ways to attract swing voters. Independent-minded students want to see candidates pay attention to the rising cost of attending college, healthcare and jobs. Increasingly they worry about the swollen budget deficit under President Bush. Democrats on campus sense these concerns and know that with the right candidate, they could mount a real challenge to the Republicans this year. That’s why electability is so important on this campus: it’s not an abstract concept, it comes down to real live votes.