By Christina Martin
University President Stuart Rabinowitz made an announcement earlier this month that Hofstra has submitted a formal application to host a 2008 presidential debate.
Hofstra is currently in the running against fifteen other colleges and universities and four outside organizations vying to host a debate.
The Commission on Presidential Debates whose primary purpose is “to sponsor and produce debates for the United States presidential and vice-presidential candidates and to undertake research and educational activities relating to the debates” sponsors the debates.
The university began discussing applying in September 2006 and the application took six weeks to complete. The application is a binder full of information including architectural drawings, maps, photographs and letters of support.
Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) was one of the authors of letters of support written to the commission as well as to Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee– citing Hofstra as “an ideal venue for one of the debates.” Nassau County Executive, Thomas Suozzi, Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray, the Nassau County Police Department, and several companies including Sprint and Paetec, and local hotels wrote other letters of support.
Aside from letters of support, the application includes detailed information about the budget, the debate hall, furniture, electrical needs, security, Internet, noise and media. “We looked at everything from how maps were presented…every detail had to be looked at,” said Melissa Connolly, Vice-President of University Relations.
The university has no way of measuring its chances about hosting the debate, but the results will surface in October 2007.
“A lot of members of the Board of Trustees think it’s a great way to highlight the region,” said Connolly. Long Island is often overshadowed by its proximity to New York City-where a presidential debate has not been held in New York State since 1960 between presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.
Typically debates are held in “swing” states, although this is not a requirement of the Commission on Presidential Debates. The 2004 presidential debates were held in Florida, Missouri and Ohio which are all “swing” states. New York has been so solidly Democratic in the last few presidential elections that WNBC said that typically “the state wouldn’t stand a chance of hosting a debate.
However, this election will be anything but typical. “If the election ends up being Clinton v. Giuliani, New York would be the biggest battleground swing state of all,” said WNBC.
The nominations for president will not be known until after Hofstra receives notification about the debates, so it is difficult to tell whether the possibility of Senator Clinton or former Mayor Giuliani being a candidate will have any affect on the commission’s decision.