Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) spoke in Lerner Cinema on Friday about the changes the United States faces and their implications for the “Millennial Generation.”
Hagel said the country is experiencing a “historic reorientation” due to shifting global powers and alliances, noting specifically that an increased focus on energy issues has affected international relations. He also remarked that a number of countries have been challenging established leadership.
Today’s youth, he said, will have to address this “great confluence of issues” in light of the United States’ reputation abroad, which has weakened in recent years. He added that the next president will be tasked with restoring Americans’ confidence in the government.
“One of the greatest challenges of our next president is to reintroduce America to the world, and I think Obama and Biden have the power to do that,” Hagel said of the Democratic presidential ticket of Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), and Joe Biden (D-Del.). “They both understand that we have lost so much standing in the world today. They want us to lead, and they want us to be strong. They don’t want an America that dictates.”
He cited “character” and “judgment” as requisites for any political candidate, and presented the choice of a running mate as a key indicator of the latter.
“Who do you pick as your running mate? I think Obama passed that test. I don’t think John McCain did,” Hagel said.
These remarks surprised many audience members, given that Hagel is a Republican.
But despite his affiliation, Hagel said, “I have been a strident critic of the Republican party.”
Several audience members praised Hagel’s decision to look past his own party identification by recognizing the strengths of the Democratic candidate.
“It came as a surprise to me that a Republican politician would so readily question the actions of members within his own party,” Anthony Testa, CC ’12, said. “Part of me views that as admirable, that he is not afraid to cross party lines, but another part of me takes issue with his criticism so close to Election Day.”
“His message about what leaders should do is not based on party politics,” said Lauren Salz, BC ’11 and communications coordinator for the Columbia Political Union and executive director of the Columbia University College Republicans . “He doesn’t hesitate to stand up to someone who is in his own party, which is important and something CPU stands for.”
Hagel also credited Obama with the high level of youth political activism seen in this presidential campaign.
“People have lost confidence in the government because we have become irrelevant and they do not see us fixing the problems in our country,” he said. “But young Americans see Obama as a leader we can believe in, who we can trust.”
He applied this idea to his book, America: Our Next Chapter, in which he expresses concerns about the preparedness of youth to tackle current and future problems and questions whether his generation has sufficiently primed younger people to take the helm of the country.
“Express yourself, participate, vote. Be part of a functioning democracy. If you can’t do that, you really don’t have any standing if you just sit on the sidelines,” Hagel said. “You are going to have to be more aware. You are going to have to participate in wider areas than my generation or past generations have.”
Hagel “is a leader with a futuristic approach not just in politics, but in everyday life,” Testa said. “His message is one that all young people should bear in mind as they become more active citizens.”
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