OU College Republicans tackle lack of participation in phone banking activities

With just 32 days until the Nov. 8 election, Ohio University College Republicans stressed the importance of phone banking, or calling on behalf of candidates, at its weekly Wednesday meeting.Vice President of OUCR Ryan Evans encouraged more members to participate in daily campaign volunteering activities being held throughout Athens.“Phones are the easiest way to get in touch with the voters,” Evans said. “Every time you make a phone call, somebody learns about a candidate.”A lack of participation, however, is hindering the amount of calls OUCR is able to make.“If we want to win this election, if we want Republicans to win all the way down the ticket, then we need to have more than just six people at these events,” Evans said to an audience of about 50 people.As members of OUCR, president David Parkhill pointed out that a loss in this election could prevent future job positions for those looking to get involved with political campaigns."If we don't get our people in office, you're not going to have a job in 10 years," Parkhill said.Parkhill opened the meeting with a video from the Twitter account RowdyAmericans. The video featured a black Trump supporter responding to a reporter asking for his thoughts on white supremacists supporting Donald Trump. The man concluded that it is a matter of free speech as to whom someone supports, and it does not make Trump a racist for having them as supporters.“The Black Panthers supported Obama, is that racist?” Parkhill asked after showing the video.OUCR meets every Wednesday at 9 p.m. in Copeland 104.