Republicans Round-Up On and Off Campus

By Jenn Hoffman

Collegian Reporter

Kids rode ponies, parents met political candidates and families mingled over boxed barbeque at the fourth annual Republican Round-Up at Innsbrook Pavilion in Glen Allen, Va., on Sept. 27.

The Round-Up was a free party-building event for families to meet elected officials and for candidates to reach out to Republicans before the election, said Linwood Cobb, the chairman of the 7th District Republican Committee, which funded the event.

"It's the single largest gathering of Republicans in the state," Cobb said. "No other event touches it, except when Sarah Palin comes to Virginia."

Four thousand people signed up to attend the event, over 1,000 more than last year, said Amy Saucier, a University of Richmond senior who worked at the event. Attendees included Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell, former Gov. Jim Gilmore and Rep. Eric Cantor, who is up for re-election and was the main draw of the event. Cantor was held up in Washington working on the bailout package and arrived 15 minutes after the event, though he still gave a speech, Saucier said.

"The Round-Up is a boost to republican morale and cohesion with an excitement factor," said Saucier, who interns at Cantor's office. "It solidifies the Republican base, and it's especially relevant with Virginia being a battleground state."

Cantor started the Round-Up after seeing the success of a similar event when he worked with Sen. Richard Burr in North Carolina, Cobb said.

"We keep the politics to a minimum," Cobb said. In addition to tables for Republican candidates, the event featured a moon bounce, pony rides, raffles, face painting, caricatures, bead making, balloons, magicians, a live band and picnic fare.

"It's a wonderful opportunity to have some family fun," said Pat Meyer, a volunteer at the Round-Up, who oversaw other volunteers. She said there had been many student volunteers from high school and college.

Saucier said there were about 10 University of Richmond volunteers working, about 20 students attending with their families and other students tabling for specific candidates and local congressmen.

Despite the number of volunteers from Richmond, Saucier said the Republican presence on campus was hard to gage.

"I think Obama supporters are more vocalized than McCain supporters [on campus]," she said.

Saucier said the people registering voters around campus have Obama stickers and are clearly Democrats, part of the greater mobilization and grassroots effort of the Democratic Party. The age group with the strongest Obama support is also 18-22, she said.

Brett Holtzman, a University of Richmond senior who volunteered at the event, agreed. He also said there was an imbalance among political speakers on campus.