With the presidential campaign in full swing, many campus Republicans have their focus on local politics rather than national contests.
For starters, the sheer number of people involved in a presidential campaign, Rhode Island's small electoral influence and the relatively low numbers involved in Republican activities at Brown means conservatives here face special challenges in political organizing.
"We're realistic about it - we're outnumbered," said Christopher McAuliffe '05, former president of Brown's College Republicans - a campus group that currently has about 20 active members.
McAuliffe, who led the College Republicans during President Bush's reelection campaign, said the club did not focus very much on the presidential campaign.
"We put most of our effort behind Rhode Island candidates. ... I think people spend too much time on presidential elections rather than local and state ones," McAuliffe said.
McAuliffe said the Electoral College means Rhode Island is a difficult place from which to get Republican votes.
The current president of the College Republicans, Herald Opinion Columnist Sean Quigley '10, agrees that the group is not holding out for a Red Rhode Island, though he said they will campaign in other parts of the Northeast.
"Realistically, we're not really expecting to win this state," Quigley said. "But we will go to Manchester, New Hampshire, for a weekend trip sometime in October to do some campaigning."
McAuliffe said there is "certainly some value in working for a campaign, but it's not the most bang for your buck."
It's not just size or impact that are keeping campus Republicans' focus on local events.
Joshua Unseth '09, a locally active Republican, said he won't be too involved in the campaign of Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, in part because the Arizona senator hasn't inspired him enough.
"I won't be a big campaigner for McCain - a big part of the reason is that I'm busy and another part is that I'm just not excited about McCain," he said.
According to Quigley, Unseth and others, most of Brown's College Republicans were originally supporting Mitt Romney, who was often at odds with McCain during the primaries.
Quigley said McCain will still receive College Republicans' votes.
"We bicker under the tent, but when the tent comes under attack, we all protect the tent," Quigley said.
He added that he thinks students on College Hill aren't generally active in campaigns.
"Brown students tend not to be into grassroots activities and they're not active campaigners," he said. "I'm trying to get us more involved but you have to work within the atmosphere you live in."
The atmosphere at Brown seems to be one of debate and discussion amongst the group rather than action, Quigley and other campus Republicans said.
"Brown Republicans are less interested in campaigning and more interested in ideas and debating the issues amongst themselves," said Pratik Chougule '07.5, a former Rhode Island chairman of the College Republicans National Committee.
"College Republicans at Brown are more conservative than they are Republican," he said.
Despite the original tepid feeling toward McCain, College Republicans and student Republican leaders are stressing the importance of the campaign.
Colin Motley, a Harvard student who heads the Ivy League Republican Caucus, said focusing on the Northeast "is absolutely worth it for College Republicans."
He added, "I'd say it is critical this fall. First of all, New Hampshire is undeniably a battleground state this year, and it's been a state where John McCain, in particular, has continued to find success."
The McCain campaign has set up a large effort involving College Republicans, state party leaders and campus McCain groups who can help campaign in New Hampshire, he said.
Campus Republicans are also participating in the publication of a statewide magazine targeting college students, called the College Republican Federation of Rhode Island. Unseth is in charge of the first issue.
"I hope that it acts as a forum for Republican students to rally together," Unseth said of the publication, which will be distributed to College Republican chapters in Rhode Island colleges.
Unseth said the magazine will include student-written articles and that he has also been in contact with Republican leader in the state concerning the publication. He would not go into further detail about the publication because he said it is still a work in progress.
"I think at Brown, it has gotten to the point where campaigning for conservatism is not fruitful and all we can do is make a mockery of what I like to call Leftist idiocy," he added.
Brendan Boyle, a student at Roger Williams University who is involved in the same publication as Unseth, did not share the mentality of Brown's College Republicans that focusing on local elections rather than national ones is more fruitful.
"Republican students at Brown University and other college campuses across Rhode Island should focus their efforts on all federal, state and local elections," he wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. "No amount of effort exhausted on promoting something you believe in is ever spent in vain."
Quigley, Chougule and McAuliffe said College Republicans at Brown make an effort to involve themselves in local and state campaigns by supporting local Republican politicians.
"In Rhode Island we've had Democratic leadership for 40 years, and we have had problems, so one of our goals is to put more Republicans in the State Senate and House and also help candidates on a federal Congressional level," Quigley said.
