Republicans wish to dispel view
By John Higgins
Emerald Contributor
'Hie loud present** of the Oregon Citizens Alliance
in con servo! ive politics has created an image prob
lem for the Republican Party in Oregon.
Many Republicans would rather focus voter atten
tion on issues such as maintaining a strong military
and cutting taxes rather than on stopping gay rights
For example, the state Republican Party teamed
up with state Democrats lost fall to oppose the
OCA's anti-gav righls Ballot Measure 9
Like the state party. two Republican groups active
at the University are trying to project a more mod
erate image.
The local chapter of College Republicans copes
with the problem by simply avoiding controversial
six:inl issues that may divide its broad range of mem
bers.
The recently formed Republicans for All Amer
icans hopes to unify the party under more moder
ate guidelines by attracting people from the cen
ter of the political spectrum and opposing extreme
conservatives in the party
College Republicans is a club that lias represented
the Republican Party on campuses for more than
100 years. Like the state party, the group voted not
to endorse Measure9.
But the group's president. Kim Kerbs, said the
vote did not represent an endorsement of civil rights
for homosexuals.
"There were people who felt very strongly that a
measure like this should he passed," Kerbs said,
"hut at the same time they felt very strongly that
Measure 9 was had law."
Bv keeping the debate out of the moral sphere.
Kerbs said she hoped to avoid alienating the group's
more socially conservative meinliers.
The group did not advertise the vote at recruit
ment tables, and the issue rarely came up in meet
ings.
College Republicans increased its membership
from four members before the election to about 30.
an unusually high number for a campus chapter
Though the group attracted some people because
of the stand against Measure 9, most of its members
joined after the election.
Kerbs said the group is successful mainly because
it has solid organization and increased visibility on
campus.
Kerbs has tried to avoid single-issue crusades
either for or against gay rights, arguing that the group
must represent all Republicans, including those
opposed to gay rights.
However, many Republic ans believe that strident
opposition to gay rights will hurt the growth of the
party in the long run.
Last hill. Jeff Osanka. a recent University gradu
*Only by standing against the
radical right can we hope to
persuade people.’
Jeff Osanka,
founder of Republicans for AH Americans
alt*, formed Republicans No on 9. which t hanged
its name to Republicans for All A murium.s after the
election
Throughout the elet tion campaign, his group set
up information tables around campus advertising
its opposition to Measure f) Ile said the group < ol
I acted about 70 signatures of people interested in
joining.
Non-Republit ans w ho i ante to (Kmka s table fre
quently assumed that all Republicans supported
Measure and were surprised to find mans did not
He hoped to i winter that assumption and [lersuade
conservative Democrats and Independents to
become Republicans
"Only b\ standing against the radical right can
we hope to persuade people," Osanka said "Main
people on tilis campus are Republican* in phi to*
ophv They simply don't want to assoc iate them
selves with some of the national figures they’ve
seen."
Oregon Commentator Publisher Kd Carson was
one of the memliers who joined Repuhlu ans for All
Americans after seeing Osanka s table before the
election
Carson said he was attrnt ted to Osanka s group
betause be saw it was possible to fa* a Republican
and support giy rights at the same tune .
Although a former Democrat and Independent,
after joining Osanka's group, ("arson bet aim* a
Republic an.
Carson is not a member of College Republicans,
but there is some overlap in memiiership fietwern
the two organizations. Though both groups want to
appear more moderate, they disagree aliout how to
reach tins goal.
For example. Kerbs questions whether the for
mer Republicans No on 0 should have called them
selves Republic ans lx*c ause she considered Mea
sure n to fa* a non-partisan issue
■'ll does the same thing as the OCA trying to put
out the image that all Republicans an* yes on nine.
Kerbs said "It splits the party, and I think it's bad
for the health of the party in the state
Members of Republic ans for All Americ ans like
Carson want to help shape the party of the future
They scat College Republic ans as more of a soc nil
club that represents the party as it is
"They're not trying themselves to he an element
of change," Carson said
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