Shame on you, Rock the Vote. Last Monday you put an insert in The Lantern with the supposedly benign intention of informing the average college student about the two presidential candidates. More importantly, you presented the insert as a non-partisan and unbiased view of John McCain and Barack Obama, even deciding to head the insert with the Fox News-esque “You Decide. You Vote.”

However, the primary difference between you and Fox News is that the overwhelming majority of politically conscious students know that Fox News is skewed right, while the average college student thinks that your goal is simply to “get out the vote.” I was of the same opinion until I read through your insert and saw that not only was it pro-Obama, but that it tried to hide your bias behind carefully-worded “facts.”

Your Web site states that “Rock the Vote’s mission is to engage and build the political power of young people in order to achieve progressive change in our country.” To me, this statement exposed you as a liberally biased group. But unfortunately, there are many students that have not yet realized that the word “progressive” is a code-word for “liberal.” You go on to say “Rock the Vote uses music, popular culture and new technologies to engage and incite young people to register and vote in every election.” This latter statement reflects how most students view you. Its silliness as an objective is another column.

Realizing that most students thought you were a group that just hoped to increase young voter participation, you encouraged this misconception by presenting an insert that appears (at least to the politically unaware student) to be unbiased. But let us look at some of your “facts.”

The insert states that “McCain opposes [and Obama supports] the Employee Free Choice Act, which gives workers the right to form a union and bargain for better pay, health care and working conditions.” You leave out that opponents point out that workers already have the right to form a union, and that this act would eliminate the secret ballot and open up workers to intimidation both by corporations and by labor bosses.

You also say that “McCain stated that it would be ‘fine with me’ if America were in Iraq for 100 years.” You fail to include the beginning of that sentence, which is “As long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed.”

On abortion, the insert states, “McCain believes Roe v. Wade, the court decision upholding a woman’s right to choose, should be overturned.” Right to choose? That is as biased as calling it the “right of a fetus to live.”

It is not hard to make a fairly unbiased voter’s guide. The League of Women’s voters did a decent job, so did OnTheIssues.org. Hell, even The New York Times managed to do it. All you have to do is use full, official quotes from the candidates.

When the next election comes around, either expose yourself as liberally biased or leave us students the hell alone. The politicians do a good enough job at deceiving us. They don’t need your help.

And you spelled energy wrong.

Travis Schulze is a senior in international relations. He can be reached at [email protected].