Daily Mississippian

Media Credit: Jamie Johnson ASB president Graham Purcell listens to Sen. Thad Cochran speak with student representatives during a Sunday afternoon lunch in the Depot. Chip Pickering was also in attendance.

With the presidential debate only a few months away, Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., and Rep. Chip Pickering, R-Miss., had lunch in the Old Oxford Depot with a group of students to discuss the upcoming election and to address questions concerning Mississippi and the country as a whole.

The lunch was a part of an ongoing series sponsored by the Presidential Debate Student Steering Committee, the Lott Leadership Institute and the Sally McDonnell Barkesdale Honors College. The series is designed to prepare the campus for the presidential debate on Sept. 26.

Pickering spoke first and compared the important upcoming debate to that of the Lincoln v. McClellan presidential election of 1864.

The 1864 election was similar to the present election in that it focused heavily on war, Pickering said. During the election, Lincoln remained pro-war, while McClellan and his supporters promised peace and negotiation. Lincoln committed to the war in the belief that it was the correct course of action.

"This November that decision and this election, of what policy we are going to pursue, just like in 1864, is going to be one of the largest issues," Pickering said. "As you look at the parallels in history and the presidential debate that we are going to be seeing at this time you realize that our history has been shaped never by withdrawing."

Cochran touched on the importance of the debate for the image of the university.

"I tried to be the first one to call Robert Khayat when I found out that the university had been chosen to host a debate," Cochran said.

"I think I was second. It's an exciting opportunity for all of you. Hopefully you can get us a seat. I know that the university will be favorably viewed and respected because of the debate," he said.

Cochran said two major issues will surround the upcoming election.

"The two most important issues are peace and prosperity," he said. "That's it. It's all encompassing: economic policy, taxation, being able to compete successfully in a global marketplace, rules, regulations, antitrust laws that create competition and whatever should be done to ensure peace. Doesn't sound like a lot, but it covers everything."

Students should consider those factors if given the chance to question the candidates, he said.

The representative and senator then split up to take turns fielding questions from the students about issues ranging from social security to which measures should be taken to keep students in Mississippi from leaving the state after graduation.

Afterward, the two speakers were each given a set of the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture books as a token of appreciation for their time.

This dinner was open to the public and was the fourth in the series.

Claire Graves, a member of the Presidential Debate Student Steering Committee, said she was not sure when or if there will be another installment of the speaker series.

Past speakers have included former Mississippi Govs. Ronnie Musgrove and Ray Mabus as well as Oxford Mayor Richard Howorth.

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