"The goal of the New Texas Forum is to provide a conservative voice on college campuses and stoke a healthier political dialogue in the typically liberal university environment," said Austen Bailey, UT student and Republican Party of Texas Youth Outreach Director.
Bailey believes this new publication will be a useful tool for the Republican Party of Texas because it will provide information on issues and people committed to principles of limited government, economic freedom and the prosperity of Texas and the country as a whole. "We are unabashedly conservative, proud to have earned the support of the RPT, and ready to find more like-minded organizations to stand with us as we expand across Texas," Bailey said by e-mail.
It's not coincidental the paper is launching just over a month before the general election. Bailey confirmed the publication will be an ongoing project that will focus on political issues past the election. Bailey hopes the paper will reach out to Independents, Libertarians, Moderates, Republicans and Democrats who do not want the government reaching into people's personal lives.
"It will be mostly written by and for college students," Bailey said. "At times, there will be other writers who will contribute, but the target audience remains young voters."
Bailey thinks the paper will be an awakening for many young people who misunderstood conservative views before, or those who haven't realized they are a conservative. " It's time that a conservative voice spoke up on college campuses and educated students on what true conservatism stands for, something I believe many people over look and don't truly understand and many politicians have strayed away from," he said.
The Democratic Party of Texas does not have a similar publication. We contacted Kirsten Gray, the Texas Democratic Party's Communications Director, who says the RPT seems to have a problem with the most award-winning college newspaper in the country, "calling their publication 'an answer to the [University of Texas'] Daily Texan.'" Gray says it speaks to how far outside the mainstream Texas Republicans are marching.
Democrats don't seem concerned about the new newspaper because their views have always been about supporting policies that college students care about, according to Gray.
"Texas students, of course, are not a homogenous group politically, but the Texas Democratic Party has always been a “big tent” party – we support policies that resonate with a broad group of voters who simply want government to do its job and do it well," said Gray by e-mail.
Similar to the new paper, Democrats say they also fight for what's important to college students. But the ways they go about it aren't exactly the same. "We fight for the issues most important to college students - major priorities like cutting out-of-control tuition rates and fostering a strong economy and creating jobs so they can put their degrees to use after they graduate," Gray said.
While Bailey says the timing of New Texas Forum is "inconsequential" to the upcoming election, Democrats are confident with the path of each of their candidates on the ballot, including Democratic gubernatorial nominee Bill White, who faces Republican incumbent Gov. Rick Perry on November 2nd.
"It's just another example of how concerned the Republicans are with the serious challenge posed by Bill White and our stellar Democratic ticket," Gray said.
The New Texas Forum launched Oct. 1.
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