Mansfield and Fowler Face Off at Methodist University's Campaign Issues Forum

Over 100 Methodist University students gathered in Garber Hall Monday night to help stay informed on the issues surrounding the upcoming election.

Following a debate type forum between two local leaders in Fayetteville, the students posed questions to hear each side's view. Methodist University's
Dr. Frank Trapp, Faculty advisor for the Political Science Program served as the moderator for the evening.

Democratic party member Eric Mansfield represented the 21st Senate district as a member of the North Carolina Senate. The U.S. Army veteran,  serves on the Methodist University Board of Trustees and is a physician at Cape Fear Otolaryngology.

Republican party member Wade Fowler represents District 8 of the Fayetteville City Council served in the U.S. Air Force and is retired from the pharmaceutical industry.

While the rhetoric was friendly back and forth, both speakers were quick to correct misnomers for their party and presidential candidate backing up their argument with facts and figures.

Following each speakers eight minute spiel on issues centering around the economy and jobs that most affect the university students, they fielded around 9 questions from the crowd.

Dee Rudolph, a freshman student from Kentucky started the session off with a gee-whiz question about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) marriage, which everyone knows the stance on by the two presidential candidates. Other more pertinent questions dealt with the economy, national debt, job losses and foreign policy.

A psychology major from Seattle, Dan Neeshi asked "who owns the Federal Reserve and the role of the government"?

Charlie Mangus, a marketing major from Roanoke, NC asked "what is each candidate going to do to create jobs"?

Both Mansfield and Fowler discussed figures and both agreed that there are social issues that need fixing. The two speakers were transparent about their upbringing and how they were both humbly raised by encouraging, hard working families that in turn helped them each achieve success today.

Overall, Mansfield's words seemed to resonate the most with the university students judging by the nod of their heads throughout the event.

"We've never led from the top down, we've shared from the bottom up," said Mansfield of the Democratic party. "We the people of the U.S. move forward together."

Fowler mirrored the Republican view by giving a comparison of a student making an A in class and asked if other students should just be given that same grade, although they did not earn it.

Join the Fort Bragg Patch at Methodist University's Wednesday night presidential debate viewing party in the student center beginning at 8p.m. before the 9p.m. scheduled debate.

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