A Republican and a Democrat shared the stage to make the case for their favorite presidential candidates at a forum for South Carolina State University students last night.

State Rep. Bakari Sellers, D-Denmark, and S.C. Republican Party National Executive Committeeman Glenn McCall spoke on behalf on Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain, addressing issues such as the economy and education.

McCall, the first African American to hold the GOP post, said while he is proud of Obama’s accomplishment, he can’t vote for him because of his liberal ideology.

Meanwhile, Sellers, the youngest member of the S.C. General Assembly at 23, said he believes Obama can repair America’s stature around the globe.

The tone of the forum was friendly, but their views contrasted sharply on the issue of public education.

McCall favors creating a pilot program in one area of the state to assess all school choice options, including private schools.

Sellers said the high schools he represents in Bamberg County have failed to meet No Child Left Behind standards and fall below the state average for SAT scores.

“Where are the choices?” Sellers asked. Sellers also said low-income families are not able to drive their children to schools that are far away.

McCall countered by saying infrastructure could be created to shuttle those children to a higher-performing school. Such a move would also create a market-based sense of competition between schools, he said.

Sellers said school choice diverted the argument from where it should be: making every school in the state a quality school.

McCall said that McCain’s accomplishments in government far outweigh Obama’s.

“You can’t tell me three major accomplishments that Obama has had,” McCall said.

Sellers said a McCain administration would be a carbon copy of President George W. Bush’s administration. He said only Obama can bring about the change American needs.

The duo also took humorous shots at the candidates.

Sellers referred to Obama’s visit to Germany this summer where 200,000 people assembled to watch him speak.

“Somebody forgot to tell Obama those 200,000 people don’t vote here,” McCall said.

Earlier in the forum, Sellers took a break from discussing the struggling economy to ask McCall directly if President Bush is calling the situation a recession yet.

“No,” McCall replied.

Both discussed the issue of the economy, which has become the central issue of the campaign season.

The two disagreed on the role government should play in regulating the economy.

McCall, a vice president at Bank of America, said private investment can save the economy, noting that his company purchased Merrill Lynch when it was on the verge of bankruptcy.

He also pointed to the failure of government-sponsored agencies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Sellers said the issue started when companies began giving loans to unqualified people.

“Somebody has to stop that. ... We need regulators in the market,” he said.

The forum was sponsored by the S.C. State Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity as part of their voter registration drive this week.

n T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can be reached by e-mail at ltant@times anddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-534-1060. Discuss this and other stories at TheTandD.com.

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