Presidential Q-and-A, Part V

Coach Kathy Kemper’s interviews with the leading presidential contenders — of which the following is the final installment — took place in March of 2008. The interviews were conducted in person and via e-mail and hand-written responses by Kemper in collaboration with Institute for Education interns Alex Burness and Kelsey Valentine.

How do you plan to attract young voters?

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.): Young voters all over the country are actively engaged in my campaign. They are the backbone of our field operation, they have started groups at their colleges and high schools, and they are working hard to spread the word about my campaign. They are the best advocates I have in reaching out to other young people.

But I’ve also focused a lot on policies that will help young people — from my plan to make college more affordable and accessible to all young people to my plan to create a strategic energy fund to address global warming while creating new jobs. Over the last seven years, young people have continued to fight hard on all the issues they care about — global warming, the genocide in Darfur and healthcare — but their efforts have fallen on deaf ears in this administration. As I travel across the country, I make sure to remind young people that their efforts will not be lost on me, should I become president. Young people will have a voice in my administration.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.): I frequent “The Daily Show,” Letterman, Leno [and] MTV town halls to communicate.

What is your stance on nuclear power?

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.): I believe we need to explore ways to ensure that nuclear power is used and disposed of safely before we can make it a real part of our energy future. I’m a stronger proponent of renewable energy sources like wind, solar and biofuels as the best way to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

Kathy Kemper is founder and CEO of the Institute for Education, a nonprofit foundation that recognizes and promotes leadership and civility locally, nationally and in the world community.