LEBANON, Sept. 24 -- Bringing his campaign to New Hampshire once again, Senate Majority Leader and presidential hopeful Bob Dole smiled, shook hands and sipped coffee while informally addressing an overflowing crowd at the Bean Gallery coffeehouse.
The Kansas Republican, who is vying for his party's nomination in the 1996 presidential election, spoke about welfare and Medicare reform and possible presidential candidate, retired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell.
Approximately 100 of Dole's supporters, a handful of whom were Dartmouth students, packed into the small coffeehouse adorned with "Dole for President" banners to hear Dole speak about what he would do if elected president.
"We believe the American people want change," Dole said. "We are trying to bring about dramatic change. I want to be President of the United States because I want to reconnect the government with the world.
Dole said that America's position as a world power has slipped since Bill Clinton assumed the presidency thirty months ago and that, as president, he would strive for the United States to reassert itself around the world.
Dole also said he would be surprised if Powell, a close friend of his, decides to run for president on the Republican ticket. But Dole said he hopes that Powell will attempt a presidential run.
Dole said the most important issues facing today's politicians are those that pertain to the nation's youth.
"America's best days lie ahead," he said. "That is why I want to balance the budget by the year 2002."
Dole called Congress's passage on Tuesday of his welfare reform legislation "a dramatic step forward" that he hopes will save Americans more than seventy billion dollars in welfare costs.
"We passed this welfare reform because we are trying to give power back to the states and to the people," he said. "This is what the founding fathers intended. We hope to let states make decisions. This will treat people better for less cost."
Dole's Work Opportunity Act gives states block grants so they can design their own welfare programs.
Dole said he hopes the success of the welfare reform legislation portends Republican victories on their other agenda items.
"This is a big, big step in the right direction," he said. "The next sixty days will be historic. We will change the face of America if we get our work done."
Dole said the welfare reform legislation can serve as a model for Medicare reform.
"We hope to do the same thing with Medicare. If we don't fix Medicare it will be broken. We need to protect and fix it," he said. "Medicare is so important to so many people. We are just as sensitive as anyone else."
Dole, a proponent of tax cuts, said right now Medicare will go broke regardless of whether or not a tax cut is implemented.
Despite his support for welfare and Medicare reform, Dole said the social security system does not need to be changed.
A member of the committee established by former President Ronald Reagan and former House Speaker Tip O'Neil, D-Mass., in 1983 to draft social security reforms, Dole said that the committee successfully rectified the program's faults.
Social security "will be in good shape for the rest of the century and probably even into the year 2020," he said.
"We fixed it, and we are out to do the same with Medicare. We hope the President will help us."
When asked if he was planning to come to Dartmouth during his presidential campaign, Dole said,"I certainly am. In 1988, I had one of my crucial debates at Dartmouth and I will definitely be there looking for volunteers" this year.
Expressing concern that the majority of America's wealth is concentrated in the hands of very few people,Paul Pusart, a New Hampshire resident, asked Dole if he had a plan to redistribute the nation's wealth during the question and answer session.
Dole proposed combating this problem by offering government incentives for small business.
"Small business is where the action is," he said. "That is why we want to lower taxes. If we can balance the budget, fight inflation and decrease the capital gains rate," it will aid the private sector.
"The ultimate in America is the private sector, not government," he said.
Pusart said he was not satisfied with the Senator's response.
"Dole did not answer my question," he said. "America is approaching a caste system. We have a disappearing middle class and cutting taxes only makes it worse."
After asking for everyone's support in the primary election, Dole slowly made his way through the crowded tables to the exit, pausing to shake hands and speak with voters.
As he left the Bean Gallery, a second rush of enthusiastic supporters greeted the Senator outside demanding pictures, autographs and handshakes.
Several brothers from the College's Alpha Delta fraternity met Dole and gave him an AD hat and took a picture of him wearing it.
Amid shouts of, "Good Luck, Bob," and "Thanks for coming and giving us a good day," Dole entered his car and left Lebanon.
Today was Dole's second visit to New Hampshire in the past week. Last Sunday he campaigned in Londonderry and in Hampton. Yesterday the Senator campaigned in Northern Michigan and Iowa.
Dole was introduced by Republican New Hampshire Congressmen Charlie Bass '74 and Bill Zeliff. Zeliff is Dole's New Hampshire Campaign.
"I believe that Dole will be the next president," Bass, who was selected to Congress in 1994, said. "He is the most qualified to lead the country into the 20th century. He has the kind of experience to lead the nation rather than follow the rest of the world."
Dole started off his remarks by saying he decided to make his address brief after recently reviewing inaugural addresses by former presidents.
"I was reading about inaugural addresses in history, just in case," Dole joked.
George Washington's address was short and Washington became one of the country's greatest presidents, Dole said, while William Henry Harrison, who gave a long speech, caught pneumonia and died shortly after assuming the presidency.
