Republican presidential candidate Sen. Bob Dole's visit to the College Saturday morning drew a hail storm of opinions from students who gathered on Alpha Delta fraternity's lawn to hear the 72-year-old politician speak.
While some students said they supported the Kansas Republican's statements, others said they felt his speech was void of significance.
Most students at the rally seemed dazzled by Dole's ability to talk candidly. The crowd around AD's front porch, where Dole delivered his speech, cheered loudly. Many waved "Dole '96" placards in the air, obstructing the view of cameramen from as many as 15 national news organizations.
"I felt he was more charismatic than [Phil] Gramm, [Lamar] Alexander or [Pat] Buchanan," Kristin Canavan '97 said.
"But at the same time I felt belittled," Canavan said. "I felt like he was talking down to us by passing over issues that are central to the campaign. I really wish he had focused on issues and realized that we were an audience of voters who wanted to be informed."
Many students said they felt Dole failed to explain why people should vote for him. But supporters of Dole said he should not have been expected to get down to the nitty-gritty details of the way he would run the government.
"Sometimes its not appropriate to talk about specific issues," Sean Cunningham '97 said. "Today's specific issues are often not tomorrow's specific issues. Balancing the budget was the much broader issue Dole tried to speak about. The deficit question has a much broader impact on our generation than specific issues do."
Many students took issue with Dole's anecdotes about fraternity life, his open association with AD brothers and with what one person called the "baby food" quality of his rhetoric.
"I thought it was kind of humorous that he was trying to appeal to Dartmouth students with references to 'Animal House,'" Matt Giger '96 said. "I thought it seemed pretty ridiculous."
Some spectators expressed dismay that AD was representing Dartmouth by hosting a presidential candidate and his entourage of media.
"If he's going to come speak, that's fine," Miranda Johnson '97 said, "but I think he should do it in a place that has more neutral standing on campus than AD."
Johnson carried a placard for "People for the American Way," a non-partisan public interest group that tries to expose the influence of the religious-right on primary candidates like Dole.
"I think it's a real irony that someone who claims to promote family values and wants to make America a better place is speaking at a house that is known for raping women, for drunken debauchery and for drinking until you're sick," Johnson said after Dole's speech.
As Johnson criticized AD and Dole's visit, AD brother Geoffrey Garinger '97 stood behind her and rolled his eyes in disbelief.
"I thought it was a rather harsh characterization," he said of Johnson's remark. "That is just the stereotype people would like to believe really goes on here.
"What was important about Dole coming to AD today, was that it was an opportunity for us to get involved in the political process," Garinger said. "Whether or not AD represents what Bob Dole thinks, is for other people to decide."
Sarah Dinwoodey '99 said Dole's visit "definitely indicates that he wants to reach out to the youth and college students," she said. "Speaking at a frat would be an appropriate way to do that."
Some spectators felt Dole's comments implicitly affirmed a part of the College's culture they are not proud of.
"I think it's pretty sad that this is going to be the picture the rest of the country is going to be getting of Dartmouth through the national media," Sean Donahue '97 said. Donahue stood with a group of protesters during the speech and carried a placard attacking Republican policies.
"To me, AD represents a lot of what's worst about the College in terms of its being an exclusive place, an all-male place and a place that's associated with some pretty irresponsible behavior," Donahue said.
Jonathan Meyers '96 said, "I don't think it's a fair representation of Dartmouth, but its not an unusual one."
Other members of the audience did not disapprove of Dole's visiting a fraternity.
"Will people think Bob Dole's a frat-boy?" Jim Brennan '96 said. "No, I don't think so. He's a senator. He's the Senate majority leader. If he was speaking from the porch of the dining hall people wouldn't think he was a chef. So, I think he looks okay."
"Fraternities are part of Dartmouth," Brennan said. "I think the most important thing is that all the candidates come to Dartmouth during the campaign season. Any way they can get here, I think is good for the College."
Student Assembly President and AD brother Jim Rich '96 agreed. "I don't think it was a specific choice to have AD be the spot," he said. He said Dole picked the house only because AD brother Porter Montgomery '96 worked on Dole's campaign.
"I think we could have had it at Sigma Epsilon, Sigma Nu, Collis or Webster" Hall, Rich said. "It wouldn't have mattered."
"We would still get the same turnout," he said. "I don't even know if they came out to see Sen. Dole. They came to see about MTV and voting and it's good to see students rallying around these issues."
