After two terms of primary activity, two candidates, Bill Clinton and Lamar Alexander, have proven they deserve their parties' nomination for the presidency.
Clinton, who is essentially running unopposed, has proven his leadership on both the international and domestic fronts over the past four years.
Alexander served as Governor of Tennessee and Secretary of Education and has the political experience necessary to run the country. Unlike his Republican opponents he has chosen education as a top domestic priority. He supports the radical idea of dissolving the Department of Education, allocating educational funds to the individual states and mobilizing community members to take active roles in their state's education.
During his tenure, Alexander improved Tennessee's economy, making it the second largest auto producing state in the country.
While Alexander is a political insider, he is a Washington outsider. His distance from the capitol allows him to maintain perspective, but his political experiences have shown he can effectively manage a bureaucracy.
While Pat Buchanan worked in the Nixon administration, his lack of political experience hinders his chances of success as president. His economic protectionism and disinterest in assisting economically faltering countries demonstrate his lack of international leadership. His alleged ties to anti-Semitic and racist groups and his vocal sexist comments make him unable to represent all citizens of the country.
On the other end of the spectrum, Senator Bob Dole, with 36 years of congressional experience, has an unrealistic vision for the United States approaching the turn of the century. He demonstrated this lack of vision when he spoke condescendingly to Dartmouth students and community members. He focused his comments more on his fraternity days rather than relevant youth-related issues such as the rising costs of education. Additionally, his reluctance to compromise during the budget negotiation process demonstrates his general inability to work with others and respond to public demands.
Despite Steve Forbes' more than $ 18 million campaign, his lack of political experience caused him to resort to participating in the recent string of excessively negative campaign ads. While his economic experience cannot be challenged, his flat tax proposal is impractical because it would overburden the country's poor.
The past six months have been exciting ones for the College. Candidates have visited the Upper Valley, using Dartmouth as a tool to voice their messages. It is now time for members of the College community to voice their opinions. The future of the country depends on improving educational opportunities for all citizens. Bill Clinton and Lamar Alexander are the best candidates to promote this vision.
