Students, faculty and New Hampshire residents exchanged their conflicting political views on Bruce DuMont's nationally syndicated radio show, "Beyond the Beltway with Bruce DuMont," which was broadcast live from the Collis Center last night.
A rotating group of participants discussed the results of the latest WMUR-Dartmouth poll, Republican presidential candidate Patrick Buchanan's recent success in the Iowa primary, the feasibility of each of the republican nominees and the anger which currently prevails among voters.
Director of the Rockefeller Center for the Social Sciences Linda Fowler discussed the results of the latest WMUR-Dartmouth poll which was released on Friday. The poll found Buchanan and Kansas Sen. Bob Dole R-Kan. tied for the lead
President of the Conservative Union at Dartmouth Isaac Thorne '96 said he was amazed at the level of involvement" of NH residents in the primary.
When asked by DuMont why he was a democrat, David Ware '98, a member of the Young Democrats at Dartmouth, said "Government has a positive role to play in people's lives."
The next topic of debate focused on Buchanan's recent successes in the Iowa Caucus and the WMUR-Dartmouth poll.
Mary Meade, a scupltor from Warren, N.H. said she supports Forbes because, "I am for change ... If Buchanan wins I am going to put a bag over my head.
"My biggest problem with Buchanan," Meade said, "is that he tends to blame everyone else. The blame game is his biggest problem."
Jim Brennan '96, Vice-President of CUAD, said he supports Lamar Alexander because he is the only candidate who can beat Clinton in the general election.
"Buchanan is too extreme and Dole is too old," he said.
DuMont asked the panelists why they thought a feeling of anger seemed to pervade among voters.
Brennan said voters are unhappy because they have not had a president "that have inspired them since Ronald Reagan."
Government Professor Thomas Nicols said the candidates play to the anger of the American people. He said the candidates, in particular Forbes and Buchanan "bring out the worst in voters."
He said their advertisements portray Washington politicians as though they were in the same camp as child molesters.
Government Professor Constantine Spiliotes said studies show that voters clearly do respond to negative advertisements.
