Students and professors watching last night's presidential debates generally agreed that candidate Bob Dole failed to pull off an appearance that would help him gain much-needed ground in the polls.
About 200 people gathered in the Rockefeller Center and Silsby Hall to watch President Bill Clinton and Dole debate live on CNN.
Throughout the hour-and-a-half long debate the audience reacted openly, shaking their heads, applauding or groaning in response to candidates' remarks.
Most audience members agreed that because Dole is presently trailing in the polls, it was necessary for him to surpass Clinton's performance in the debate while the president just had to maintain an even keel.
"Dole had to surpass the performance of Bill Clinton and I don't think he did," Government Professor Catherine Shapiro said.
Freshman David Gacioch said he felt neither candidate came out a clear winner.
"Dole needed to win this one. My candidate, Clinton, didn't win either. He made some points, but avoided some questions," Gacioch said.
Government Professor Constantine Spilliotes said that because of his position in the presidential race Clinton "didn't have a reason to go out on a limb. He kept his testiness in check. He was very controlled."
Robert Tichio '99, Daniel Webster Legal Society intern, said he did not foresee any changes in the polls as a result of the debate.
"I was impressed with the content of the debate. But towards the end, the rhetoric was repetitive, but good solid points for both," Tichio said.
"I don't think Dole improved his position and he needed an outstanding performance but unfortunately he failed," he said.
Brian Reilly '99, president of the Young Democrats, agreed that the debates did not give voters many new issues to consider.
"The candidates were moderate with their proposals. Dole showed some light in the beginning," Reilly said. "At the end, [Dole] was a bitter old man. Clinton came off as a slickster, which shouldn't hurt him in the polls too much. No candidate won." Government Professor Richard Winters said audience perception of the candidates as well as the debate's content is important.
"There weren't any particular surprises. Issue-wise, it was a stand-off. Stylistically, the President has personal qualities most voters find attractive," Winters said. "I was bothered by the Dole presentation. It upsets me. It detracts powerfully from his message."
But Winters said if a transcript were consulted, Dole would have come out ahead in his responses.
"I think Dole did a fantastic job. In the head-to-head confrontation, he did very well. There was an astounding amount of vacuousness on the President's part and Dole had crispness," he said.
Jake Shields '99, Rockefeller Student Council intern, said Dole's personal performance picked up as the debate progressed.
"Bob Dole started out very badly. He looked scared, nervous, tired and old. He improved during the debate, especially with a lot of the jokes. He was arguing better later on," he said. "Clinton wasn't as good as I expected."
Vice President of the Conservative Union At Dartmouth Scott Rowekamp '97 said he felt Dole did a good job.
"The fact of the matter is he's not a good speaker. He is not as eloquent as Clinton," Rowekamp said. "He did well in defining the issues and exposing the differences in the republican and liberal philosophies."
Noreen Nilan '99, Women in Politics intern, said Clinton seemed composed and relaxed in comparison.
"Dole seemed shaky, perhaps because of his position in the polls. He had a little more at stake," she said. "As I was watching Dole's behavior, it confirmed what I thought. He avoided personal attacks on Clinton, yet he was still able to get in a few zingers, like on Whitewater and the fact that Clinton didn't address Bush as Mr. President in the 1992 debates."
Because of the large number of students who attended the debate, Safety and Security officers were called to open rooms in Silsby Hall for overflow viewers.
Tichio wrote in an e-mail message that the three student interns, including himself, Nilan and Shields were "really excited to see the amount of students who came to see the debate and it illustrated the genuine interests of Dartmouth students in politics."
Chad Berkowitz '00 said it was great to be able to view the debates in the Rockefeller Center.
