Despite the national media coverage of the N.H. primary and visits by many Oval Office hopefuls to Hanover, most students contacted by the Dartmouth yesterday said they were not closely following the race.
With the strategic importance of this state's primary, Dartmouth students have been able to see most of the major contenders during campaign visits to Hanover, with the notable exception of Republican frontrunner Texas Governor George W. Bush.
However, many students interviewed yesterday said that they were not impressed by the political show, nor have they had much personal involvement with the campaigns.
Of the 30 students interviewed, only two were planning to vote in one of the upcoming presidential primaries.
"This is an average presidential election and there are a sorry lot of candidates," Constantine Vetoshev '03 said.
"Politics isn't my thing," said one sophomore, "In fact, who exactly is [Democratic contender and former Senator] Bill Bradley?"
Still most students said they planned to vote in the national elections in November and predicted that, most likely, the presidential race would be between Democrat Vice President Al Gore and Bush.
In the short run, most students predicted that N.H. Republicans would vote for Bush, while state Democrats would nominate Gore.
"Bush and Gore have name recognition," Allison Lange '01 said, adding that they were both most likely to win the actual party nomination.
"Gore is competent and hasn't really made any major mistakes. The Democrats aren't going to deprive him what they see as his right," Allison Schumitsch '02 said.
Other students said that Bush's immense fundraising success and his recent win at the Iowa caucus would give him the edge.
Only one student predicted a primary result that was not a Bush victory.
"[Arizona Senator John] McCain has visibility and dedication and commitment to New Hampshire," Mark Stein '00 said. However, Stein said, the national Republican nominee will still be Bush.
In October, the College was host to the first major debates of the primary season -- one night featured the Democratic contenders Gore and Bradley , while the next evening, McCain, Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah -- who dropped out of the running following the Iowa caucuses Monday -- former Ambassador Alan Keyes, publisher Steve Forbes and former Reagan administration official Gary Bauer took the stage for the Republican debate.
Since then, Dartmouth students have also had the opportunity to speak with Tipper Gore, the Vice-President's wife, Dave Debuscherre, a former teammate of ex-basketball player Bradley and Senator Rob Portman '78, a Bush supporter.
In addition, McCain, who spoke in Alumni Hall the night of the Iowa caucuses, is scheduled to make his sixth appearance at the College this coming Monday.
