Before the four presidential Montgomery Fellows delivered their "Power and the Presidency" panel discussion yesterday, The Dartmouth caught up with them to discuss issues surrounding the 2000 Presidential campaign.
Michael Beschloss, Edmund Morris, David Maraniss and Ben Bradlee, who all visited campus last year as Montgomery Fellows, returned to the College for a panel presentation focusing on the politics of the Oval Office.
In the interview, the Fellows primarily discussed the Republican candidates, who have drawn more attention than the Democrats with the recent Arizona, Michigan and South Carolina primaries.
"One of the features of the Republican party is that it always coronates the next in line, and the most fascinating event in the election so far is the possibility that won't happen," Maraniss said.
Bradlee told The Dartmouth that for the first time in quite a while, the outcome of the Republican race is still up in the air -- and who will receive the party nomination is seriously in doubt.
"This is a great election because of the real rump race going on, and nobody knows if the establishment figure is going to be kicked over in both parties," Bradlee said.
Morris drew parallels between the current Republican race and the nomination of 1976, noting that McCain is in a similar position as was Ronald Reagan, challenging the favorite, Gerald Ford.
Reagan had a surprise win in South Carolina and overnight transformed himself into a serious possibility for the nomination, according to Morris. He then followed up with big wins in Texas and Florida, and came very close to unseating Ford, both a likely nominee and a sitting president.
Morris speculated, "I'm sure McCain identifies greatly with Ronald Reagan and is thinking about '76 right now."
One Fellow mentioned the rumor that Mrs. Reagan is set to endorse McCain.
"McCain has always been a protg for Reagan, and Nancy will do anything to show up the Bushes," Morris said, prompting a few chuckles from the others.
The primary blitz
With the primary season in full swing and Super Tuesday approaching, the Fellows offered their opinions on the current primary system and how it has affected this year's nomination race to date.
While Maraniss defended the open primary, Bradlee raised the question of whether a regional primary could substitute.
"The idea of having more and more primaries just appalls me," Bradlee said.
Maraniss responded saying regional primaries tend to produce an airport campaign.
Beschloss contributed the most to this discussion, and said he favored returning to the nominating process before the 1970s, which was characterized by fewer primaries.
"In general, I would like to see fewer primaries and more of a hybrid combination of some states having conventions, some states having caucus and some states having primaries," Beschloss said. "The reason for that is each device tests the candidate in a different way."
While a primary challenges a candidate's ability to raise a lot of money, to appear on television, and to increase name identification, a caucus requires strong organization. Beschloss also said a state convention checks the popularity among party leaders and office holders.
"Under the old system, John McCain would have had a very hard time coming to the surface because he's not terribly popular with senators," Bechloss said. "The governors would side with George W. Bush -- it would have been a coronation and not a real race."
Beschloss added that New Hampshire was instrumental for McCain because it provided a setting in which he reached voters individually or in town meetings without the expenditure of much money or TV ads.
The state of presidential fundraising, especially Bush's unprecedented war chest, in the 2000 campaign quickly became a topic of discussion.
"I hope against hope that what we're seeing may possibly be a revulsion on the part of the American people against too much money," Morris said. "[People] don't want to be bought anymore, $70 million dollars is too much."
That comment elicited responses from the other Fellows, with Bradlee questioning how much money is too much and Maraniss citing other factors for McCain's popularity.
Maraniss said reaction to McCain's personality has fueled his popularity while not much substance lies behind Bush's money.
"He's sculpted largely out of money. He's not a real person," Morris said. "Politically, McCain is a real person with all the sharp edges."
Young people in politics
The record turnout witnessed in the primaries to date has partially been attributed to first-time, younger voters.
Candidates who represent the counter-establishment like McCain, former Sen. Bill Bradley and Gov. Jesse Ventura have the ability to rally young voters, Maraniss said.
Nonetheless, ever since the voting age was lowered to 18 in 1971, young people generally have not exercised their right.
Morris said one exception to that trend was Reagan, who "was a magnet to young people, attracting young people like flies, particularly in 1984."
Morris said there has been a resurgence of young people in politics since 1984, before which time they were more cynical.
"Reagan made politics kosher again," he said. "It was okay to be patriotic. It was okay to vote. It was okay to be conservative."
The Fellows also shared a few bits of advice with aspirants in politics and journalism on how to initiate their involvement.
Bradlee suggested going into journalism because it is easier to start there. After journalism, he said, one can then move into the political sphere like Vice President Al Gore did.
He said being a persistent worker is one way to enter the political domain, but that the job is "sterile and it's not getting your hands the right kind of dirty."
Morris said while 30 to 40 years ago the study of law was almost essential for a politician, times have changed so that today understanding journalism and public perception is much more important than law.
In Reagan's White House, "I remember how much time was devoted to discussing how policy was going to play in tomorrow's Post. It became the large consideration," Morris said.
Bradlee echoed that sentiment, stressing the ability for a candidate to understand communication, the art of spin and other techniques to handle the media.
"Today, if you plan a sophisticated media campaign that goes awry, it's a disaster."
Beschloss is best known for his works on Eisenhower and Kennedy, and is also prominent in the news as a commentator for PBS's "News Hour with Jim Lehrer" and ABC News.
Reagan expert and biographer Morris also received the Pulitzer Prize for "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt."
Journalist and former executive editor of The Washington Post, Bradlee led the newspaper and the nation through The Watergate controversy.
Maraniss, another distinguished journalist for The Washington Post, won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 1993 and is the author of the Clinton biography, "First in his Class."
