Student representatives from four Democratic presidential campaigns traded jabs on electability, the occupation of Iraq, economic policy and healthcare at a mock Democratic debate Wednesday evening in Collis Commonground.
After recent Iowa polls showed the importance of electability to Democratic voters, Student Body President Janos Marton '04, representing Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, pointed to Kerry's surprise win in Iowa as evidence of his appeal to the working class. Jordan Kovnot '04, representing former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, said that his candidate's electability was evidenced in the similar platforms of the other Democratic candidates.
Amanda Dobbins '06, representing Gen. Wesley Clark, and Lis Smith '05, representing North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, both noted their candidates' independence from lobbyists and special interests as evidence of their electability.
While all surrogates agreed that their candidates were unhappy with the current restructuring in Iraq, each pointed out his or her candidate's unique approach to democratic reform.
Kovnot emphasized Dean's consistent stance on the war in Iraq as evidence of his candidate's convictions throughout the debate.
"I think the war was wrong, and Howard Dean stood up for that," Kovnot said.
The other representatives said that while their candidates had not fought against President Bush's actions in Iraq, they would all seek a multilateral approach to its restructuring, increasing United Nations and NATO involvement.
Kerry "would never support a war that was unilateral and never support a war without allies on board," Marton said, adding that his candidate would seek to improve economic incentives for other countries to join in the restructuring of Iraq.
The representatives also debated economic policy, tax cuts and economic revival. While Kovnot said Dean plans to repeal tax cuts across the board, the other representatives suggested more modest reforms.
Healthcare policy was also an issue in the debate. Representatives for Edwards, Dean and Clark all said their candidates would improve child health care and make health care more affordable to low-income families.
Clark's plan, according to Dobbins, would simultaneously cover more Americans and cost less than any of the other candidate's plans.
Dean's representative noted Dean's experience as a medical doctor. Dean has also made health insurance available to every child in Vermont, Kovnot said.
Marton emphasized Kerry's role in the war on AIDS.
As the debate moved to the lightning round, representatives gave short explanations of their candidates' stances on gay marriage and civil unions, campaign finance, gun control and drug laws.
Clark, Kerry and Dean all support civil unions, while Edwards supports state regulation of such laws, their representatives said.
As for drug control, focusing on big criminals and violent offenders, as well as improving treatment and rehabilitation plans, were common themes among the representatives. When asked about their candidates' use of marijuana, all except Dobbins said that their candidates had smoked pot.
The debate was moderated by Young Democrats President Paul Heintz '06, and cosponsored by Young Democrats, the Rockefeller Center, the 2006 Class Council, Student Assembly, Campus Greens, the Dartmouth Free Press and The Dartmouth.
