Two weeks after the Jan. 27 New Hampshire primary, a group of students has alleged that a member of the College administration placed a phone call leading to the cancellation of a student-organized Democratic presidential candidate roundtable discussion.
According to Kabir Sehgal '05, communications director of BuzzFlood and chief organizer of the event, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry's campaign received a phone call on Friday, Jan. 23 from someone at the College urging the campaign to reconsider their attendance. Sehgal had the confirmation of the seven other candidates at the time.
According to Sehgal, a Kerry campaign official told Buzzflood the candidate would not attend because "Dartmouth says it isn't sanctioning the event."
The Rockefeller Center is responsible for planning and coordinating political events sponsored by the campus, and Director Linda Fowler said that no such call was made by her or Rocky.
This cancellation was the latest in a long line of difficulties in planning the event, from candidates withdrawing support, disagreements regarding invited candidates and changes in the format.
Although Sehgal and Noah Riner '06, vice president of Student Assembly, said that the event was independently financed through Student Assembly and did not need the approval of the College, they felt the event would lose its effectiveness without the frontrunner's cooperation. They cancelled the event altogether later that night.
The discussion, entitled "Healing America," was to be held in the Lebanon Opera House at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 25, with a panel of experts including former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop '37 and Martin Luther King III. Norman Ornstein, Director of the American Enterprise Institute, was to serve as moderator.
All eight candidates still in the race at that time confirmed their attendance, and several media outlets also expressed their willingness to carry the event. The school-sponsored Lifetime/ABC women's issues forum held the afternoon of Jan. 25 featured former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich.
Student Assembly planned to bus students free-of-charge from campus to the event, Riner said. Donkeys were secured to greet students as they walked into the event, and a cappella groups were in discussion to sing the national anthem. According to Student Assembly Treasurer Adam Small '04, the buses were to cost $675 and the Opera House $600, which was to come out of the Student Assembly accounts. According to Riner, Student Assembly volunteers were to act as ushers, the Lebanon Police Department was to provide security outside the event free-of-charge and the Opera House agreed to provide lighting and technical support.
Traditionally, political events of such kind, intended to be broadcast live, require special lighting, especially if not sponsored by a media organization, which Sehgal never secured.
The event was not going to have a media filing room in order to keep the event as a roundtable discussion and to distance itself from traditional political debates, Sehgal said. The format was to be a roundtable discussion and not a traditional debate, featuring opinions from panelists and a fluid pace. While most political debates concentrate on soundbites and the horserace aspect of politics, Sehgal said the planned event was intended to truly address the issues.
Student Assembly President Janos Marton '04 said he was en route to the Opera House with payment for the event when he heard the debate was effectively canceled. According to Riner, Student Assembly was planning an emergency meeting the night on Jan. 23 to announce the event to the school.
The Opera House would have seated roughly 600 students, who were to be dressed in matching green shirts. In comparison, the women's issues debate in Moore Theatre gave tickets to less than 70 students.
The organizers concentrated on the positive aspects of organizing the event. There is no question they are upset, especially because of the time spent planning, which they described as a fifth or sixth class. Riner called the cancellation "hurtful." Although the organizers were careful not to criticize the school, Sehgal looked to the fact that it was a student-run event as a reason for resistance from the College.
"In our minds this was always a student-led, BuzzFlood-led activity," Sehgal said. "I think that's where the hold-up was, because some administrators might have had problems with that."
Despite the setback, the organizers said they continued to push candidates to attend the Lifetime women's issues debate. Even before the cancellation of Healing America, Sehgal said that he was promoting both events, even though they both were to be held on the same day.
"From our end of the table at least there was never an us versus them attitude," Riner said.
PLANNING DIFFICULTIES
BuzzFlood and Student Assembly had clashed with the Rockefeller Center in the past over a proposed debate.
BuzzFlood's idea for a debate originated in their executive meetings in July 2003. BuzzFlood originally tried to arrange a healthcare-related debate moderated by Koop in conjunction with the Rockefeller Center, but that was cancelled in September 2003 after several candidates pulled out.
Their second idea, approved by Koop and the Rockefeller Center, was a roundtable discussion "Healing America Head to Toe" in partnership with the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy, a New York based progressive think tank whose name originated with a Martin Luther King, Jr. saying.
According to Sehgal, the Drum Institute prepared a list of candidates, which included the fringe candidate Lyndon LaRouche, who has not been included in any other Democratic debates. Sehgal said that the College sent out the invitation letters off the list provided by the Drum Institute.
Fowler said that after Sehgal could not provide a reason why LaRouche was invited to the event, she became more skeptical of the probability of the event happening.
Sehgal said he does not believe in denying a candidate the right to speak, even though he described LaRouche as a "wacko" candidate.
"If we believe in free speech, why not have everyone come," Sehgal said.
Fowler said that Sehgal never provided the information and was too vague about the proposed debate in regard to candidates and media so that she could not commit the school to sanction it, especially after the LaRouche invitation.
"Sehgal never provided enough information to give me the confidence to go forward," Fowler said.
She stressed that she had no knowledge of the planned Lebanon event, and that her communication with Sehgal ended after winter break.
Sehgal and Riner said they maintained secrecy in an attempt to keep the amount of people involved to a minimum in order to reduce confusion.
After the second incarnation of the event was cancelled, BuzzFlood partnered with Student Assembly in early January and decided to move their event off-campus. Student Assembly agreed to co-sponsor the event with the Drum Institute, and found the Lebanon Opera House a suitable location.
The organizers, and especially Sehgal, used their personal political connections with former and current politicians and staff to advance their cause, including even a former President.
Dean, the frontrunner at the time, did not want to recommit to the roundtable, so Sehgal flew to Plains, Ga., on Jan. 19, where the former governor was meeting with former President Jimmy Carter to confirm Dean's attendance.
Koop, a strong supporter of the event, suffered a heart attack Friday and is in the hospital unavailable for comment. According to Sehgal, Koop allowed BuzzFlood to use his name in any correspondence with campaigns.
Sehgal said he looks to the general election as an another chance to bring a debate to Dartmouth.
