Democratic campaign managers come to Tufts

The campaign managers of six of the Democratic presidential hopefuls gathered at Tufts yesterday to promote political discussion and activism.

The panel included members of the presidential campaigns of Dennis Kucinich, Howard Dean, John Edwards, Richard Gephardt, John Kerry and Joseph Lieberman. A representative from Bob Graham's campaign was also present, even though Graham announced Monday that he would no longer run.

Panelists encouraged students to take part in the New Hampshire campaigns. New Hampshire's Democratic presidential primary -- the first in the nation -- is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 27. Although the state is small, candidates focus significant effort there with the hope that a victory in New Hampshire will help them secure their party's nomination. Kucinich volunteer Terry O'Brien said New Hampshire's diverse population made campaigning there remarkable.

"New Hampshire is an amazing experience," he said. "We really encourage you to just go up there and check it out."

Colin Van Ostern, who works as the press secretary for Edwards' New Hampshire campaign, said interactions with politicians are unscripted in that state. "There is something incredibly important about New Hampshire," he said. "It would be a real shame for our democracy to lose that."

Former New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen, who is teaching a class at the Experimental College, helped organize the panel to introduce students to the processes of political activism. She also moderated the discussion.

Shaheen, who was recently named the national chair of Kerry's campaign, said she hoped students would become more involved in the political process after hearing the panelists' insights.

Students asked the panelists about the strength of the party in the upcoming elections.

Van Ostern explained that the Democrats lacked a strong party leader during the 2000 presidential election. An audience member asked if the plethora of democratic candidates indicated a lack discipline. Van Ostern stressed that the Party needs to augment its base by standing behind a strong leader and a sending a unified message.

"This is not a question of discipline. It is a question of leadership," he said. "We're really looking for a leader right now."

Panelists suggested Arnold Schwarzenegger's victory in the California recall election suggested a need for more attention to public opinion.

"The Democratic Party needs to become a party that doesn't just tell people what they believe," O'Brien said. "It needs to listen to what the people want."

Michael King, Dean's New Hampshire political advisor, referred to "a powerful force out there of people who are actively seeking change." The Democratic Party should listen to these individuals and motivate people to get involved, he said.

Mary Smith, a junior and University College Scholar, organized the panel as part of a yearlong project through the University College (formerly known as the University College of Citizenship and Public Service) to increase political awareness.

"We wanted to get more students talking about politics because [they] can be a great mobilizing source [for political change]," Smith said.

The event allowed panelists to recruit support for their campaigns, while also offering students a chance to learn more about the candidates, Smith said. Panelists also learned more about students' concerns.

About 80 students attended the event in Cabot auditorium.

"This just provides further evidence of how strong [Tufts students'] interest in citizenship and politics really is," Dean of the University College Robert Hollister said.

The latest poll results suggest that Dean is the front-running Democrat in New Hampshire. The poll by American Research Group of Manchester, NH, showed former Vermont Governor Dean. He leads Massachusetts Sen. Kerry, 29 percent to 19 percent. The remaining candidates, including newcomer Wesley Clark, were in the single digits. Undecided voters represented 29 percent of those polled.

Dean held a ten-point lead over Kerry in the group's September poll.

Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri and Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut received six percent support, Clark five percent and Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina three percent. Carol Moseley Braun and Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio were at one percent and Al Sharpton zero percent.

While nine in ten in the poll said they were aware of Clark, almost half of the sample said they don't know enough about him to form an opinion. Clark, the retired Army general, was at two percent in the September poll.

Almost two-thirds in the poll, 63 percent, had favorable opinions of Dean and Kerry.

The poll of 600 Democrats and independents who say they are likely to vote in the Democratic primary was conducted Oct. 5-8 and had a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.