Student reactions to the results of yesterday's New Hampshire primaries were a mixture of excitement over both parties' competitive races, countered by apathy from many students who did not follow the election.
While many students said they expected a close race in the Democratic primary, all students interviewed by The Dartmouth who said they had followed the campaign were surprised by Arizona Senator John McCain's larger-than-expected margin of victory.
"I think McCain was expected to do well," Lauren Kennedy '02 said. "It was surprising that he did that well."
Other students said that the primary results made them rethink their candidate preference for the general election in November.
Heather Wyckoff '02 said she has supported Steve Forbes in the past, but that the New Hampshire results have made it clear that he cannot win the Presidency despite his strong showing in the Iowa Caucus.
Most students also said that party affiliation had little to do with their choice of candidates.
"I've always been a Democrat, but I decided to vote for McCain," Patrick Granfield '03 said.
Granfield added that McCain's personality and his stance on many of the issues led him to vote across party lines.
Wyckoff also said she was more concerned with issues than party affiliation. She said that she liked Forbes' proposal for a flat tax, but that she supports Gore's views on abortion and foreign policy.
Those who followed the primary said they expected the results to boost McCain's poll numbers and support across the nation and help the senator in his fundraising efforts.
McCain is currently struggling financially after spending a great deal of money in New Hampshire.
Kennedy said she believes that though McCain's strong victory in the New Hampshire primary will give credibility to his campaign, the fact that he may run into serious financial problems illustrates a serious point about the role money plays in campaigns.
Other students said McCain's plans to reform campaign finance ironic, since the very problems in the political system that McCain despises are threatening the future of his Presidential bid.
While students on campus who were following the election said they felt student involvement in the primary was high, many students contacted by The Dartmouth last night said they were not following the campaign, and some added that they did not plan to vote in any state's primary this year.
Seth Button '01 said that he did not follow the New Hampshire primary this year, but he plans to vote in the primary in his home state of New York.
Other students also said that while they had followed the election they did not plan to vote this winter or spring.
"I think by the time [students] get enthusiastic about voting it's too late," Wyckoff said, "getting an absentee ballot is so difficult ... it's really discouraging with the laws and everything."
Kennedy and Granfield disagreed.
"It's easy to register to vote [in New Hampshire]," Granfield said, though he added that many students might be limited by financial aid considerations that require them to keep their residency in their home state.
Kennedy said that she was involved in a voter registration drive earlier this year in which more than 100 Dartmouth students registered to vote in their home states.
Students contacted by The Dartmouth tended to agree that undergraduates here are involved in politics and political campaigns, though many added that more involvement would make Dartmouth a more powerful force in the Granite state primary.
