Bush Supporters Speak Out at Hillel

Three Harvard professors--all supporters of Republican presidential candidate, Gov. George W. Bush--sounded the theme of Republican unity at the Second Semester Conservative Kick-Off Banquet last night at Hillel.

The dinner, which was co-sponsored by the Harvard Republican Club and Jews for Conservative Politics (JCP), drew a crowd of over 125, mostly students, to mingle with Republican Party bigwigs and listen to their call for activism and party cooperation.

The event's keynote speaker, former Sen. Alan K. Simpson (R-Wyo.), who is also director of the Institute of Politics (IOP) and a lecturer in public policy at the Kennedy School of Government, was especially fervent in his call for Republicans to forget their differences in order to take back the White House.

"No philosophy can be transferred or shared with your fellow citizens unless you win," Simpson said. "This damn thing is about winning!"

Simpson faulted Republicans for permitting President Clinton to win the White House in 1992 because some split the Republican vote by supporting another presidential hopeful, Ross Perot.

Simpson, who is advising Bush, said he believes this is the year that Republicans will learn their lesson not to apply the "saliva test of purity" to their candidates.

"They're so thirsty," the former senator said of his party's desire for a Republican president. "They've been in the desert, crawling on their hands and knees."

IBM Professor of Business and Government Roger B. Porter, who has advised the last three Republican presidents, agreed with Simpson's assessment.

"The time has come for a Republican president and a Republican Congress," he told the crowd, to loud applause.

Porter's remarks followed those of Martin S. Feldstein '61, Baker professor of economics and chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under former President Ronald Reagan. Feldstein, who is advising Bush on economic policy, spoke more about conservatism than Republicanism and expressed his clear preference for Bush over Arizona Sen. John S. McCain.

Feldstein said he believes that Bush's tax cut proposal is more sound than McCain's, which he said only reduces marginal income tax rates at a middle income level.

The three speakers drew a wide variety of guests, from conservative Undergraduate Council members to members of Hillel to four uniformed Reserved Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets, who carried the American flag as the Din and Tonics sang the national anthem.

"There's nothing wrong with ROTC," said Simpson in his remarks. "It's about patriotism. Isn't that a squirrelly idea?" he joked.

While the conservative "Coming Out Dinner" in the fall was marred by protest over what some deemed misappropriation of the language of the gay rights movement, those attending last night's dinner claimed more uncontroversial motives.

"A lot of Republicans have deep convictions," said Porter, trying to explain the turn-out to the event. "We also tend to be social people."

"I don't watch what the Harvard Democrats do," said Jeffrey A. Letalien '00, a member of the Undergraduate Council. "My guess is they're complacent."

Simpson, however, joked about the status of conservatives at Harvard as a silent minority.

"I've been hanging around here for three years," he began his speech. "Where have you all been?"

Students seemed to take the speakers' message of unity to heart.

Robert R. Porter '02 and Mattie J. Germer '03, who head up Harvard Students for Bush and for McCain, respectively, emphasized that while they believe strongly in their candidates, they would immediately support whoever wins the Republican battle.

Many students stressed that they have not yet decided who they will vote for. Letalien said he is leaning toward Bush but has not yet completely made up his mind.

JCP members Lev Polinsky '99-'00 and Moshe Y. Spinowitz '01 both said they have yet to choose between Bush and McCain.

Hannah L. Fleener '03 said she was a Bush supporter until she heard McCain speak at the IOP. Now she said she plans to vote for McCain.

Andrew S. Robertson '03 doesn't know who he's voting for. But he said he cares more about seeing a close primary race than about preserving party unity, describing himself as "pretty much Republican."

While Robertson may not be obsessed with unity, he did pick up on a theme that ran through all three of last night's speeches, with their many references to individualism, free markets and Abraham Lincoln.

"Personal freedom: I'm all about it," he said.