Campaigning Students Celebrate, Despair After Super Tues.

Though her candidate is hinting that he will drop out of the presidential race, Mattie Germer '03 says she does not feel that her months of campaigning for John S. McCain have gone to waste.

Germer, who served as an organizer for Harvard students who supported McCain, says she can console herself with McCain's victory in Massachusetts.

But students who have spent months working for former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley describe themselves as "crushed" and "disillusioned." Bradley was defeated in every Super Tuesday state, barely earning half the votes cast for Vice President Al Gore '69. At a news conference in New Jersey today, Bradley will announce his withdrawal from the Democratic race, advisers have said.

The landslide victories for Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush in Tuesday's primaries were cause for both celebration and bitter disappointment for students who have devoted months to passionately campaigning for their candidates.

Germer has been campaigning since November and was heartened by McCain's victory in Massachusetts.

'The results from the rest of the country were more sobering," she said.

But she is not devastated.

"It was tough to take, but that's the way politics goes. The American public spoke and that's what we'll have to accept," she said.

If McCain does choose to withdraw from the campaign, Germer said the students for McCain will not unilaterally support Bush.

"We're a diverse group," she said. "We have Republicans, but also independents and even some Democrats, who will not automatically rally behind Bush."

Germer, for instance, says she does not believe that Bush can match McCain's political experience or personal history.

"Even if for no other reason than to make a statement, I'll probably write McCain in," she said.

Meanwhile, Tuesday night marked a time of celebration for Bush's student supporters.

When he learned the results of the primaries, Bush student coordinator Robert R. Porter '00-'01says he reacted with "enjoyment, and a feeling of success, victory and vindication."

He expects the Harvard Republican Club to officially endorse Bush within the next few weeks.

"Now we don't have to play games," Porter said. "This is our candidate and we can push him. Now it's us versus the Democrats, which is the way it should be."

Porter says he will use the next few months to educate the campus.

"We will do literature drops, put up posters and organize speakers about Bush's policy on education and Bush's tax plan, for example," he said.

Mostly, Porter plans for the group to concentrate on "keeping people focused on the issues, despite the big lag time until the general election," he said.

"Right now, this is a time to get away from the heated politics of the horse race," Porter said.

Bradley and Gore

Tuesday night was a time of mourning for the students who have spent the past months campaigning for Bradley.

"I was absolutely crushed and really frustrated," said Bradley supporter Rachel E. Taylor '03.

But the students for Bradley said they do not regret the time and energy they have spent campaigning.

"We felt that we had a candidate we really believed in and that makes a huge difference," Taylor said.

Taylor says that she and other members of the group feel so strongly about Bradley that they cannot justify supporting Gore.

"I only assume that most people will vote for Gore, as much to keep Bush out of the White House as anything else," Taylor said.

Taylor says that despite Bradley's failure in the campaign, he will leave a legacy.

"He had so much vision for new things that could happen and new ways people could make that happen," she said.

Fellow Bradley supporter Jon Gruber '01 said he feels equally defeated.

"There is not too much we can do except thank everyone who volunteered and encourage everyone not to lose faith in the process," Gruber said.

After their landslide victory, the students for Gore plan to take the next few months to relax.

"We'll be laying low for a while. We need a little break to catch up on our work," said Gore supporter Marcie B. Bianco '02.

She predicts that the Harvard Democrats will formally endorse Gore by next fall.

"Right now, we're just trying to regroup the Gore and Bradley factions," she said.