THE SEVEN-MAN Democratic presidential campaign rolled into town last week, debating the topic "How to Avert a Nuclear War" at the Kennedy School. After agreeing for more than a hour that everyone likes the idea of a nuclear freeze, all the candidates decided to go out for ice cream together.

"Hey, guys," one said, "is everyone up for Steve's? I hear it appeals to almost all the voters in this district."

"Sure, Sounds good to me."

"I'm game for Steve's."

"Me, too."

So, off they went--Reuben Askew, Alan Cranston, John Glenn, Gary Hart, Ernest Hollings, Walter Mondale, and George McGovern--walking in single file in Cambridge on their way to Steve's Ice Cream Parlor.

"Say, who are those guys?" wondered an average man on the street.

Once at Steve's, the seven Democratic candidates again lined up to order their ice cream at the counter. Mondale pushed himself ahead of the pack and insisted on being first. Said Mondale, pensively as he scratched his head, "Gee, I can't decide. There are too many flavors from which to choose." Mondale then abruptly turned to the other customers in the parlor. "Excuse me, people What's supposed to be the best ice cream around here?"

"Chocolate fudge," the unskilled laborer said.

"Incorrect. It's Oreo," retorted the teacher."

"No. No. No. Personally, I like raspberry swirl. It's a little bit more expensive, but worth it!" exclaimed an upper-middle-class businessman.

"And don't forget to ask them to put on the M and M's," added another man.

All that went on for quite a while before Mondale finally placed his order: eight different flavors of ice cream with six extra toppings. "Don't worry. I've got the money. I can afford it." And he could, but as soon as he received all those different flavors of sticky, gooey ice cream all piled on top of each other combined with the crushed Heath bars and the M and M's and the granola and the rest--well, all that stuff just toppled out of the dish and onto the floor. Four busboys then scurried from the back room of Steve's to clean up the mess.

"I guess I overdid it a bit, huh?" Mondale said as he chuckled.

Next is line stood Alan Cranston. "Frankly, gentlemen, I don't like to confuse myself with all those different flavors. I always make a point to order the same kind. It makes everything so much easier not to have to think about all those various brands. Ma'am, give me a good healthy helping of Rocky Road."