For some politicians, defeat would mark the end of a political career. But John O'Sullivan, editor of a British political magazine and a spring fellow at the Institute of Politics (IOP), took defeat in stride as an educational experience.

"I stood in a seat (for the House of Commons) that I had no prospect of winning," he said yesterday is an IOP forum. "But I came away with the knowledge that people an individuals and the voter is a much more rational, worthy person than the political cynics would have you believe," he added.

O'Sullivan will be conducting a study group this semester entitled. "The New Conservatism: Ideological and National Differences."

Early political defeats also served as a source of future political inspiration to most of the other five spring fellows who spoke at last night's forum, entitled, "Personal Perspectives on Politics."

"I used to wonder how you could stand it if you ran for public office and lost," said former State Rep. Susan K. Catania.

While in office, Catania backed reforms enabling pregnant women to collect unemployment benefits, strengthened child support laws and shocked the Illinois legislature by breast-feeding her baby between legislative votes.

"She wasn't is noisy at most of them [the legislation]." Catnips quipped.

The follows agreed that their political careers evolved more from circumstance than from planning. They acknowledged, however, that they've always possessed a passion for political activism.

"I like to manipulate people," said Laura D. Blackbuene, vice-president of the New York-based Institute for Mediation and Conflict Resolution, Inc. She will be conducting a study group entitled. "Mediation and Conflict Resolution: Applications in the Public Sector."

Revision

"People need to be involved in things that influence their lives." Blackburne said, adding. "Everything is politics, and politics is everything."

Other fellows who will be conducting study groups are: Kenneth O. Hartnett, of The Boston Herald American; Madeleine Kunin, lieutenant governor of Vermont; and Andrew Maguire, an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate from New Jersey.