And Burg recalls that students here asked hernot if she was liberal, but if she was "aliberal."
"I felt like I was going to be found out," shesays. "I really felt like I had something tohide."
By late Monday evening, the conventionatmosphere had become a little bit like the linein front of a Boston nightclub. The crowd wasimpatient. A few would-be ralliers started tomoo, and the barnyard mimicry started to spreadthrough the hundreds of young Republicans waitingto get on the floor.
When actor Robert Downey Jr. arrived with acamera crew--some guessed it was form MTV--moststudents forgot about their aching feet and beganto clamor for autographs. But a few minutes later,they quickly abandoned their new-found hero. Itwas time for them to enter the convention den andgreet another, older hero--Ronald W. Reagan.
"We love the Gipper," the posters screamed."Thank you, Ron,"
Reagan remains he master of image. His speechhearkened back to his days as president, paintinga picture of America as a world leader, a "shiningcity on a hill."
But many Republicans say that in thisimage-oriented campaign, college students aren'tthe suckers the spin-doctors make them out to be.
"I don't think that because Gore and Clintonare younger, [young people are] swayed," said Sen.Robert J. Dole (R-Kan.) Dole said mediaappearances like Bill Clinton's "Arsenio Hall"saxophone stint won't affect young voters as muchas the Democrats might think.
Spadea agrees.
"Young people today are truly disgusted at whatthe Democrats have done by taking young studentsand making them into little kids that can bebought," Spadea says.
The college students at this convention showtheir disdain for the media by sporting buttonsthat label the CBS anchor as "Rather Biased." Theycarry signs that declare. "STOP the Liberal/MediaLynch Mob! Tell the Truth About the ReaganLegacy."
And as Reagan prepared to speak, theycompletely filled the space in front of the podiumand led the entire convention in cheers. They weredifficult to quiet down when the former presidentwanted to begin.
When Reagan concluded his speech with a note toall Americans "and especially the young peoplehere," students went wild