For one, the 22-year age gap between Democratcontender Bill Clinton and President Bush isunprecedented. And though Clinton's relative youthwill not necessarily win him support, ithighlights a fundamental choice available tostudent voters.
The presence of Sen. Al Gore '69 on the ticketalso places the environment at the forefront.Democrats boast of his unchallenged leadership onthe issue. Michael, like Bush's top strategists,characterized the Democrats' environmental viewsas left-wing extremism.
"There's a limit to this environmental freakattitude that Gore supports," Michael said. Intough economic times, he said, humans takeprecedence over "the spotted owl and overgrowngarter snakes."
Another stark difference between the candidatesis their plans to deal with a dismal economy thatstudent leaders say has hit young Harvard alumnihard in recent years.
Clinton backers argue that the Arkansasgovernor is likely to be supported by about 80percent of undergraduates, mainly on the strengthof his economic message.
"This election is about three things: theeconomy, the economy and the economy," Harmonsays.
The Republican strategy has long been todeflect attention away from a dismal economy andtoward character issues.
"[Clinton] doesn't respect the institution ofmarriage nor the institution of the military,"Michael said, referring to the allegations ofdraftdodging and marital infidelity that havedogged Clinton since the primaries.
Both parties are honing an aggressivecampaign--which involves attack politics and issuediscussions alike. But the campaign season thatbrought us Ross Perot could hold additionalsurprises.
The discontent with the two-party system is anationwide phenomenon. A group known as Lead...orLeave is making it a generational issue.
The organization, founded by twentysomethings,asks candidates for national office to pledge tocut the budget deficit in half by 1996 or not seekre-election when their terms expire.
The problem, according to the group's founders,is "the generation in power has a credit card withour generation's name on it."
"It was discouraging watching both theconventions," says Allen P. Webb '91, a proctor inStoughton and Boston coordinator for thegrassroots organization.
The current presidential campaign, Webb says,has seen an abundance of "all the typical electionyear stuff," as seen by the refusal of thecandidates to propose cutting entitlements likeMedicare and social security.
The founders of Lead...or Leave--which isbacked by political foes Paul E. Tsongas andSenator Warren Rudman (R-NH)--will be in Cambridgetomorrow to speak at the Kennedy School ofGovernment.
Even with the surprises in this politicalseason, it is safe to expect that either Clintonor Bush will win a majority of electoral votes inNovember. And Harvard affiliates, which Michaelfreely admits has "tilted leftward" for years,will almost certainly support Gore, a Universityoverseer, and Clinton by a wide margin.
The real contest in this election is how muchsweat the political organizations will be able tosqueeze out of young volunteers--whether eachstudent vote can be multiplied by signholding,canvasing and phone-calling. It's a closeelection, and each student-solicited vote couldmake a difference.