DURHAM, N.H--As the Republican and Democratic candidates begin their last push to mobilize voters before Feb. 1's New Hampshire primaries, college-going political activists have taken center stage.

Nearly every major candidate will attend a giant political convention for high school and college students this weekend in Manchester, NH--despite obligations to campaign elsewhere in both New Hampshire and Iowa, where the state's nominating caucus will be held Jan. 24.

All of the candidates have been boasting of their support among the young voters, though two Republicans, Steve Forbes and John McCain, have been particularly vocal about the extent of their college operations in their campaigns. The Republicans have more at stake in attracting young volunteers, campaign officials said.

The Forbes campaign regularly pays for busloads of transplanted Massachusetts students to canvas the state. At most of the debates and town hall forums, Forbes' young voters are the most visible--resplendent in orange vests, moshing to heavy metal music. It all seems decidedly un-Forbesian.

Keith Appell, a Forbes campaign aide, insists that the candidate's message is responsible for the visible outpouring of support, not the plush mega-bus and free jackets.

"Steve's message encompasses all types of people," Appell said. "He's the only candidate talking about the future."

Still, the volunteers themselves seem shy about admitting to the nobler purpose. After a December debate in Manchester, one youthful Forbes supporter with spiked hair avowed, "I'm here for the free ride."

In the next few weeks, Forbes's campaign will pay for volunteers to distribute literature on doorsteps across the state.