The Massachusetts state directors for the presidential campaigns of both George W. Bush and Al Gore '69 shied away from partisanship in their discussion of the life of a political insider last night, where both encouraged students to pursue what they called a rewarding but taxing profession.

Dennis J. Newman '72, state director of the Gore 2000 campaign, and Rob Gray, Mass.executive director of Bush for President, spoke to about 40 students in the Loker Commons coffeehouse for almost an hour. The informal discussion was part the Institute of Politics' (IOP) Pizza and Politics series.

The speakers focused on their personal journeys into politics. "I got started in college," Newman said of his career choice. "It's hard work but fun...To paraphrase the novel Stranger in a Strange Land, politics is the only game for adults."

Gray, who attended Middlebury College as an undergraduate, spent his college years outside of the political arena, and only became interested in politics later in life.

"I got out of college in the spring of 1990, Bill Weld was running for [Mass.] Governor and I began working for the campaign while painting house for money. I just got hooked," Gray said.

"I like the excitement, the rush at the end," he added. "I said to myself that if I couldn't make a decent living five years after college doing this, then I'd find another line of work. But I'm still here and doing alright."

The speakers also discussed the primary races and the general election in November, paying special attention to the insurgent campaign of Arizona Senator John S. McCain.

Newman said that the public believes Vice President Gore has the Democratic nomination all but sown up, while the Republicans are still locked in a heated political battle.