Mondale Press Secretary Dins With Dems

A small group of Harvard College Democrats exchanged election season worries with Maxine Isaacs, former press secretary and deputy campaign manager for Walter F. Mondale, at an informal dinner last night.

Members of the Democrats praised the policy expertise of Al Gore '69, the Democratic nominee, but said they were concerned that people would vote for George W. Bush, the Republican nominee, on the basis of personality.

The group seemed frustrated by the closeness of the race.

"People are just believing claims without any sort of evidence," said Theresa M. House '04.

Isaacs attributed this to voters basing their decisions more on personality than on issues.

"If people are just talking on their own about politics they'll talk about politicians and people. Most people use issues as a surrogate for other things," she said.

Isaacs, a life-long Democrat, currently commutes from her home in Washington D.C. to teach a course on the 2000 presidential election at the John F. Kennedy School of Government.

"This is a fabulous election," said Isaacs, who said she enjoys "teach[ing] things as they're going on."

She was the second of several speakers lined up in the College Democrats' election 2000 dinner series. The event, which took place in the Quincy Junior Common Room, "gives an opportunity for the faculty and students to interact along the shared lines of Democratic interest," said Sonia H. Kastner '03, who arranged the election 2000 dinner series.

Isaacs also said last night that she believes the press and politicians have a limited influence on the public, since they tend to talk in policy language.

She also discussed what she called the "phony balancing" act the media tries to play, particularly in this election's post-debate discussions.

"We're not really being illuminated at all about what's happening in the election," Isaacs said.

Isaacs began her career in politics in 1970, working for Mondale. She then worked as a free-lance reporter until Mondale became vice-present under Jimmy E. Carter in 1976, when she became deputy press secretary. After Carter and Mondale were defeated, Isaacs worked in public relations in New York. When Mondale made his run for president in 1983 against Ronald W. Reagan, she became Mondale's deputy campaign manager.

Isaacs called the 1984 Democratic convention, at which Mondale named Geraldine Ferraro his running mate, the highpoint of her career of involvement with politics.

"The Ferraro appointment was breaking a barrier that had never been broken before," Issacs said.