GOP presidential candidate (Hatch) looks for Iowa State U. student support
Excite News (Iowa State Daily) 1Dec99 N2
GOP presidential candidate (Hatch) looks for Iowa State U. student support

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GOP hopeful Hatch to visit Ames Excite News (Iowa State Daily) 29Nov99 N2 http://news.excite.com:80/news/uw/991129/university-111 By Alison Storm: Iowa State Daily

AMES, IOWA -- A recent CNN poll conducted in New Hampshire shows Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch in last place with only 2% supporters even though other more notable candidates have dropped out. However, he is not throwing in the towel and he will be visiting Iowa State today as part of the Presidential Caucus Series.

The Senator touts himself as the most experienced, which he is, with 23 years in the Senate. He believes that in itself makes him the best person for the job.

"I've been in government longer than anyone there," Hatch told a crowd of about 25 in the Iowa State University Gallery of the Memorial Union Monday afternoon.

Steffen Schmidt, political science professor at the college agreed that experience is Hatch's biggest strength. Schmidt will host Hatch on his WOI "Dr. Politics" local radio show.

However, experience isn't the only reason why Sen. Hatch thinks he's the best qualified to be the nation's next president. "I'm very concerned about who is going to lead us into the next millennium," he said.

One of the reasons that the Senator is behind is that he filed so late, filing on July 1, the same day that George W. Bush announced he had hit the $36 million mark in fund raising for his campaign. Many of the voters who could contribute had already done so at that point, leaving Hatch out in the campaign cold on the money end.

However, Hatch said, "If I thought money was the sole determinate in an election, I wouldn't have run." Hatch to date has raised almost $2 million to help his campaign.

In 1976 when he first ran for the senate, he filed late but won with the help of the youngest voters. He feels that such could be true in this one. He is running a grass roots campaign trying to collect $36 dollars from common supporters, in honor of one of the first contributions he received.

When asked his views on a variety of questions, Hatch said he agrees with the recent Microsoft ruling and does not condone homosexual marriage, but believes that homosexuals should be allowed the privileges of married couples in certain situations.

Hatch also responded to comments made about his religious affiliation, "There is a lot of prejudice out there," he said. "I can't do anything about bigots or bigotry." He added that similar comments were heard about John F. Kennedy, who was the first Catholic president. Although he is an active religious man, Hatch said as president, his obligation would lie with the American people.