ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, October 17, 1996 TAG: 9610170064
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE HUDSON STAFF WRITER
THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER is using the presidential race to teach her eighth-graders about civics.
Bill Clinton and Bob Dole didn't change any minds among eight Andrew Lewis Middle School students who gathered in Salem to watch Wednesday night's television debate.
The eighth-graders favored Dole 5-3 before the presidential debate, and that's the way it stood after the debate.
Dole won "because he was sincere and talked about people's needs," Kelly Tate said.
Clinton won "because he didn't go in circles as much," Chris Herby said.
But for their civics and geography teacher, Eleanor Joyce, who won and who lost wasn't the point. Presidential elections come around only once every four years. When they do, she says, "that's a teachable moment."
After all, most of her students will get their first chance to vote in the next presidential race in 2000.
Joyce has been talking about the issues for the whole school year - health care, social security, foreign policy, you name it. She asked her students to listen closely to see whether the candidates answered the questions and addressed the issues.
Most of the students agreed Dole "went negative" by questioning the president's character and alluding to scandals in the Clinton administration.
Even Emily Zimmerman, a steadfast Dole supporter, worried Dole was getting a bit harsh, especially on a question about balancing the federal budget. "I forget what he said, but he said something mean," she said, looking down at her notes. "Because I wrote: `Be Nice Dole.'''
Still, the students had expected the attacks to have been even tougher, considering how far Dole trails in the polls.
Kelly thought the president didn't talk much about what he would do if he had another four years in the White House. "Clinton just talked about what he's done," she said.
But Ryan Jarratt thought Dole didn't talk much about what he'd do for the country, either. "He talked about what Bill Clinton hasn't done," Ryan said.
Emily thought Dole seemed more personable than his opponent. "I think Clinton - he acts like he's perfect and never makes a mistake."
"I thought Dole looked more alive," Chris conceded. "I was surprised. He usually acts more dead."
The Dole tilt of the students was no surprise. Salem is generally solid Republican territory.
For extra credit, several of Joyce's student took an unscientific straw poll of perhaps 1,500 people recently at Olde Salem Days: Dole came out the winner with 48 percent to Clinton's 38 percent.
While many of the students were adamant their favored candidate had won Wednesday's TV showdown, some weren't so sure.
"I think each candidate's faults and good points evened out," David Yost concluded. Dole stumbled a bit, David said, but seemed to talk in a more down-to-earth way. Clinton was much more practiced, almost robotic, David said, "but he gave really good answers."
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY/Staff. Andrew Lewis Middle School eighth-by CNBgraders with their teacher Eleanor Joyce watch the presidential
debate. color. KEYWORDS: POLITICS PRESIDENT