GW President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg had no difficulty answering why he donated $1,000 to Vice President Al Gore’s presidential campaign.
“(Gore) asked me,” the self-proclaimed lifelong Democrat said.
Trachtenberg said he thinks Gore is the best candidate for the presidency, considering Gore’s vast experience in government. Gore served numerous roles in the federal bureaucracy, serving as a representative in Congress, Senate and as next-in-line for the presidency.
“I think the whole experience matters,” Trachtenberg said. “I think Mr. Gore has a track record.”
According to the Federal Election Commission, Trachtenberg joined a host of other GW employees who donated to the campaign war chests of presidential hopefuls.
School of Business and Public Management Dean Susan M. Phillips donated $750 to Texas Governor George W. Bush (R). Phillips is a former governor of the Federal Reserve Board. She was unavailable for comment.
According to statistics obtained from the FEC’s Web site, 54 percent of total contributions attributed to employees of GW went to Gore, 24 percent to Bush and 22 percent to Bradley.
Trachtenberg said he knows former New Jersey Senator Bradley, but he is sticking with Gore as his choice. Bradley needs to articulate where he stands on some issues, Trachtenberg said.
“I’ve written to friends that (Bradley) should speak out more on higher-education issues,” he said.
Trachtenberg said he is impressed with the new competition Bradley is providing for Gore. He said a competitive race forces Gore to be honest about his stance on certain issues.
“I’m very excited about the whole thing,” he said. “The whole electoral process is enriched by a horse race.”
As for Republican presidential contenders, Trachtenberg said he finds Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) an admirable candidate.
“He’s a great leader,” Trachtenberg said.
In terms of the future for higher-education policy, Trachtenberg said he is unconcerned. He said there is a chance that the Democratic Party will gain control of the House of Representatives, and he said whoever wins the White House must remain devoted to education issues.
“I don’t think anybody in a leadership position in the U.S. is going to be severely antagonistic to institutions of higher education,” he said.
As for any interest Trachtenberg might have in serving in a Gore administration: “I’m very happy at GW, and there’s plenty of work still to do,” he said.
