Capacity crowd for NY Times columnist

A crowd of more than 500 students, staff, faculty and community members filled the EUC auditorium last Monday for a night with Maureen Dowd, Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times columnist and bestselling author. Dowd, author of the new book Bushworld: Enter at Your Own Risk, spoke about her job, politics and the current state of the nation. Dowd has worked at the Times since 1995, and previously wrote for the New York Times Magazine, covering presidential campaigns, and writing the column; "Oh Washington." "I called my 96-year-old mother to let her know I was in Greensboro, North Carolina," Dowd said. " She said, 'Oh Lord." Dowd opened by speaking briefly about her childhood and the Republican household in which she was raised. Dowd read a short section from her book, lamenting her lack of activism in the late sixties and seventies. But covering today's politics gave her "flash backs to the age of Aquarius." Back in 1969, when Dowd first entered college Dowd said she thought the passion held by students and the nation towards politics would always be there, and continue to grow strong. She looked back on those thoughts and how she had to "live through the next four decades to realize what she missed." She went on to call today's generation the "plastic generation."

Today, we have plastic solutions, and plastic people with "plastic features." Dowd continued this thought to ad how timely a remake of The Stepford Wives is for today. "I miss the idealism," Dowd said in reference to the death of sixties passion. "Now when I see Bob Dylan, he's in Victoria's Secret ads." The columnist brought these ideas to a contrast with our time. "My mom can't get the flu shot, but every man can be a 'monster lover', according to my spam," she said. Dowd spoke for a mere fifteen minutes before opening the floor to questions. Dowd fielded many questions including, "Why are there so many prevalent conservative media outlets, but comparatively few liberal?" Dowd said she believes most conservatives listen to media that reinforces their existing views, but that liberals tend to want to spread out what they hear, often including that of conservative messages. Many questions revolved around what Dowd thought of the Bush administration. Dowd blasted Bush repeatedly, from audiences having to pledge allegience to Bush in order to attend his rallies ("Can't he handle a swing voter?") to what she sees as his single minded stubborness. "Is there a course at Harvard business school that says 'stick with your first decision, no matter what you learn?" Dowd asked. Another member of the audience asked "How a person that has done so poorly stands such a chance of getting re-elected?" In response Dowd broke Bush's campaign down into three words; "fear, testosterone and patriotism." Dowd also spoke of the other people in her field. Some time was put into her take on Jon Stewart, and his recent appearance on "Crossfire." She equated that show to the film "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," in that it was like watching a real person interact with 'toons.' Dowd said she loved the irony of a fake news man telling a real news group that they lack substance. When asked if she thought John Edwards being on the Democratic ticket was of help to the Kerry campaign, she talked about her amusing relationship with Edwards - who she has called a Ken doll. To his credit, Dowd said, he has had a sense of humor about her ribbing - once even sending her a Ken doll in the mail. The audience seemed largely behind Dowd - a stark contrast to conservative columnist Anne Coulter's recent reception at a college speaking gig, during which she was hit with a pie. Though Dowd said she had been heckled even before getting to the stage, only one question really challenged her political viewpoitn. John Rouse, a senior and member of the campus' College Republicans, asked if there was anything about Bush Dowd admired. "He's run a hell of a campaign,"she said said, commenting that he must have imposed a lot of discipline on himself to reverse his role as the family's political loser and Jeb favored to ascend to the presidency. Dowd talked of the importance of those in power to be knowledgeable of history, and that the present administration should be better versed, "or maybe if he just rented Lawrence of Arabia." After nearly an hour of questions, Dowd retired from the stage to sign books for fans, telling those in the audience with more questions about politics or her view of the Bush administration, "You have to buy Bushworld."