In debate prep, student stand-ins for candidates resemble real thing

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Saint Anselm College is still on winter break, and most of the campus is empty and quiet. But one cluster of brick buildings near the campus's southern edge is dotted with TV trucks, lights and crew.

The debate is still 24 hours away, but on the stage inside the Dana Center stand six well-dressed men across from three anchors sitting at a desk.

"The fact of the matter is, the day I am elected president I will work hard to repeal Obamacare," a blond man wearing a bright-blue tie and pin-striped suit, says confidently. "As governor of Utah, I increased competition among health care companies. What we need to do is expand coverage."

Two slots away, toward the middle of the stage, another one of the men asks for a chance to speak.

"I believe that health care should be a state issue," he says. "There should be not be a federal health care option."

He, too, is wearing a suit, with a tie tucked into a blue sweater that sits over his shirt and under his jacket. Around his neck hangs a picture of Mitt Romney with the name of the former governor of Massachusetts in white writing. As he speaks, the blond looks at him. A photo of Jon Huntsman hangs from his neck.

These are students who have volunteered to act as stand-ins for the six Republican presidential candidates slated to participate in a debate here on Saturday night, so that the TV crews can test their camera angles and get sound levels correct. The students had to be approximately the same height and coloring as each of the candidates, but it turns out they have more than just the right look. They also have a passion for politics. And the state where they attend college offers no shortage of opportunities for them to express it.

"I live, breathe and eat Huntsman," said his stand-in, Jake Wagner, a sophomore at Saint Anselm. He said it was "amazing" to be able to play the candidate for whom he is campaigning and plans to vote for on Tuesday in the nation's first presidential primary of 2012. After his stand-in duties wrapped on Friday evening, he said he was planning to go to Huntsman's state campaign headquarters, where he'll spend at least part of the day every day through Tuesday. He came back to New Hampshire on the day after Christmas from his home state of New York to work on the campaign.

"I couldn't stay home while this was going on," he said.

Jesse Imse, a sophomore from Connecticut who was the stand-in for Newt Gingrich, agreed. He came back to New Hampshire on Jan. 2 just to be a part of the pre-primary action. As a Democrat still registered in his home state, he won't be voting on Tuesday.

The stand-ins, who were joined by peers in the debate hall who acted as hosts Diana Sawyer, George Stephanopoulos and Josh McElveen, are all student ambassadors to the New Hampshire Institute of Politics. And while some of the questions during Friday's debate rehearsals asked the imitation candidates to state their preference between apples and oranges or "Star Wars" and "Star Trek," much of the discussion focused on topics like health care, the appointment of Supreme Court justices, the economy and foreign policy.

The "candidates" even sparred with each other, bringing out attacks like you might see tonight.

"I won Iowa," says "Rick Santorum," aka sophomore Kevin Lacourse, after a question about how his conservative reputation would play in more liberal New Hampshire. "I was in last place as of last week, and I come within eight votes of winning the first caucus in the nation. By all accounts, that is a win."

"If I may jump in, you came in second," says "Mitt Romney," sophomore Stephen Bowen. Wagner puts an end to the argument with a talking point familiar to people who've heard Huntsman, who skipped the Iowa caucuses, repeat in recent days: "Move on, nobody cares."

The students weren't given lines or talking points. The anchors came up with their own questions, and the candidates came up with their own answers. Bowen said he looked up Romney highlights on YouTube to perfect the candidate's mannerisms.

"I just went to 30-some town halls," Wagner explained when asked about his knowledge of Huntsman's talking points.

Wagner's speaking skills seem nearly polished enough for him to go into politics the day he graduates, and he's able to rattle off Huntsman's recent poll numbers and a list of his newspaper endorsements. Even at lunch after a morning debate rehearsal, he spoke in terms of "we" when asked about Huntsman's chances to win in New Hampshire. And he seems to have won over at least a few of his peers.

Katherine Muzzy, a Democrat who was the stand-in for Sawyer, says she switched her registration so she could vote for Huntsman on Tuesday, even though she still plans to vote for President Obama in the general election. And most of Wagner's fellow stand-ins said they were voting for Huntsman. Wagner, they said, dragged them to Huntsman town halls and they too became enamored with him.

The students have had ample opportunity to see the candidates in person. This is the second debate hosted by Saint Anselm this campaign season. CNN had one there over the summer.

"My friends from other schools are excited about being 100 feet from a candidate," Bowen said. "I met every candidate back in June."

Wagner, who's been working for Huntsman since August, says he wants to stay in the state after college to work in politics. Part of the draw is the first-in-the-nation primary.

"It's just like no other state," he said. "This is democracy in its purest form. You can't get this anywhere else."