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GOP Debate Audience Makes Quite a Comeback

The audience made quite a comeback last night at the GOP Presidential debate on the Dartmouth College campus. After rather embarrassing performances in the previous three debates, the live crowd in Spaulding Auditorium in Hanover, New Hampshire, managed to get through the night without producing a single cringe-worthy moment.

Perhaps it was because at least the college students who were in audience had been warned in advance by the college newspaper to act like humans. The Dartmouth wagged its editorial finger, saying:

“Embarrassing incidents of audience misbehavior have marred several of this year’s Republican primary debates … . It would be an enormous black eye for the College and a damning indictment of our maturity and political culture if Dartmouth’s debate were to be characterized by another inappropriate outburst.”

And indeed, with the exception of a muffled outburst near the end, the Dartmouth audience was much more well-behaved than in previous debates. This made it more like a debate and less like a pep rally for death. No cheering executions or booing gay soldiers.