Vital to party's future, 'political kids' put best foot forward

Don't scratch your face when the cameras are on. Don't drink. And whatever you do, stay out of trouble.

It sounds like instructions parents give their teenagers before they head to the prom. But these were the admonitions the more seasoned Democrats offered to young delegates at this week's convention.

They have received accolades for their political involvement, represent the future of the party, and could be key ambassadors in this year's get-out-the-vote effort, but nearly 50 delegates between the ages of 17 and 20 are, after all, still young. No one wants to see them look unprofessional in front of millions of TV viewers.

''We're political kids playing in a grown-up world where we have to be on our best behavior," said 19-year-old Kansas delegate Barbara Meyer. ''Our press [intern] said just make sure you keep your nose clean and don't drink."

Temptation is everywhere. ''A lot of the events have been open bar," Meyer, a senior at Kansas State University, said, smiling wryly.

The young activists make up only about 1 percent of the delegates, but they're vital to the party, said Angus McQuilken, a spokesman for the Democratic National Convention Committee. ''They add a fresh perspective on issues and they add a lot of energy to the grass roots for our campaigns," he said.

Megan Challender, a 19-year-old Kansas delegate who was chosen to help lead the applause from the FleetCenter stage, got some advice before she hit the convention floor. ''Don't scratch your face, especially your nose, because it'll look like you're picking your nose," Challender recalled a schoolteacher saying. Not that these are your average teens who might do such a thing.

A campaign slogan Meyer invented was picked up by a Kansas politician. Utah delegate Sarah Mulhern, 18, dresses in power suits for media inteviews and to command respect. And 20-year-old Arkansas delegate Dwayne Bensing passed the time on the road trip to Boston by testing friends on political trivia.

To the Democrats, these delegates are more than precocious; they're essential.

Harvard University's Institute of Politics polled 1,200 college students around the country in March and found that 62 percent planned to vote in the general election. Among them, Kerry enjoys a significant advantage over President Bush.

With the race so tight among general voters, including young delegates in the mix is crucial, according to Donald Dunn, chairman of the Utah Democratic Party.

''But it goes beyond voting," he said. ''If you can get a young person interested in politics, that will stick with them for life and it's infectious with their friends and their peers."

For the young delegates, though -- as for everyone else at this high-profile event -- image is no small matter, according to Mark Peterson, a Kansas delegate who teaches political science at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kan.

But the committee does not try to rein them in, McQuilken said. ''We treat them the same as any other delegate," he said.

Mulhern recognizes that people may see her political involvement as more cute than meaningful. But she believes in what she's doing, and in the end her vote counts the same as every other delegate's.

''It's very important to strike a balance, because we are here to represent the party and get the Democrats behind John Kerry," she said. ''And it's not fake. . . . We are so excited about the party's chances."