Aggrieved Minority: Columbia's Whining Right-Wingers

"When I speak up in class," Ron tells me, "people look at me and treat me as if I have some deadly, communicable disease."

Last year Ron masterminded the predecessor to tonight's party, a successful bash that drew such notables as National Review editor Rich Lowry. This time, though, no replica Red Army badges have been handed out as a gag, nor have participants cheeringly watched videos of the Wall crashing down. John Kech, a physics graduate student, tells me that while most of the guests find the idea of celebrating the death of communism amusing, the party is "really an excuse for the conservative intelligentsia of New York to get together." Kech explains: "There are so few of us now... It's hard to talk to other people. You have to explain things from ground zero."

Several attendees admit to registering to vote as Democrats. "I understood that no one else mattered," one man says. Maria Grotz, a Columbia nursing student, agrees, explaining that her vote "is a drop in a meaningless bucket. I'm like a salmon swimming the wrong way."

A man, who promises to "sue [my] motherfucking ass blind" if I quote him, begins lobbing racial insults across the room. "I think the Muslims are a legitimate threat," he says. "I want them to be the pariahs of American society."

"The Chinese and the current administration are in bed with each other and it makes me sick to my stomach," says David, an ex-Navy man.

"They say you can't refuse to give someone a security clearance because they're Chinese or Korean," David goes on. "Well, if you have family back there, you should be discriminated against. Where do your loyalties lie?"

"I don't think it's a good idea to kick out the people who have problems and bring in people from other countries, forming little foreign colonies," offers an anti-immigration advocate. "We're supposed to be taking care of Americans. I don't understand why people think foreign poor are better than American poor."

"Why can't you take the angle of teaching people the language of success, which is English?" his friend, a photographer, agrees. "I think the Democrats like multiculturalism because it's a way of keeping people down and making sure they depend on their stupid programs and keep voting for them."

Talk of the elections, several days past, begins to dominate the conversation and imbue the gathering with an atmosphere of desperation. Kech is most upset about New York's Senate race.

"Can you imagine, Hillary and what's his name, Schumer, side by side?" he asks. "Good thing those two aren't married. Their kids would be Satan's spawn."

Adam Kolasinski, head of the Columbia Conservative Alumni Association, nearly tears up as he delivers his annual speech. "We had a presidential candidate who did all he could to reach out to the center," Adam's voice cracks, "and he only got 48 percent of the vote."

"If we allow the left to continue to dominate our social and intellectual institutions," he continues, "there will be little hope left."

Beneath a chandelier, Mary McNeill, a writer for CNNfn.com, sips wine from a plastic tumbler. "I'm going to a party that's celebrating the end of communism," she says, "and we're in the midst of the birth of fascism under Gore, which?if he gets what he wants?is as good as a dictatorship."

A McCain supporter, Debbie Mayer, adds, "This is analogous to the WTO protests. There's the possibility of anarchy here."

"If Bush gets elected, I predict there will be riots," says Adam. "There will be riots in Harlem for sure."

In this room, talk of the "pervasive socialism" at Columbia University is common, "socially responsible investing" is called a "disturbing trend" and lesbians are known as "Hillarys." David, the ex-Navy man, issues a call to action.

"If Bush needs me to take his arm and escort him to the White House," he says, his voice choked with passion, "I would give up my life to make sure he is the president."

"I think we should e-mail Bush and tell him he should not take this lying down," Adam offers. "Good luck to you," he tells David, who's leaving. "I hope you don't have to die."