How about lowering the voting age to 16?

That’s what Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio would try to do if he’s elected president, along with ending the federal highway funding penalties for states that lower the legal drinking age to 18.

Kucinich and the Democratic candidates for their party’s presidential nomination were at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire last night for a debate broadcast on MSNBC.

The drinking age was one of the many topics covered:

Delaware Sen. Joe Biden came out with the most forceful opponent of a lower drinking age. “Absolutely no,’’ he said. “I would not.’’
Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd said, “I agree with Joe.’’

On whether candidates would favor a national law outlawing smoking in the workplace and restaurants, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said it was a local zoning issue. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama said he would favor a national law only if there’s not enough progress on the local level. Several of the others indicated they would support a national law.

Asked whether they thought Israel would be justified in attacking Iran if Iran developed nuclear weapons, former U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson promised Iran would not be allowed to do it, but offered an economic and diplomatic approach. “Iran is susceptible to economic pressure,’’ he said, noting, “They import half of their foodstuffs.’’ Clinton declined to answer what she said was a “one of those hypotheticals’’ that would be ‘better not addressed at this time.’’

On the issue of so-called sanctury cities for illegal immigrants—something Republican candidate Mitt Romney has criticized former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani of condoning—Clinton took Giuliani’s approach. She indicated all residents need to know they can report crime to the local police without fear of being deported.

Asked if it was appropriate for a second grade teacher to read to a class a story about a gay married couple, Clinton said she favors legal rights for gays and lesbians but that the situation involing second graders is “a matter of parental discretion.’’ Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards observed, “I want them to be exposed to all that information,’’ but added that doing it with second graders “may be a little tough.’’

On what changes to Social Security they would make to shore up its finances, Richardson said he would not lift the income cap on Social Security payroll taxes because it would hurt small businesses. Edwards said, “The honest truth is there are hard choices to be made,’’ but he would establish a protective zone for people earning between $97,000 and $200,000. Clinton said she would first bring back fiscal responsibility to the federal budget and declined to discuss what options she would consider for Social Security. “I’m not putting anything on the proverbial table until we move toward fiscal responsibility,’’ she said.

The question of perhaps the most interest to many New Yorkers came up at the end. Asked who she would root for if the New York Yankees face the Chicago Cubs in the World Series, Clinton—who grew up in a suburb of Chicago—tried at first to joke her ways out of considering that hypothetical.

“Well, you know, I’ve worried about that because I think, given the Cubs’ record, which of course, I hope it happens, but it could very well be a sign of the coming apocalypse, were that to ever occur,’’ she said.

But when pressed by moderator Tim Russert of NBC News, she said, “Well, I would probably have to alternate sides.”

“Spoken like a true sports fan,’’ Russert observed.