Politics more than donkeys and elephants

See if you can match the following presidential candidates with the party they are affiliated with:\n1. Howard Phillips; 2. John Hagelin; 3. Harry Browne; 4. Ralph Nader; 5. Pat Buchanan.\nA. Libertarian; B. Reform; C. Natural Law; D. Constitution; E. Green.\nSee the end of this column for the answers. Unfortunately, I am unable to type upside down, so we'll just have to operate on an honor system (no peeking!). In the meantime, read on.\nThose who read the IDS opinion page on a regular basis have probably noticed a recurring political column called "Head to Head."\nThis column, written by leaders of the IU College Republicans and IU College Democrats, features a different topic each week discussed from each organization's own perspective. These topics sometimes correspond with the issues being run into the ground by our two erstwhile bastions of presidential potential, Al Gore and George W. Bush.\nWhile it's nice to see the IDS print such a pure, unmediated exchange of ideas, I believe the sources of those ideas need more competition. I'm referring, of course, to the cornucopia of third parties that dot the political landscape. Let's hear from student activists who support alternative political parties such as those mentioned above. I don't care if you're a communist, a socialist, a puritan or an anarchist -- politics as usual could use a little friendly reminder that we can't all be lumped into one of two not-so-easily distinguishable categories.\nI, for one, am sick and tired of what I think of as the "Gore-Bush Polarization Effect." It goes something like this:\n1. Gore (or Bush) introduces stance/position/plan for (insert issue of the week here).\n2. Bush (or Gore) responds to opponent's stance/position/plan with own stance/position/plan. \n3. Media eats it up and begs for more. Rhetoric ensues. Gore insults Bush. Bush insults Gore. Enter the pundits.\n4. Media consumers express disdain over "negativity." Gore and Bush do talk shows and kiss Oprah. Media consumers forget nastiness and are left with warm, fuzzy feeling, secure in their support of what they believe is one of only two possible positions on the issue.\n5. New week, new issue.\n6. Repeat steps one through five over and over again until Election Day. \nNorman Solomon, of www.alternet.org, writes in his article, "The Two Party Media System," "Politicians and pundits are working hard to explain how Al Gore and George W. Bush differ. Meanwhile, journalists are apt to bypass the many points of unity. In the media zone, if the major party candidates agree, the matter is pretty much settled."\nThis brings me back to the IDS "Head to Head" feature. In that column, we're given the Democrats' and Republicans' take on a particular issue, such as education, Social Security, gun control, etc.\nMeanwhile, third party candidates are out there in the political wilderness, shaking their fists at corporate control of media, NAFTA, the IMF and a plethora of other issues that won't draw a peep out of either Gore or Bush. I'd like to see the IDS actively encourage supporters of these third party candidates to participate in its "Head to Head" exchanges. I'd also like to see the newspaper publish more local, regional and national stories about third party candidates. Doing so would be a great service to its readers who, taken as a whole, surely encompass a much more diverse set of interests than those represented by the two major parties.\nIf you third partiers can't get the Democrats and/or Republicans to take the challenge, write a letter to the editor or submit an editorial outlining your party's position on a particular issue that might not be getting a lot of press. If all else fails, write to me at idsombud@indiana.edu -- I'll listen to what you have to say.\nOh, and in case you didn't already skip ahead and look at the answers to the question I posed above, here they are: 1-D; 2-C; 3-A; 4-E; and 5-B. \nIf you correctly matched all five presidential candidates with their respective parties, pat yourself on the back and use your knowledge to enlighten others. If you correctly matched three of the candidates, that's pretty good considering the relatively scant amount of media coverage these guys receive. If you correctly matched less than three, well, I suppose the IDS has some work to do.\nAfter all, it's very important for publications such as the IDS to encourage and publish a wide variety of political and social discourse. Failing to carry out that responsibility deprives us all of important information that is essential to making informed decisions as voters.