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(07/25/02 8:23pm)
The heated Washington debate of weeks past -- on issues ranging from Arctic drilling to social security -- was set aside last Tuesday in the face of the deadliest terrorist attack in United States history. The millions of Americans glued in shock and horror to their TVs following the attack witnessed members of Congress, standing together on the Capitol steps, singing "God Bless America."\nOne week later and some 650 miles from Washington, leaders of IU's campus and community political groups reflected on the tragedy, expressing a common call for justice and accountability on the part of the terrorists but urging the U.S. to proceed carefully. \nJunior Sarah Milligan, external vice president of College Republicans, said she was watching NBC's "Today Show" the morning of the attack when the program was interrupted with news of the first twin tower crash.\n"It seemed like a horrible accident until the second one hit," Milligan said. "When the plane hit the Pentagon was when things started to sink in."\nNow, she said, the United States must take care to target and retaliate against both the perpetrators of the attacks and countries that may have harbored them.\n"I think the primary purpose of the federal government is to keep people safe, (and) we are not safe right now," Milligan stated.\nGraduate students Chris Stafford and Chris Sapp of IUB College Greens said that those persons who committed such a "crime against humanity" must be found and locked away, but asserted that large-scale attacks on any one country are immoral and would not solve the world's terrorism problems.\n"This process of generalizing from a group of extremists to an entire population, most of whom are innocent, would put us in the same league as the terrorists," Stafford said, in reference to the possibility of an attack on Afghanistan. \nStafford said if the United States were to bomb Afghanistan, "the blood of innocent people would be on our hands."\nDan O'Neill, president of IU College Democrats, also expressed concern that retaliation against an entire country would serve only to provoke more anti-U.S. terrorism.\n"I think it would be a big mistake to simply bomb Afghanistan," O'Neill said. The civilian deaths that would result from such an attack, he said, must be avoided at all cost.
(09/25/01 4:06am)
Dr. Otis R. Bowen, the 83-year-old former governor of Indiana, took the podium at the College Republicans call-out last week with a small disclaimer for his audience.\n"This isn't a rip-roaring political speech," he said, smiling. Instead, what the 75 people who filled Wylie Hall 005 Wednesday evening heard was an oration on what Bowen called "lessons I've learned from places I've been." \nDrawing from his book, "Doc: Memories from a Life in Public Service," Bowen spoke briefly of his years as an undergraduate and medical school student at IU in the 1930s and of serving in the Army medical corps in Hawaii and Japan during World War II. Lessons learned, respectively: "The straight-A student does not necessarily make the best professional person," and "War is truly hell."\nBut Bowen focused his speech on the importance of civic participation and the values of serving in public office. During the course of more than 25 years in public office, Bowen said he came to realize that "everyone, at some time in their life, should serve in an appointed position or an elected position at some level of government." \nPublic office, he said, provides an invaluable opportunity to learn about issues in-depth and gain an understanding of the real workings of government, and to develop a tolerance of different political attitudes.\nBowen began his political career in 1952 as Marshall County Coroner and was elected state representative in 1956. After his first term, he lost re-election by four votes. Bowen was elected state representative again in 1960 and served in that office until he became Indiana's 42nd governor in 1973. As governor, Bowen championed a reduction in property taxes and the creation of a medical malpractice statute, both of which the state legislature passed. \nIn 1985, after four years away from office, former President Ronald Reagan tapped Bowen for the position of secretary of Health and Human Services -- a position Bowen said he wasn't too enthusiastic about at first.\n"(Before being selected) I recall saying, 'Boy, that's a job I'd never want,'" he joked. "But when the president calls you on the phone and asks you to take a job, you don't say 'no.'"\nAs secretary of a department with a nearly $400 million budget and around 300 programs under its umbrella, Bowen said he quickly found he had many responsibilities but very little authority. Despite this, Bowen told his audience, he learned that "bureaucrats are really not bad people" and that the majority of his colleagues and peers were hard working and conscientious.\n"The problem really with politics is not the thousands who are in it but the millions who are not," he said. Bowen added that the president, vice-president and other cabinet members "are just like the rest of us and not any smarter than anyone in this room."\nThe former governor took a few questions from audience members, mostly dealing with President George W. Bush's health care and tax platforms. Bowen said Bush's plan for social security reform "has a lot of good points" but he questioned whether older people, if given more investment options, would really be adequately informed and interested in making those decisions. \nOn the tax issue, Bowen suggested the creation of a Constitutional amendment clearly explaining and defining property taxes and how they might be collected.\nIU College Republicans alumnus Jim Holden gave a short presentation on the newly-formed IU CR Alumni Association. Holden said the association will act as a fund-raising arm and a public relations arm for College Republicans. In addition to assisting with costs for fliers and campus events, Holden explained the alumni association can help alert the community to liberal goings-on at IU.\nKent Benson, former men's basketball standout and member of the IU All-Century Team, stood up at the end of the meeting to thank Dr. Bowen and all in attendance.\n"Right now, you all are what this party's all about," he said. \nBenson then concluded the evening by leading everyone in prayer for the victims of the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks, for their families, and for the nation's leaders.
(11/09/00 6:00am)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- They were exhausted. They were run down. And still they waited.\nThe description fit all the weary people -- from members of the media to loyal Gore supporters to those who worked inside the campaign itself -- who together loitered around downtown Nashville Wednesday morning.\nTheir sighs said it all. This campaign for the presidency was fun, up to a point, everyone would admit, especially since the race lived up to any suspense junkie's expectations.\nBut then it just wouldn't end.\n"I'm very stressed," said one woman getting breakfast in a local diner. The woman, a Gore voter who asked not to be identified, said she went to bed at 11:15 Tuesday night emotionally drained. She said she was relieved to hear about the vote recount in Florida but will be relieved when it's all over.\nAt 3 a.m. Wednesday word filtered through the halls of the Sheraton Hotel, where the press was assembled, and across War Memorial Plaza, where crowds gathered to watch Election Night festivities. Texas Gov. George W. Bush was proclaimed the winner, but an hour later the Florida election was too close to call, with a Florida recount looming. \nAnd so the waiting game continued.\nAndy Patel, a counter worker at the Days Inn Deli and Market across the street from the Sheraton, shook his head and said the election was "way too crazy."\nPatel said he didn't vote Tuesday, but said he is a long-time Democrat and hopes Gore can pull off a win in the end. He added that in his opinion, members of both campaigns were enjoying the 11th-hour indecision.\n"I think they're loving (the attention)," Patel said.\nTennessee Republican Party Communications Director Rachel Lavender spoke hoarsely over phone about her long evening at headquarters.\n"It was frustrating more than anything," Lavender said. "We felt like we'd worked through the long haul and made it through, and then now we're still waiting."\nLavender said some volunteers left for home to rest early Wednesday while others camped out at headquarters overnight.\n"People were almost delirious, we were waiting so long," Lavender said.\nShe expressed concern and suspicion about an incident in Florida, where election workers discovered locked ballot boxes in a church that might include uncounted ballots.\nAsked if she thought Bush would take the win in the end, Lavender paused before replying that the vice president would take the popular vote, but she said she ultimately thinks Bush will achieve a narrow victory.\nAround dinnertime Wednesday evening, it appeared Lavender would get her wish. With Bush all but claiming victory in Austin, analysts stipulated that the recount would not likely change the overall outcome of the election. Some Florida officials themselves said they expected a final count in by midnight, meaning Bush could wake up Thursday morning with the new title of Mr. President-elect. Until then, Lavender said, she and the rest of the Republican Party of Tennessee will just continue what they've been doing the past 36 hours: waiting. \nTonight, a national audience waits with them.
(11/09/00 4:16am)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Thick gray clouds blanketed the sky Monday afternoon over Gore headquarters, and a gusty wind rustled what leaves remained on the branches. Inside, a mob of Gore volunteers generated an urgent buzz of conversation.\n"Are you going to be able to vote in the election tomorrow?" asked one phone bank worker at the Seniors for Gore table. "Are you going to be healthy enough to get out and vote?"\nAt the center of the frenzy was a young woman in a long-sleeved gray T-shirt and jeans. One moment she stood over the shoulder of another volunteer who was just beginning her shift. The next moment, she jumped up to greet a new group of workers -- distant cousins of Joe Lieberman -- who arrived to help out.\nOne need not speak directly with this pointing, waving, always-in-motion woman to understand she's one of the designated go-to people here.\nAnd she's 19.\nMeet Bianca Ennix, Vice-President Al Gore's Tennessee volunteer coordinator. The George Washington University sophomore and political science major has worked at Gore headquarters in Nashville since August.\nAs Tennessee coordinator, she directs the 200-plus individuals on the state's volunteer list, monitoring who makes phone calls and sends e-mails. She goes door to door encouraging residents to vote for Gore.\nDuring the summer, Ennix worked as a Gore press corps volunteer. The national volunteer coordinator was so impressed with her enthusiasm and maturity that she offered Ennix the Tennessee coordinator position, she said.\nFor her efforts at headquarters and at Middle Tennessee State University, where she's enrolled in a few classes this semester, Ennix receives a salary and 15 George Washington University credit hours. But more importantly, Ennix noted, she's receiving the proverbial experience of a lifetime.\n"The practical experience, that's what's going to get you ahead (in the work force)," she said. "This is important training to be a leader."\nAnd lead she does. Just then, a tall, neatly-dressed middle-aged man entered the room. "Hey Bernard!" Ennix called out with friendly recognition. "Go back there ... I don't want you going out in the rain in a suit and tie like that."\nBernard protested that he didn't mind going out door to door, and with a word of thanks from Ennix, off he went.\nEnnix said her faith in God has inspired her to work the long hours required of a state coordinator. The decision to accept the position was influenced by a spiritual calling she felt, Ennix said.\n"I really think God wants me to be a leader."\nEnnix said she supports Gore and other Democrats because she believes they are more committed to equal opportunities for all. Ennix mentioned voting for affirmative action and anti-unemployment measures as evidence of the Democratic Party's commitment. She contrasted this with her perception of some Republicans' attitudes.\n"With Bush, it's like every man for himself," Ennix said. "The top 1 percent, why should they help you? That's basically the deal."\nAfter all is said and done Nov. 9, Ennix will return to being "just" a student. She said she will get some needed rest immediately following the elections, but soon she'll be back to work on two term papers for her Middle Tennessee and George Washington University classes.\nEnnix said she hopes to gain entry into GWU's political communications program, which selects fewer than 35 applicants per year. And she said she definitely wants to stay involved in politics. In addition to the great time she is having at headquarters, Ennix said she's met a lot of great people she doesn't want to leave. \nAn older woman approached Ennix to tell her about a rumor she had heard that Gore would win Michigan.\n"We're going to take this thing, we're going to win it," Ennix said. \nThe two posed for a quick photo in front of a Gore-Lieberman banner before the woman left to make get-out-the-vote phone calls.\nTuesday night, another group of Gore backers echoed support for their leader over the sound of the falling rain at the Gore rally in Nashville. Among them was one of Ennix's fellow Middle Tennessee State students, Martha Simpson. Simpson took her last semester off from school to work on Democrat Jeff Clark's campaign for Tennessee Senate. "Each person has to make their own choices, and this was my choice," Simpson said.\nShe expressed confidence in Gore's chances. "It is a very close race, but I think he can take it," she said. \nPolitical participation by young people seemed quite popular in Tennessee on Election Day, as many of the event volunteers were students. \nGeorge Mouhlas, a Vanderbilt student who was working the event with Simpson, said he wanted to participate in the elections somehow because there are issues important to him, such as education, that he wants to have a role in.\nEnnix echoed the same commitment and reflected on her willingness as a new voter to involve herself in the political process.\n"All the leaders of today, they're going to have to retire someday, and they're going to have to die someday ... We have to have more young people involved now," she said.
(11/08/00 10:10am)
In one of the closest presidential races in history, it was still unclear early Wednesday morning who would become the 43rd president of the United States.\nWith three states -- Florida, Oregon and Wisconsin -- in the balance at 4 a.m., Vice President Gore led Gov. George W. Bush 249-246 in electoral votes. A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to get to the White House. \nAs some analysts predicted earlier in the week, Florida will prove the deciding state in the election. Whichever candidate wins Florida will win the White House.\nThe vice president did win Pennsylvania, Michigan and California, where he had focused much of his campaign effort during the past week. Early reports indicated Florida had been decided and that its votes would go to Gore. But pollsters retracted those numbers when they learned thousands of absentee ballots had not been counted.\nBush supporters expressed confidence they would win Florida, where George W.'s brother Jeb is governor, as a number of the undecided counties have high immigrant populations and the governor has traditionally done well with this voting group. \nGore supporters claimed they would take the Sunshine State because seniors there support Gore's plans for Social Security and Medicare.\nThousands of Gore-Lieberman supporters crammed into War Memorial Plaza in downtown Nashville to watch the results come in. They stayed to cheer for their former Senator even as the evening dragged into morning and a light rain started to fall.\nElection night volunteer Melissa Plesant said she supports Gore because through eight years in office Gore has done what he believes in.\nCher made a brief appearance at one point in the evening, encouraging the crowd that Gore would win and to "have fun tonight, you guys."\nGiant screens in the outdoor plaza cut from network to network showing the latest results, and showcasing reaction to Hillary Clinton's Senate win in New York.\nDemocratic National Committee chairman Joe Andrew took the stage at 11 p.m. and told the crowd, "We're going to win because Al Gore and Joe Lieberman have supported those no one else would." \nAndrew said the Democratic party is the welcoming party, embracing all persons regardless of race, gender, national origin or sexual orientation. \nMany in the Democratic Party said they blamed Green Party candidate Ralph Nader for siphoning off votes that likely would have gone to Gore. Throughout the evening in such states as Florida and Wisconsin, polls showed Bush and Gore within one to two percent of each other, with Nader coming in at two to four percent.\nSome conservative Democrats said they blamed President Bill Clinton and his personal indiscretions for driving voters from the Democratic Party. Bush won Clinton's home state of Arkansas and Gore's Tennessee. The popular vote was 49 percent Bush 48 percent Gore for much of the\nevening.\nGore arrived back in Tennessee from his last campaign stop in Florida around 4 a.m. Tuesday.
(11/07/00 5:57am)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Who says Republicans don't know how to throw a party? Perhaps more importantly, who says a state should promote its own senator to the presidency?\nTennessee Republicans certainly don't, and they want to make sure everyone else knows it.\nTuesday, thousands of anti-Gore Tennesseeans will head to the polls to cast a vote against the senator and vice president they feel has betrayed his home state's interests.\nSome plan to go from precinct to precinct, pounding Bush-Cheney signs into the ground. Others will work all day calling registered voters and asking them to support Texas Gov. George W. Bush. Many are expected to join country music superstars Brooks and Dunn at a local saloon just down the road from the Gore festivities to watch results come in and -- with luck -- celebrate a Bush victory.\nTake that, tradition.\nAt the outset of this nail-biting Presidential campaign it only seemed logical Bush should take his home state of Texas and Gore would take his home state of Tennessee. After all, Texas and Tennessee liked their respective homegrown boys enough to elect them to the two highest state offices.\nBush will win Texas. But analysts can only guess whether Gore will hang on in his state, as recent polls show the two are nearly even there. Only two presidents in history have lost their own states: Woodrow Wilson (New Jersey) in 1916 and James K. Polk (Tennesee) in 1844, according to CNN. \nMost analysts agree it isn't absolutely critical for Gore to win his home state. Still, they view it as an important battleground state, and should Gore lose, Tennessee would be an easy target as a missed opportunity. \nSo why is Gore having trouble at home?\nThe answer might lie in a growing Republican constituency -- growing in part because many voters say they're frustrated with the dishonesty they've seen from President Bill Clinton and Gore.\n"He's a jerk," said guitar salesman Andy Jellison. The short-haired, 30-something Jellison works at Gruhn Guitars in downtown Nashville. \n"The debates really decided it for me," Jellison said. "Gore just looked so..." he trailed off, haughtily huffing and shifting back and forth in imitation of Gore's much-criticized disgust with Bush's answers in the first debate.\nJon Schneck, the lone person working the cash registers in Boot Town western wear store Monday evening, shared a similar opinion of Gore.\n"Bush seems a lot more honest," Schneck said. "Gore contradicts himself."\nSchneck said Tennessee is more conservative than some would think. He mentioned a wave of anti-Gore feeling that has revealed itself in Web sites, such as \nwww.gorefreetennessee.com.\nPersonally, Schneck added, the main reason he supports Bush is because of Bush's abortion stance. But personality does have an impact on his decision, he said.\nJellison said Bush's resistance to new gun control measures helps him many area voters. \nAnd, those who support Bush around here aren't afraid to show it. Rachel Lavender, media relations staffer at Republican Party of Tennessee headquarters said Gore has brought out Republicans in the area, "They're just so adamant," Lavender said of local Republicans. "They're out there saying Gore is not from Tennessee, that he's from Washington. He grew up in a hotel room in Washington"
(11/06/00 6:16pm)
Joseph Lieberman loves the public life. His 2000 book "In Praise of Public Life," tells readers about his love for politics and his concern with what he perceives to be an increasing number of Americans reluctant to participate in their government.
(11/06/00 6:16pm)
Dick Cheney might have the birthday party of a lifetime next year.
If all goes well on Election Day, Cheney can look forward to possibly celebrating his 60th birthday in the White House. George W. Bush's pick for vice-president will hit the 60-year mark Jan. 30, only 10 days after the Presidential inauguration. Pretty exciting stuff for a kid from Casper, Wyo.
(11/06/00 5:40am)
Rhetoric is as much a part of politics as basketball is a part of Indiana. The two are inextricable -- not always pretty -- but so ingrained in culture that they're here to stay.\nAnd, while it's easy enough to analyze basketball players' statistics in determining their promise for the rest of the season, analyzing the performance and potential of candidates based on their speeches and debates is often a different story. What does all their jargon mean? How well can voters determine a candidate's character and ability by listening to him or her speak?\nDr. Mary Stuckey, an associate professor of communication and political science at Georgia State University, who has studied political rhetoric, said it serves as a useful shorthand. Key words and phrases, Stuckey said, can help summarize a candidate's position or convey the emotional meaning behind a message.\n"Any professor will tell you that learning is aided by repetition," she said. "Candidates do much the same thing, using repetition to enhance the learning about themselves, their opponents and their positions that they are hoping to instill in voters."\nStuckey mentioned President Bill Clinton's, "It's the economy, stupid," message as an effective example of driving home the point of a campaign. Clinton's promise of maintaining the country's growing economy resonated well with voters, Stuckey said.\nShe added the success of campaign rhetoric relates to the overall success of a campaign's communication efforts. A focused campaign with clearly stated positions on various issues is more likely to produce influential key phrases, said Stuckey.\nFollowing, then, is a brief dictionary of some of Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush's often-heard rhetoric:\nCANDIDATE: Al Gore\nRHETORIC: lock-box\nWHAT DOES IT MEAN? The "lock-box" refers to Gore's plan to help stabilize Medicare. Medicare is a federal program that helps pay health care costs for seniors who could not otherwise afford prevention and treatment services. Gore says he wants to put Medicare funds in a lock-box, meaning\nthey would be off-budget and thus not available for use on other spending projects or as part of a tax cut, according to his Web site. The set-aside Medicare surpluses would only be used to pay down debt and extend the life of the program until at least 2030, he said. Gore's plan also includes a prescription drug benefit for all seniors, as does Gov. Bush's. Bush has argued Gore's plan is burdened down by bureaucracy and doesn't offer individual seniors enough of a choice in their health care plan, he said in his Web site.\nCANDIDATE: George W. Bush\nRHETORIC: compassionate conservatism\nWHAT'S IT MEAN? Compassionate conservatism refers to the kind of leadership Bush says he will provide as president, he said in his Web site. Many Democrats over the years have portrayed Republicans as willing to sacrifice the interests of families and individuals in favor of developing big business. The doctrine of compassionate conservatism rejects this claim and asserts the Republican leadership will protect individuals' and families' best interests by providing them with the power to make their own decisions, especially regarding allocation of their resources. Also, by reducing the size of the federal government, Bush said, vital issues such as education will be left to state and local control. These measures are examples of Bush's plan for compassionate conservatism. The Gore campaign has argued Bush's claim of compassionate conservatism is misleading because Bush would not take meaningful action in promoting the welfare of the lower classes, among other issues.\nCANDIDATE: Al Gore\nRHETORIC:smart growth\nWHAT'S IT MEAN? Smart growth refers to Al Gore's statements that he is committed to promoting America's economic health and development, but not without regard to their social and environmental consequences. The vice president's Gore-Lieberman 2000 Web site targets urban sprawl as a\ngrowing problem that has led to poor air quality, unreasonable traffic congestion and overcrowded, unlivable communities. To combat this problem, Gore said he will support additional federal grants to help build mass transit systems and to develop cleaner-running, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Gore has said he will also promote high domestic and international environmental standards to ensure the protection of natural resources and to reduce harmful man-made pollution. Bush has criticized the "smart growth" initiative as restrictive on communities and businesses across America in devising their own solutions to problems. Again, the Bush campaign has said, Gore wants to expand the federal government's control at the expense of individuals and businesses.\nCANDIDATE: George W. Bush \nRHETORIC: "I'm a uniter, not a divider"\nWHAT'S IT MEAN? Bush has made this statement often in his campaign to emphasize that he will work for the interests of all Americans, regardless of economic status, race, religion, occupation or gender. According to his Web site, Bush will support across the board tax cuts and return roughly 25 percent of the country's surplus to taxpayers. Additionally, Bush says, he will cut down on bureaucracy to empower families and their communities to make the decisions that will better themselves. A key message the Bush campaign has tried to make is that a Bush administration would welcome those of varying opinions on issues to work together on creating a stronger America. Gore's campaign has asserted that Bush is just the opposite of what he claims; that he is in fact a divider. A Bush administration, Gore said, would favor the richest and most powerful individuals and corporations in America and would not go far enough to help lower-class workers. \nDespite the art of rhetoric, experts say Americans will learn how effective both candidates' rhetoric has been in winning or losing votes.
(11/06/00 3:47am)
Rhetoric is as much a part of politics as basketball is a part of Indiana. The two are inextricable -- not always pretty -- but so ingrained in culture that they're here to stay.\nAnd, while it's easy enough to analyze basketball players' statistics in determining their promise for the rest of the season, analyzing the performance and potential of candidates based on their speeches and debates is often a different story. What does all their jargon mean? How well can voters determine a candidate's character and ability by listening to him or her speak?\nDr. Mary Stuckey, an associate professor of communication and political science at Georgia State University, who has studied political rhetoric, said it serves as a useful shorthand. Key words and phrases, Stuckey said, can help summarize a candidate's position or convey the emotional meaning behind a message.\n"Any professor will tell you that learning is aided by repetition," she said. "Candidates do much the same thing, using repetition to enhance the learning about themselves, their opponents and their positions that they are hoping to instill in voters."\nStuckey mentioned President Bill Clinton's, "It's the economy, stupid," message as an effective example of driving home the point of a campaign. Clinton's promise of maintaining the country's growing economy resonated well with voters, Stuckey said.\nShe added the success of campaign rhetoric relates to the overall success of a campaign's communication efforts. A focused campaign with clearly stated positions on various issues is more likely to produce influential key phrases, said Stuckey.\nFollowing, then, is a brief dictionary of some of Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush's often-heard rhetoric:\nCANDIDATE: Al Gore\nRHETORIC: lock-box\nWHAT DOES IT MEAN? The "lock-box" refers to Gore's plan to help stabilize Medicare. Medicare is a federal program that helps pay health care costs for seniors who could not otherwise afford prevention and treatment services. Gore says he wants to put Medicare funds in a lock-box, meaning\nthey would be off-budget and thus not available for use on other spending projects or as part of a tax cut, according to his Web site. The set-aside Medicare surpluses would only be used to pay down debt and extend the life of the program until at least 2030, he said. Gore's plan also includes a prescription drug benefit for all seniors, as does Gov. Bush's. Bush has argued Gore's plan is burdened down by bureaucracy and doesn't offer individual seniors enough of a choice in their health care plan, he said in his Web site.\nCANDIDATE: George W. Bush\nRHETORIC: compassionate conservatism\nWHAT'S IT MEAN? Compassionate conservatism refers to the kind of leadership Bush says he will provide as president, he said in his Web site. Many Democrats over the years have portrayed Republicans as willing to sacrifice the interests of families and individuals in favor of developing big business. The doctrine of compassionate conservatism rejects this claim and asserts the Republican leadership will protect individuals' and families' best interests by providing them with the power to make their own decisions, especially regarding allocation of their resources. Also, by reducing the size of the federal government, Bush said, vital issues such as education will be left to state and local control. These measures are examples of Bush's plan for compassionate conservatism. The Gore campaign has argued Bush's claim of compassionate conservatism is misleading because Bush would not take meaningful action in promoting the welfare of the lower classes, among other issues.\nCANDIDATE: Al Gore\nRHETORIC: smart growth\nWHAT'S IT MEAN? Smart growth refers to Al Gore's statements that he is committed to promoting America's economic health and development, but not without regard to their social and environmental consequences. The vice president's Gore-Lieberman 2000 Web site targets urban sprawl as a\ngrowing problem that has led to poor air quality, unreasonable traffic congestion and overcrowded, unlivable communities. To combat this problem, Gore said he will support additional federal grants to help build mass transit systems and to develop cleaner-running, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Gore has said he will also promote high domestic and international environmental standards to ensure the protection of natural resources and to reduce harmful man-made pollution. Bush has criticized the "smart growth" initiative as restrictive on communities and businesses across America in devising their own solutions to problems. Again, the Bush campaign has said, Gore wants to expand the federal government's control at the expense of individuals and businesses.\nCANDIDATE: George W. Bush \nRHETORIC: "I'm a uniter, not a divider"\nWHAT'S IT MEAN? Bush has made this statement often in his campaign to emphasize that he will work for the interests of all Americans, regardless of economic status, race, religion, occupation or gender. According to his Web site, Bush will support across the board tax cuts and return roughly 25 percent of the country's surplus to taxpayers. Additionally, Bush says, he will cut down on bureaucracy to empower families and their communities to make the decisions that will better themselves. A key message the Bush campaign has tried to make is that a Bush administration would welcome those of varying opinions on issues to work together on creating a stronger America. Gore's campaign has asserted that Bush is just the opposite of what he claims; that he is in fact a divider. A Bush administration, Gore said, would favor the richest and most powerful individuals and corporations in America and would not go far enough to help lower-class workers. \nDespite the art of rhetoric, experts say Americans will learn how effective both candidates' rhetoric has been in winning or losing votes.
(11/03/00 9:50am)
Lynne Cheney and Hadassah Lieberman, wives of vice presidential candidates Dick Cheney and Joseph Lieberman, don't relegate themselves to the role of a smiling, silent sidekick while their husbands fight for the second highest office in the nation. For years both have been known in Washington as fierce politicos in their own right. \nCheney, born Lynne Vincent in 1941 in Casper, Wyo., developed an early interest in writing and philosophy. After graduating from high school -- where she both met her husband and was crowned homecoming queen -- in 1958, Cheney went on to get her B.A. from Colorado College. She then got an M.A. in English from University of Colorado. She married high school sweetheart Dick and began an active, public career as a writer, ethicist and supporter of the humanities.\nLieberman's background couldn't be more different, although she too has spent most of her life in public service. Lieberman's parents were Holocaust survivors who decided to seek a better life in the United States. In 1949, when Hadassah was 1 year old, the family moved to Massachusetts. \nSome would say politics and theater go hand in hand, and Lieberman found the two to be a perfect match. In 1970, long before her career in the public light began, Lieberman graduated from Boston University with a B.A. in government and dramatics. The following year she earned a master's degree in international relations and American government. The young scholar from Prague was ready to take on a wide audience. \nAfter completing their education, Cheney found her calling in education reform and Lieberman found hers in health care reform. \nFrom 1986-93, Cheney was chairwoman for the National Endowment for the Humanities and since 1993 has been a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, according to www.georgewbush.com. She is a member of Gov. George W. Bush's education team and has spoken often in favor of higher education standards in public schools. Cheney has also voiced support for mandatory testing of students to evaluate the effectiveness of their instruction.\nSupporters say her work at the NEH helped Cheney develop a critical understanding of education reform. This understanding, they say, can be a valuable asset to Bush should he become president. \nLieberman has organized women's national and international health conferences and is on the board of directors of a national youth development program for adolescent girls. In addition, she has worked on programs to support children and adults with disabilities and is on the board of directors of the Auschwitz Jewish Center foundation.\nLieberman was introduced to her husband in 1983, after a failed marriage to Rabbi Gordon Tucker. They married a year after meeting, and in 1988 her husband became Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman. Lieberman has a son, Ethan, from her first marriage, and a daughter with the vice presidential nominee. \nThe Cheneys have two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, and three granddaughters. Cheney came under criticism after the Republican National Convention for denying that Mary had publicly declared that she was gay. Mary has worked as gay and lesbian corporate relations manager for Coors Brewing Co., and her co-workers there said they have often seen Mary with her "life partner," but Cheney told ABC-TV journalist Cokie Roberts that she does not discuss her daughters' personal lives and that Mary had never admitted "such a thing," according to www.salon.com.\nCheney has long advocated the "compassionate conservatism" her husband and Bush promise to give to Americans. In her 1995 book "Telling the Truth," Cheney criticized the hype of political correctness and suggested a return to a strong moral code that emphasizes honesty and integrity.\nLieberman, though looking at the issue from a Democratic angle, also embraces the same values. She empathizes with the difficult life her parents had before coming to America. Speaking today to multicultural audiences, Lieberman still identifies with her Eastern European roots. Soon after her husband was chosen as Gore's running mate, Lieberman spoke to a group of journalists about the experience.\n"I'm overwhelmed by this incredible moment in time, in history, in the history of my family and the history of many immigrants who are sharing this feeling with us," Lieberman said. \nThough not often as visible on TV or in newspapers as their husbands, Cheney and Lieberman continue to take an activist role in the presidential campaign. Their message of reform and return to core values has been received well by voters, who look to them not merely as a second lady hopefuls, but important leaders for the country in the next century.
(11/03/00 4:45am)
Going into their second debate Wednesday night, participants in the Golden Key National Honor Society debates had hoped for two things: to attract a politically diverse audience and to involve curious but undecided student voters.\nThey got their first wish. Small groups of students showed up with T-shirts and buttons advertising their candidates. Supporters from all four debating groups -- College Republicans, College Democrats, IU Libertarians and IUB Greens -- were present.\nThe debate followed a question-and-answer format and focused on taxes and the drug war. Audience members submitted written questions before the debate began, and Golden Key moderators randomly chose two of these questions for the debaters to answer. Each debater had three minutes to speak and two minutes for a rebuttal.\nSophomore Josh Claybourn, College Republicans event director and speaker for the evening, said Texas Gov. George W. Bush advocates a tax cut for all Americans. If the governor were elected, Claybourn said, he might push to reduce property taxes by 10 percent across the board.\n"(Republicans believe) that if you work for your money you should be able to keep it, that's a basic part of capitalist ideology," Claybourn said. \nHe said wealthy Americans now pay more in taxes than those in the middle and lower classes combined.\nCollege Democrats President and junior Cassidy Cloyd spoke next and took issue with the suggestion that Democrats in Washington try to take unfair shares of taxpayer dollars.\n"Democrats aren't keeping anyone's money, they're re-allocating it" to support needed federal programs such as Social Security, Cloyd said. \nLibertarian representative J.W. Howley, a nonstudent, argued against all mandatory taxes, proposing instead a system of only excise and import taxes. The government has no right, he said, to take from anyone's earned wages.\n"There is no need to have an income tax unless you have a huge, inefficient government," Howley said. "I don't think you could do anything better for taxes right now than to get rid of the IRS (Internal Revenue Service)," he told an applauding audience.\nIUB Greens member and senior Rob Larson encouraged the audience to consider Green presidential candidate Ralph Nader's plan for progressive taxation. Under this method, Larson said the percentage of earnings owed in taxes rises proportionately with income. Thus, the highest income earners would owe a greater percentage of income than those with a lower income. This money would then be spent on programs to assist those living at or below poverty level, he said.\nLarson said that in this way the United States can help to erase the huge gap that has grown between the very rich and the very poor.\n"I think Bill Gates can afford to pay a little more than everybody else," he said.\nRebuttals on the tax question further revealed the parties' widely differing views on the role of the federal government. Claybourn said the Republican position on taxes corresponds more closely with the Libertarian position than with the positions of the other two parties present.\n"Republicans want to empower people to make those decisions (about how to spend their income) themselves," he said.\nThe question on the drug war -- what each party would do about a costly and long-running fight to combat illegal drug use in America -- again found debaters commenting on similarities in their parties' views.\nHowley and Larson argued that the war on drugs in America is financially draining and ineffective. Both pointed to statistics showing that thousands of people put in prison every year for such non-violent offenses as marijuana possession.\nSpeaking as a member of the "Party of Principle," Howley said, "something is very wrong with a government that tells you what you can and can't do with your body."\nDemocratic representative Cloyd countered that drug laws are for the benefit and safety of all Americans. Illicit drug laws exist for the same reasons drunken driving laws exist, she said: to protect the general public from individuals who, while under the influence, could and often do unknowingly harm someone else.\n"Marijuana is different from other drugs (such as alcohol)," Cloyd added, "because studies consistently show it is a gateway drug to other, more dangerous drugs."\nCloyd and Claybourn emphasized the importance of treatment centers and a growing trend of court-supervised rehabilitation rather than prison terms. Claybourn said Texas Gov. Bush, as president, would support the development of local community and/or faith-based programs to provide individuals positive alternatives to drug use and to help those who have become addicted.\n"There is room in the Republican party to favor marijuana legalization," Claybourn said. He said New Mexico Gov. Gary E. Johnson voted to support a measure that would re-examine the ban on marijuana use for medicinal and individual purposes. "But prevention of addiction is key."\nAt the end of the debate all parties agreed on one thing: the importance of political awareness and an understanding of various parties' perspectives. Wednesday was the last night of scheduled debates among the parties, but each has activities planned leading up to and following the elections.
(11/02/00 5:34am)
Five days. One hundred twenty precious hours and counting until E-Day, when the marathon of presidential campaigning will end at the ballot boxes. In the little time before the elections, Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore are racking up miles on a coast-to-coast tour to win over remaining undecided voters and ensure everyone who is registered will go to the polls Nov. 7.\nIf Gore sticks to his itinerary, he will be in the Midwest again Thursday. Gore is scheduled to speak at the Daley Plaza in Chicago around noon with special guests singer Stevie Wonder and Chicago-native actor John Cusack.\nThe vice president has been keeping hours that rival a sleep-deprived college student's. Over the weekend, Gore canvassed the Midwest on a "Great Lakes Prosperity Tour," with stops throughout Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.\nSpeaking in more than 13 cities, Gore urged voters to consider the impact this year's election will have on the national economy. "Make no mistake about it," Gore said Monday in Muskegon, Mich., "On Nov. 7, prosperity itself will be on the ballot." \nThe vice president reiterated his commitment to fair tax cuts and a Patients' Bill of Rights. Taking a jab at Gov. Bush, Gore said this year's elections are an opportunity for voters to choose a leader who will represent all families and not just a few.\n"We can build our prosperity ... or we can squander this moment -- and lose the best chance in a generation to secure the next American century," Gore said.\nFrom the Great Lakes, Gore and his running mate, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, flew west to Oregon. The two spoke again Monday in a Portland town hall-style meeting. Tuesday, Gore made his way down the West Coast through the traditionally Democratic state of California, where this year he and Bush have said they're confident their respective parties will claim victory.\nSouthern California Democrats welcomed Gore to the land of palm trees and movie stars with a victory rally in Los Angeles that afternoon. Tuesday night, Gore appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," joking with the same host who had donned a "Halloween Bush" mask in front of Bush himself the night before.\nThen Gore was off to Florida on a late-night cross country flight. Florida is a conservative-voting state with a large population of retired persons who have elected Bush's younger brother, Jeb, to the governorship. But recent Florida polls indicate that Gore is even with, or possibly slightly ahead of the elder Bush.\nAssistant political science professor Henry Hale said he thinks a Gore win in Florida would hurt Bush, but the state is not necessarily crucial to him. \n"I think, by now, most of the people who are politically aware have made up their minds, but in a tight race like this, I think last minute campaigning can have an effect," Hale said.
(11/02/00 3:49am)
Monday night College Republicans veered from the rallying tone of most of their meetings to listen to the story of one of their own.\nIn her introduction, President Anne Scuffham, a junior, made a final plea for each person in the audience to send one more "Vote for Bush" postcard and sign up for the last phone bank slots at Monroe County Republican headquarters.\n"I'm sure each of you is here because you realize just how important this election is," Scuffham said to the crowdof 50. She warned that unless all Republican supporters cast their ballots next Tuesday, control of the governorship and the Indiana House could go to the Democrats.\n"Do you really want a governor whose party is afraid to let him speak in public without a script?" asked Scuffham, taking a stab at current Democratic Gov. Frank O'Bannon.\nO'Bannon's challenger, Rep. David McIntosh (R-2nd) will visit Bloomington Friday as part of a statewide bus tour. McIntosh is scheduled to appear at 3:15 p.m. Friday at the Monroe County Courthouse.\nWith just days to go before the elections, Scuffham said she and her crew are working around the clock. Some College Republicans will arrive at county headquarters as early as 6 a.m. Nov. 7 to help the regular staff get through the day's frenzy.\nMissing from Monday's meeting was planned guest of honor Rep. John Hostettler (R-8th). A budget appropriations debate stalled the Congressman in Washington -- the result of what Republicans called a calculated move by President Bill Clinton to keep Republicans from campaigning in their home states.\nDuring the weekend the College Republicans executive board managed to get Evansville Mayor Russel Lloyd, Jr. to fill in for Hostettler. Lloyd, a former Evansville City Council member and an alumnus who was narrowly elected mayor in 1998, spoke at length about his transition into politics and his campaign for the mayorship. \n"When you do things in the community, you gather a support group that can sometimes come back to help you later," the mayor said. After announcing his candidacy for mayor, he went to the organizations he'd volunteered for to ask for support. Lloyd said he was able to speak one-on-one with members of the IU Alumni Association and develop a strong base there.\nLloyd emphasized the importance of his prior community involvement and his commitment to not taking any voter base for granted. The lesson, he said, is as applicable in a presidential race as in local races. Lloyd added that reaching out to inner cities and convincing a number of African-American voters to vote Republican helped make the difference in his campaign.\nAnswering a question about his opinion on the 8th District congressional race, Lloyd said he applauds Hostettler's consistency in his voting record. He said consistency should help get Hostettler re-elected Nov. 7.\n"I don't think (Democratic challenger Paul Perry) realized what he got into," Lloyd said. "I think he's going to fail because he's become just a one-issue candidate," he commented, referring to the Perry campaign's focus on health care reform.\nScuffham said after the meeting that she was impressed by the mayor. \n"I think he shows real confidence, but not arrogance," she said.\nScuffham herself received a standing ovation at the meeting's end for her work with College Republicans for the semester. Vice president Sarah Milligan, a sophomore, told the audience, "Anne has just thrown herself into this election year…we're very grateful."\nAttendee Nalini Ravindranath, a sophomore and Green Party supporter, was brought to the meeting by a friend. Although Ravindranath's loyalties are firm with the Green presidential ticket of Nader/LaDuke, she expressed appreciation for being able to hear a Republican perspective first-hand. \n"It's interesting to really hear other points of view, rather than political jargon," she said.\nSophomore Natalia Galvan also doesn't consider herself aligned with the Republicans, or any group for that matter, but she said she was eager to meet area politicians face-to-face. Having attended political groups' meetings, Galvan said she now feels she's an informed voter.\n"In order to get a fair perspective, I wanted to go to all different things," she said.\nNow Scuffham and the rest of the College Republicans can only hope Galvan and others in her situation liked what they heard Monday night.
(11/01/00 5:07am)
The Presidential debates ended two weeks ago, but campus political groups have one more chance to go head-to-head. \nCollege Democrats, College Republicans, IUB Greens and IU Libertarians will debate at 8:30 p.m. today in State Room East of the Indiana Memorial Union. \nGolden Key National Honor Society is sponsoring this debate, the last in a two-part series. One member from each group will speak in a format similar to that of the third presidential debate, with the opportunity for audience members to ask questions of the debaters.\nSenior Carrie Friedrich, President of Golden Key, said the debate will feature short opening statements by each party followed by a traditional question-and-answer segment. Each debater will have up to three minutes to respond, with a chance for rebuttal once all parties have answered.\nCollege Republicans President Anne Scuffham, a senior, said she hopes other students will get as excited about the debates as she is. \n"I think these debates are the perfect opportunity for the students of IU to see each party on campus represented fairly," Scuffham said. "From (the debates) I hope people will pick the party that best represents them."\nJunior Cassidy Cloyd, president of College Democrats, said she too is excited for the chance to explain how her party differs from the others. Cloyd will be the Democrats' debater this time around, and she was hard at work Tuesday night putting the final touches on her speech.\nToday's debate will focus on taxes and the war on drugs, which didn't receive much attention from Vice President Al Gore or Gov. George W. Bush in the national debates. But the Green and Libertarian parties hope to bring the issue to the forefront of political discussion. \nBoth groups believe the federal government's fight to keep illegal drugs -- especially marijuana -- out of the country is financially draining and in violation of individuals' natural rights. \nAccording to a release from the IU Libertarians, Libertarian presidential candidate Harry Browne recently purchased a television ad slamming Gore and Bush for their alleged drug use during the 1960s and 1970s. \nIn the ad, which was shown on UPN Friday, Browne asks, "Would Al Gore and George Bush be better off today, if, for their youthful indiscretions, they had served 10 years in prison?"\nOn the matter of taxes all four groups have a vocal history; representatives expect debate about their candidates' widely differing tax plans to be a focal point of the evening. Bush and Gore have both said they are committed to reducing taxes, with Bush calling Gore's tax plan fiscally irresponsible and Gore accusing Bush of reducing taxes mainly for the wealthiest Americans. \nGreen Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader, said on his Web site that he advocates progressive taxation, or an increase in tax rates corresponding with an increase in personal income. Additionally, Nader said he supports taxing of pollution, stock market speculation and other "things we don't like."\nBrowne and the Libertarians, in contrast, support an eventual elimination of taxes, relying instead a "user fee." The Libertarian Party was founded on the principle that government's only role is to protect its citizens from fraud and follow the guidelines of the U.S. Constitution.
(10/25/00 5:16am)
In a speech Wednesday to Political Science Professor Gerald Wright's Election 2000 class, Democratic congressional candidate Paul Perry told students how he deals with critics who say a political newcomer can't win a district known as the "Bloody 8th."\n"I like to tell people, 'As a surgeon a little bit of blood never bothered me.'" \nDuring the 75-minute long class, a smiling and noteless Perry said he "absolutely decided" to run for Congress because of problems he has seen with the current health care system, in particular his patients' difficulties being able to afford treatment because their health care providers won't cover the costs. \nPerry, an orthopedic physician, husband and father of five from Newburg, Ind., acknowledged that his young audience members might not be interested in health care. But he challenged them to view the issue as one that will affect them throughout life, rather than only in retirement.\n"Who's paying the bills? Who are the taxpayers for the next 45 years? That's why you should care," Perry said.\nEstimates predict, he told students, that funding for Medicare will dry up by 2025. Members of Generations X, Y and Z would then have to look elsewhere for money for their aging parents' care, he said. Perry said to help avoid that scenario he would put more money into Medicare and expand the program to include a prescription drug cost-relief program for seniors.\nOn the latter measure Perry took issue with his opponent, Republican Congressman John Hostettler. \n"(Hostettler) does not believe that there ought to be any prescription drug benefit program," Perry said. "I think that's out of touch."\nPerry also attacked intrusion into doctors' offices by health care providers and insurance companies. If elected, Perry said, he would work to ensure that doctors and patients alone are in charge of making medical decisions. What makes American health care good, Perry said, is the emphasis on patients' input on their health care services and treatments.\nPerry refuted charges from opponents that he wants to create a "socialist" health care system similar to the one in place in Canada. Such a program, Perry said, would result in lower quality of care. But he disagreed with the proposition that each state be entirely in charge of its health care system.\n"To suggest that we have 50 different systems of health care in this country ... I don't think that's very practical," he said.\nIn reference to other issues, Perry said the United States should use half its budget surplus to help pay off the national debt and that Congress should eliminate the marriage tax penalty. Additionally, Perry said, he would work for the issues that have a major impact on Hoosiers, by supporting tax-deductible tuition and the building of I-69.\nBut paramount on his agenda is health care, he said. \n"I'm actually a bit of a conservative Democrat," Perry said. \nAt one point Perry mentioned that he is morally anti-abortion and would not support tax dollars being spent on the recently FDA-approved abortion pill RU-486.\n"The fact that I was still chosen as my party's candidate goes to show the importance of health care as an issue," he said.\nHow long would Perry stay in office if elected? "Until health care's fixed," Perry replied, grinning.\nPerry stressed the significance of the "Bloody 8th" district in the national political arena and the fact that polls predict close local races. Perry said this district is one of only 30 in the country that has real deciding power in which party will gain control of the House of Representatives. Perry said of his campaign, "We are in a situation where we can win." But ultimately, the race will come down to a few thousand out of 200,000 (district) votes, he added.\nCollege Democrats president Cassidy Cloyd, a junior, attended the speech, and said, "I was extremely impressed by what he did. He answered every question directly."\nSophomore April Gonzales agreed: "He had a good rapport with students, I thought it went really well."\nMembers of College Republicans could not be reached for response to Perry's comments.
(10/24/00 5:07am)
College Republicans President Anne Scuffham, a senior political science major, knows a little about political campaigning -- she's been perfecting the skill for 16 years.\nScuffham got her start in Republican politics as a 5-year-old in Birmingham, Ala. She was at her grandfather's side election day 1984 as he cast his vote at the local precinct for incumbent President Ronald Reagan. Barely old enough to read a ballot, yet alone fill one out, Scuffham still did her part to help give Reagan the victory.\n"My grandfather told me, 'Nobody can resist a 5-year-old telling them to vote for Reagan,'" Scuffham said. "So I went around outside the polling place asking people, 'Will you please vote for Mr. Reagan?'"\nIn essence she's doing the same thing today, albeit for Mr. Bush rather than Mr. Reagan, and in a much less shrill voice. Besides organizing College Republicans meetings and passing out Republican literature, Scuffham has worked at Monroe County Republican headquarters and participated in a Republican youth leadership conference in Washington.\nScuffham's commitment to the Republican party is rooted in that party's anti-abortion platform. After attending an anti-abortion rally with her family while in grade school, Scuffham said she informed her parents, "If they're not pro-life, I'm not voting for them." \nGov. George W. Bush said during the recent debates that he personally opposes abortion. Scuffham said she's confident that, if elected, he would continue his tradition of voting against abortion. \nScuffham spoke animatedly about this year's elections. Besides keeping up-to-date on local and national polls, Scuffham said she stays informed of the other parties' activities. She and other College Republicans traveled to Indianapolis at the beginning of the month to protest President Clinton's expected appearance in support of Indiana Democratic Congresswoman Julia Carson. \nScuffham had a few things to add about the president himself.\n"The day after Bill Clinton won the election in 1992, I wore black to school," Scuffham said. She was in eighth grade at the time. In high school, Scuffham saved all her baby-sitting money to become an associate member of Mobile, Ala. Young Republicans (for college and post-graduate students). She was too young to become a full member. \nTo say that Scuffham looks forward to the end of the Clinton-Gore administration is an understatement. First on the agenda if Bush is elected, Scuffham said, is to retroactively fix the military.\nThe issue has personal meaning for Scuffham. Her father is a retired Navy officer, and Scuffham said she has seen first-hand a loss of morale in the military.\n"My dad has friends in the military who are on food stamps. That's ridiculous," she said.\nScuffham said it's the combination of dedication to rebuilding the military, returning government control to the states and reducing taxes that make the Republican party the best choice for America in the new millennium.\n"(The presidential race) is absolutely not a choice between two evils," as some have argued, Scuffham said. "It's more like a choice between good and evil."\nUltimately, Scuffham said, she would like to be one of the "good" candidates. In an ideal world, she would one day be a Republican president's chief of staff, she said. But for the near future Scuffham has her sights set on a job with the Republican National Committee in Washington.\nExiting a College Republicans executive board meeting Sunday night, sophomores Justin Guild and Andrew Hamilton had only compliments for their group's leader. \nGuild said he looks to Scuffham for guidance not only in all things Republican but in everyday life questions.\n"She's just a good person to be around ... her sense of humor and wit helps a lot when you're dealing with personal issues," he said.\nHamilton said he admires Scuffham's integrity and strength. With all there is to organize in an election year, "she holds her own very well," he said.\nNov. 8, Scuffham said she hopes to leave the governing and campaigning to President-elect Bush, while she gets some much-needed sleep. But until that time she'll be out making phone calls, making visits and asking people if they'll please vote for Mr. Bush.
(10/24/00 1:18am)
ST. LOUIS -- As the two main presidential contenders fought for the respect of 280 million potential voters, each knew that every vote counts if they want to ascend to the Oval Office.\nTexas Gov. George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore squared off in Washington University's newly transformed "town hall" for what amounted to be a debate that was more exciting and original in style than substance.\nAny lack of excitement within the debate didn't diminish the aura of excitement and curiosity surrounding the event itself.\nPreparation at Washington for the debate began months ago, and students were only too willing to help with the campus' transformation. More than 600 students volunteered for 150 available debate-related positions. Some of the selected students helped construct the town hall in the fieldhouse; others designed graphics for use on everything from press materials to chair covers. Still others directed campus members of the Democratic and Republican National Committees.\nWashington junior and Bush voter Andrew Hockman said that after unsuccessfully applying for one of those positions, he went knocking on television news trucks' doors Monday night asking if there was anything he could do. \nTuesday afternoon Hockman stood from his second story apartment porch and watched the motorcades drive past on Millbrook Road.\n"For better or worse, it's like watching the whole thing roll on by," he said. \nAlthough disappointed he couldn't take a more active role in the debate, Hockman said he's thrilled to welcome the candidates to campus.\nJunior Meredith Anderson's face had a look of amazement on it as she walked up the drive from her apartment toward a stream of police cars patrolling the already blocked-off roads. Anderson, a Gore supporter, said she has only "somewhat" followed the debates but is glad as a student at Washington she has some small part in the election process. \n"I feel honored as a student to go here and to be here as the debate comes to campus," Anderson said.\nWhile some in the community went about their day as if two presidential candidates and more than 1,000 members of the media weren't around, others took the opportunity to angle for exposure for their various organizations and causes. Flying multi-colored flags of protest they descended upon the castle campus.\nSupporters of Ralph Nader and the Green Party planned marches and protests to allow Nader to participate in the debate. Anti-homosexuality groups held up signs with images such as a picture of President Bill Clinton with the words "Baptist Fag" around it. A white woman marched through the officially designated protest area with a "Stop Black Genocide" sign.\nJohn Kindschuch, a 2000 Washington graduate and intern at the Catholic Student Center, chose to do his promotion work by simply walking around the fieldhouse and media area observing everything taking place.\n"I want to be very visible (as a member of the Catholic Student Center)," he said. \nKindschuch said he wants to inform himself of all that goes on in a political forum such as the debate "so I can better serve students who come into the CSC." \nHe said that from his experience talking with people at the center and on campus in general, Washington University's vote is evenly divided. That makes the debate on campus even more intriguing, he said.\n"Not many people are staunch one way or the other... there are only a few people (here) voting strictly on party lines."\nWhatever their party affiliation -- or lack thereof -- the eyes of the world were on the presidential candidates Tuesday night. In three weeks the situation will reverse itself, as Bush and Gore cautiously eye all those who watched, all those who protested, and all who somehow huddled together in St. Louis.
(10/19/00 6:23am)
President of IU College Democrats Cassidy Cloyd, bleeds blue, but it took her 19 years and a Y103 course with Professor Gerald Wright to realize it.\nThe junior from Indiana grew up in a proudly red Republican family in a proudly Republican community, she said.\nBut when she arrived at IU as a freshman in the fall of 1998, Cloyd said she didn't feel she knew enough about politics to identify herself with any one party.\nThen came her introduction to American politics class. The course, and Wright's instruction, Cloyd said, helped her clarify Republicans' and Democrats' underlying political philosophies. Cloyd emerged from the class with a better appreciation for the federal government's role in the United States and a Democratic heart, she said. She also picked up a political science major in addition to her already declared journalism major.\n"(Y103) interested me enough that I approached Professor Wright at the end of it to ask how I could get more involved," Cloyd said. "He suggested I join a campus political group, and that's how it started."\nThe Democratic party appealed to her, Cloyd added, because "it seemed to me to be the party that helps people." Cloyd said she doesn't mean to belittle the Republican party, but that she believes there must be some bigger entity to take care of the responsibility of helping others. She said she agrees with Democrats' belief that needs of the people are better met by federal programs than they would be if left up to individuals.\nBetween her many activities with College Democrats and her membership in Gamma Phi Beta sorority, Cloyd said she knows a lot of the faces she sees around campus. Friends say she is personable and approachable -- two traits important in anyone who works with or for politicians.\n"She's very hard-working and takes her schoolwork seriously, but she always makes time for her friends," said Cloyd's sorority sister Molly Vitangeli, a junior.\nCloyd's trip to the top of the College Democrats ladder has been a relatively short one. She served last year as College Democrats' greek liaison, going to sorority and fraternity houses to register voters and hand out Democratic literature. Last spring Cloyd decided she wanted to take her participation to the next level and ran for vice president. The campaign was a success and she prepared for a busy election year with senior Travis Thickstun, who had been re-elected as president.\nNo sooner than she began to get adjusted to the vice presidential seat, Thickstun found out he'd be heading to study and intern in Washington, D.C., during fall semester. Cloyd arranged with other College Democrats members soon after school started to plan this fall's election activities. When she took the stage in early September at the College Democrats mass meeting, Cloyd announced the various committees students could work on and plans for volunteering in local candidates' offices.\nCloyd herself is no stranger to Monroe County Democratic Headquarters. She has actively campaigned for Congressional Candidate Paul Perry by going door to door in Bloomington and answering calls on the phone lines in the evening. The hardest part of the job, Cloyd said, is having to turn down some requests for participation in local Democratic events. \n"I feel really bad, but we have to prioritize," she said.\nCollege Democrats junior Kal Mehta praised Cloyd's commitment to the group. \n"She really cares about the group ... for not having that much experience, I think she's doing a pretty good job, especially in an election year," he said. \nCloyd said she likes meeting the people she works for. In February, she and two other College Democrats bought plane tickets and flew out to New Hampshire where she was able to shake hands with her favorite boss, Al Gore.\nLast summer Cloyd was a campaign manager for state representative candidate Brian Sims; she said that experience taught her a good deal about how district races, especially fund-raising, work. Understanding the local political process has served her well as College Democrats' president, she said.
(10/18/00 3:48pm)
Nader didn't get in. \nDespite the efforts of hundreds of chanting, banner-waving protesters, Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader didn't get his chance to debate with Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush. \nHe didn't even make it into the "town hall" where the debate was held, despite rumors that a student who had won a seat in the lottery would give Nader the spot.\nBut Nader was present in St. Louis Tuesday, and he made his presence known late that afternoon in a rally just off the Washington University campus, on the sunken, oak-lined turf of North Moore Park. The rally drew several hundred supporters, many of whom wore bandannas around their heads, faces, and arms as signs of solidarity.\nBen Strobel, a former Evansville resident, drove 12 hours from his Minneapolis home to take part in the day's festivities. Strobel said he supports Nader because the candidate advocates equality among people of all classes and a general end to violence.\nSocio-economic class awareness was one of the main issues discussed Tuesday, as Nader chided Gore and Bush for succumbing to corporate pressures and interests.\n"No soft money...zero!" Nader promised. Nader, a long-time consumer rights advocate, has made campaign finance reform a major platform. He urged his audience to vote out politicians who accept corporate money. \n"Both parties are complacent in the corruption of elections. They've all flunked and need to be replaced," said Nader.\nEarlier in the day Green party members assembled in a parking lot two blocks from Grace United Methodist Church near campus to make signs and prepare first aid kits in case of an encounter with police after the rally. Action groups ranging from Amnesty International to Jobs with Justice to End the Drug War gathered and found that despite the variety of causes they embrace, they seemed to all "gel."\nBrent Woodcock, 29, sat with four other protesters making anti-tear gas first aid kids. \n"Look around," he said. "All these groups here...we've known each other maybe two days, or a few hours, but we're all working together"