4a Opinion Monday, November 13, 2000 Perspective For comments, contact Ben Embry or Emily Hughey at 864-4924 or e-mail opinion@kansan.com Election raises critical issues for Bush, Gore Ideally feel for both George W. Bush and Al Gore. Whoover of them takes office — and as I write this, the issue is still in doubt — a large percentage of the population will view them as an illegitimate usurper who only stole the office by means of technicalities and dirty tricks. What a stain on your record before you've even taken office! For the loser, it will be even worse. If Gore wins, put yourself in Bush's shoes -- forever remembering that golden moment late Tuesday night when the networks had declared him the winner, the newspapers were printing "BUSH ELECTED," the champagne was flowing and the nations of the world were calling to congratulate him. For one brief moment, he was the president- elect of the United States. To have that snatched away... — how could you ever recover from that? Worse, the person responsible for the ballots was a Democrat. Theresa Lepore. Lepore's inept performance — approving a ballot that violates Florida election law is no credit to the Democratic Party. She may have single-handedly changed American history by her negligence. And how much worse will it be for Gore? Only a partisan or a fool would believe that a district of elderly Jewish voters backed Buchanan in those numbers. The ballots were confusing and misleading because we know for a fact that many voters, by their own panicked admission, were confused and misled. To be denied victory even while winning the popular vote — and, had the ballots been in order, the electoral vote There are lessons to be learned here. Mike Loader columnist opinion@kansan.com There are no signs that either Bush or Gore knowingly contributed to the fiasco in Florida. Both men are, in the end, the victims of this. Each will be hurt by this gross miscarriage of democracy, to lesser or greater extent. There are lessons to be learned here. First, that leaving the election of federal officials in the hands of literally hundreds of local counties across the nation is a recipe for corruption, incompetence and disaster. Reports that African-American voters in the panhandle were defrauded and turned away did not surprise me. I also wouldn't be surprised if I were told that the machines of large urban areas had stuffed boxes or defrauded voters. Federal elections should be handled federally, with a standardized ballot for the entire nation and vigilant oversight. Second, the electoral college system needs a long, hard look. Even if it is retained, it should be reformed. The very fact that electors are not legally bound to vote the way their voters tell them is a frightening hole in our democracy and one that should be patched. An 18th-century electoral system has no place in a 21st-century election. Third, the news networks and their pollsters need a lesson in responsibility and civics. On Tuesday, I watched Florida change colors like a traffic light. Bush was actually declared as the winner while the election was in doubt; Florida was handed to both parties and retracted each time. A bemused Tom Brokaw made one of the great lines of the night: "Well, folks, the networks givev, and the networks taketh away." Perhaps the networks should not be so free with their gifts. Last, it behooves us all to remain calm and support the electoral process. This may mean that the vote will have to be counted yet again by hand, or even retaken. We should not shy away from this. The candidate who truly won, whoever he may be, need having nothing to fear in a Palm Beach revote. If he truly did carry the area the first time, he will undoubtedly do so the second — the voters are the same. The only difference that could emerge would be due to the process having been derailed the first time and the will of the people denied. And that is something that all of us, Democrats or Republicans, should guard against. Leader in a City, Henderson, Nev., senior in journalism. Chan Lowe / TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES Kansan.com poll Last week's question Do you think that a prior conviction should be relevant to a candidate's capacity to hold public office? - Yes. A candidate's past is a reflection of his or her character. - It depends on the nature of the crime. - No, What's in the past is in the past. - No, but the public should be informed of any past infractions. Next week's question: What do you think of the electoral college? Log on to www.kansan.com to cast your vote. Note: This poll is not scientific. Numbers may not add up to 100 because of rounding, 216 people voted. Perspective Mainstream music denies listeners of enlightenment Radiohead's Thom Yorke has said that much of modern rock radio, especially in America, is unoriginal and boring. I tend to agree with Yorke, and my conclusion was further confirmed after the music died in Lawrence last year, with the change in format of a local radio station. Many die-hard modern/alternative rock fans may scout me at when I say that I liked the old LAZER. But I know that many of my friends also did. However, now we're all glad the format changed — we have a new love at 90.7 on the FM dial. Enter KJHK. I hope these letters are familiar to KU students. KJHJK is the student-run radio station on campus. KJHJK is well known across the nation as the first radio station to broadcast live on the Internet, which allows many alumni who get withdraw from finding out about recent KU news to listen in from a distance. I know that my cousin loves the broadcasts of KU sporting events that KJHK offers eclectic programs and enter he cannot get via any media in North Carolina. It also has been well documented that the radio station has seen increased listenership in the past year, which I attribute to the stale radio market in the northeast Kansas area. How many radio stations do we need that play the same two Creed songs and that one song by that one guy ... oh, you know, young and talented for 15 minutes — insert a name here. Corey Snyder columnist opinion@kanaan.com But I don't want to talk about pop charts or how frustrated I am with local radio. I want to talk about the essence of college radio and why it is superior to any form of advertising-driven babble. he cannot get vla any media in North Caroli tainment, something that not many other stations in the area offer. Not many of us can relate to what radio used to be like in the early 1900s. The radio was the centerpiece in many family rooms, not the television, it hadn't even been conceived yet. The Feng Shui of the time would allow house wives to accommodate guests while they huddled around this little noise box to listen not only to music but also news, comedy shows and sports. I am no historian, but somewhere along the timeline radio made the switch from multidimensional entertainment to bland formats with a single concentration. Sports, jazz, hip-hop, talk and rock — the spectrum is almost fully covered all in one package at KJHK. Commercial-driven radio has gone away from this concept of diverse programming because of profits made on advertising. Advertisers are more than willing to shell out big bucks for ad space on a radio station that fits their demographic. Possibly one of the most annoying sayings on the radio is the obligatory "30 minutes of commercial-free rock," or the "no talk, no commercial hour of music." Radio stations aren't about bringing you music anymore; it's about keeping you listening long enough so you'll here Company X's ad. I encourage you to listen critically next time you turn on the radio. You already own that Britney Spears CD. Do you really have to sit through commercials and music that sound the same just so you can hear "Oops, I did it again..." for a cheap thrill? Expand your horizons; turn on a meaningful station. Sure, you may not know who the Chainsaw Kittens are, or you may not like the Wu-Tang Clan. But you may find that the versatile sounds emanating from your radio are a nice change from your regular radio station. Let's get back to appreciating what our grandparents had going for them: quality radio. Snyder is a Topoka senior in pre-physical therapy. Editorial Close races show voters' importance Presidential contest makes convincing case for an active electorate. Nov. 7, 2000 will go down in American history as the date of one of the most amazing and exciting elections ever. Those who partook in the process should be proud, and those who did not should be ashamed that they abandoned their civic duty, for in this election every vote did count. A look at various races proves just how historic this election was. The popular vote in the presidential race was the closest since 1960, and although it is difficult to draw any firm conclusions, a third-party candidate could have cost a major-party candidate the election, an infrequent occurrence in American politics. Even less frequent is a difference between winners of the electoral and popular vote, as may happen in this election. Other races set precedents. A sitting First Lady won a Senate seat. In Missouri, a deceased governor was elected to the Senate. Although legal questions still surround the election, the outcome was truly astounding. This election proved once and for all that every vote does count and that those who sacrificed their right to vote could alter the results. Those Kansas residents who chose not to vote because Kansas has only six electoral votes and historically goes Republican should realize that small states can have influence, and surprise shifts in political behavior can occur. West Virginia is traditionally Democratic and should have been safe territory for Gore this year, but instead Bush captured the state's five electoral votes. New Hampshire, Arkansas, and Nevada were all small tossup states that contributed to Bush's vote count, making the race that much closer. Statistics suggest that this election saw only a minuscule increase in voter turnout. For an election as close and important as this one, that is disappointing. To those who abdicated their right to vote, this should be a lesson. They missed out on contributing to a very thrilling process. Andy Miner for the editorial board Free for all callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. The Kansan reserves the right to edit submissions, and not all of them will be published. Slanderous statements will not be printed. To read more, go to www.kansan.com. Hey, Nader voters: I hope you like Bush's stance on the environment. - 图 The Electoral College is hopelessly outdated. If AI Gore is smart enough to invent the Internet, why was he dumb enough to have his party screw him out of the presidency? - Why are there two full pages of beer articles when over 50 percent of the campus is too young to drink? Does my vote still count if the people counting votes can't count? - Buildings on campus should have small rooms with alarm clocks and fluffy pillows so students who have time between classes can take naps. - I have never heard a greek make fun of a nongreek for not being involved. - The Kansan is liberal because KU is liberal. Hippies are just hairy frat boys. - - - I'm not a vegetarian because I love animals; I'm a vegetarian because I hate plants. All I have to say is that if Bush gets elected. "Welcome to the United States of Texas." Anybody who is too stupid to read their ballot and see the arrow pointing clearly to the circle that they are supposed to punch deserves to get their vote thrown out. 图 - Let's just drop the election results and make Judge Judv president. - I've had to change my shorts three times since the election began. Bush believes in the people. Since the people want Gore, he should concede. Roy needs new glasses. How to submit letters and guest columns Letters: Should be double-spaced typed and fewer than 200 words. Letters must include the author's signature, name, address and telephone number plus class and hometown if a University student. Faculty or staff must identify their positions. Guest columns: Should be double- spaced typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photo- taped for the column to run. 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