4A the university daily kansan opinion EDITORIAL BOARD tuesday, january 27, 2004 Wes Ranson for The University Daily Kansas State of the Union used falsely Bush should reevaluate goals President Bush has officially begun his re-election campaign. The proof was in the State of the Union address last week. Last Tuesday, in his 54-minute address to the nation, Bush resembled a politician giving his campaign stump speech. Shamelessly, he attempted to regroup his conservative base and draw moderate voters to put him back in office in for a second term. Conservatives were upset that Bush hadn't taken a stronger stand on the Defense of Marriage Act, which strictly defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. To combat this election barrier, Bush defended the act. "Our nation needs to defend the OUR VIEW The State of the Union should tell the public about the condition of the country. President Bush spent more time campaigning. sanctity of marriage," Bush said. Other key elements were left out of his speech. Bush didn't mention space exploration. Although we've been hearing of Bush's big plan to revamp the space program, he did not give an update on plans to land on the moon and then Mars. Instead of concentrating on many issues, Bush used about half of the speech to preach the familiar rhetoric; you are still at risk. He reinforced his anti-terrorism measures, telling Americans that terrorists were still out there and were planning more attacks. Thus, the controversial USA PATRIOT Act should be renewed. "Key provisions of the PATRIOT Act are set to expire next year. The terrorist threat will not expire on that schedule," Bush said. Scare tactics will not work. The State of the Union is not intended to be a campaign speech. It is meant to update the public on the status of the countrv. Bush's speech was not an update; it was campaign fodder. As those in higher education, we shouldn't fall for it. Zack Hemenway opinion@hansan.com Liberals, conservatives just labels; Parties need to consider other side COMMENTARY PERSPECTIVE Candidates shouldn't focus on undecideds POLITICS COMMENTARY I am not quite sure when my interest in politics began. It might have been growing up with two parents in public service. It might have been the eighth-grade student government election. Or it might have been my political science classes at the University of Kansas. For whatever the reason, I believe politics is important. Neither school of thought has all the answers. Even as a liberal, I know that knee-jerk liberals are just as bad as unwavering conservatives. Wise people recognize the points of view of both liberal and conservatives, but instead of buying into one or the other, think about the issues for themselves. In my column this semester, I will try to consider all sides of an issue before I form my opinion. Anna D. Gregory opinion@kansan.com Diana Carlin, graduate school dean and professor of communication studies, has worked in political polling for years. She said voters who call themselves "undecided" are target demographics for candidates. issues, the more I find the terms liberal and conservative to be more harmful than helpful. Politicians, as well as political watchers, get caught up in being liberal or conservative and forget to think critically and independently about the issues. With that said, the next few months will be very exciting for those who choose to lean left. The Democratic race for the presidential nomination is making history. It is not every four years that nine politicians step up to the plate, and it is certainly not every four years that they run neck and neck with each other. Those sticker-wearing applause machines who dominate candidate events on CNN made up their minds months ago. But their votes are never enough. Instead, it's the locals standing quietly in the back, or the semi-apathetic channel surfer watching on TV, who hold the real power. This contest has been full of surprises. Not one candidate is a shoo-in; not one candidate reigns over the others with an unbeatable margin. For most of the race former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean has been the front runner. After the Iowa caucuses, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) has taken the lead and the campaign of Sen John Edwards (D-N.C.) has been given new life. Former military general Wesley Clark and Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) will face their first test tonight in the New Hampshire primary. Voters are still not sure which candidate they want to be the face of the Democratic party in November. It's a troubling fact of political life: In almost every election, it is the undecided voters who decide the winner. These voters are the window shoppers of the political system, and their existence is a destructive force in American democracy. They claim they wait until the last minute in order to make the most educated decision possible. "The candidates know who their locks are," Carlin said. "It's the undecideds that they're going after." Read the Politics column next Tuesday for an introductory column from the other political columnists, Matt Pirotte. Pirotte will represent the Republican view. This is when politics is fun. The race has not been decided yet and probably still won't be decided after tonight's primary. I encourage everyone to flip on the news tonight for the New Hampshire primary and watch history in the making. Be attentive, be active in politics. The problem with this assertion is that in waiting, they virtually ensure that their votes will be little more than confused reactions to misinformation campaigns and a wave of TV and radio advertisements. This problem is created because candidates know how the minds of voters work. Polls like Carlin's tell them a high percentage of voters don't pay any attention to an election until the very end. Most candidates save a large portion of their finds for this stretch run, pouring their money into last-ditch ads. COMING NEXT WEEK The terms liberal and conservative are certainly what most politicians use to describe their position on the political spectrum. Liberals traditionally stand for civil rights, public education and health care and big government. Conservatives traditionally fight to protect the capitalist system, limit social services and promote small government. Though at times we can feel remote from the political process and our elected leaders, our attention to the issues and more importantly our active participation through voting and running for election are essential to democracy. Our involvement in politics can have an effect on public policy issues such as education, health care, taxing, spending and even war waging. The biggest mistake we can make as citizens is to not pay attention to what our elected officials are doing. This fact also explains why the last few days of a campaign are home to all the sleazy moves and dirty tricks that turn people off of politics. My column this semester will take a look at politics from a liberal perspective. Before I go any further on this track I must say something about this political label. Anna D. Gregory is a Topeka senior in political science and history. While I come from a liberal background, the more I learn about the On Nov. 5, all of you will have a responsibility. You've got 10 months to prepare for it. Go online, read a newspaper or watch a debate. Remember, window shoppers never get what they really want. Democratic voters in Republica- dominated Kansas may remember with spite the anonymous phone messages they received days before the 2002 election. In that same year, voters in innercity Baltimore received anonymous One of America's greatest politicians, Abraham Lincoln, said "you cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today." pamphlets falsely notifying them that their votes would not be counted unless they paid all traffic tickets and overdue rent. KU students are fortunate enough to have free weekly access to The New York Times, which covers political issues as well as any medium, and anyone with basic cable has their choice of all-news programming. For those who are still undecided, televised debates have been proven to be the best way to distill a candidate's message into a short, easily understandable hour. Finally, anyone with a modem has 24/7 access to every component of a candidate's campaign, as politicians recognize the power of the Internet. Television pundits champion the undecideds they interview, saying they keep the system honest by waiting to make up their minds. But the media's motivation is selfish. After all, if voters researched the candidates and made up their minds earlier, C-SPAN would have to find something else to show 24 hours a day in the week leading up to an election. I doubt "Senate 2002: Hour 384" would receive ratings near the level of Dean's "I have a Scream" speech. Voters everywhere know the weeks leading up to an election as the unveiling ground for a barrage of political advertisements, many of which are decidedly negative or attack ads. Politicians have learned the effectiveness of an "accuse now, verify later" mentality. Polls and focus groups such as the ones Carlin conducts have shown that the onslaught of ads and media attention confuses and disillusions voters, rather than helping them to make their decisions. Unlike many of the dire problems facing our political system, the misplaced power of the undecided voter is an easy one to solve. Being an informed voter is not a difficult task. The information is there for the taking. Zack Hemenway is a Lawrence senior in journalism. Free for All Call 864-0500 Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansan editors reserve the right to omit comments. *Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed.* Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded. For more comments, go to www.kansan.com I love sex. Unga, bunga. I want unga bunga. I have just taken the coldest shower of my life. Not only did it take my breath away but I am pretty sure that I lost feeling in my toes as well. Thank you Corbin for nothing. - I would like to thank the KU Bookstore for informing us that Kansas is Number Coke, Woo. HOWTO SUBMIT The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length, or reject all submissions. For any questions, call Meghan Brune or Johanna M. Maska at 864-4924 or e-mail at opinion@kansan.com.lf you have general questions or comments, e-mail the editor at mburhenn@kansan.com. 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