"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or shrived..." - U.S. Constitution
Election Day 96
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS 864-4810
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5.1996
ADVERTISING 864-4358
SECTION A VOL.103,NO.52
(USPS 650-640)
Student election poll shows Clinton victory
The Student Legislative Awareness Board has released the results of a student presidential and Senate race poll.
The poll surveyed 188 students on their choice for the presidency and U.S. Senate between last Monday and Thursday.
President Bill Clinton edged Republican challenger Bob Dole 84 to 81. Nine wrote in independent Ralph Nader, Libertarian Harry Browne received seven and Reform party candidate Ross Perot had six.
-Kansan staff report
GOP confident it will keep its majority in U.S. Senate
In the Senate races, Democrat Jill Docking won Bob Dole's seat with 94 votes while Republican Sam Brownback tallied 76, and Reform Party candidate Donald Klaassen had five. Republican Pat Roberts received the most votes, 81, in the race to replace retiring Sen. Nancy Kassebaum. Sally Thompson finished second with 73, while Libertarian Steven Rosile received 15 and Reform Party candidate Mark Mamey tailed one.
WASHINGTON — From Maine to Oregon, Senate candidates stretched for the finish line yesterday in a campaign of unparalleled expense and nastiness. Tight races abounded, but the GOP expressed optimism it would renew or even expand its majority.
"You work all this time, and it comes down to one day," said Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D.W.Va., seeking a third term.
Rockefeller's re-election seemed one of the safer bets of an election in which as many as a dozen races remained close in late public opinion polls.
"It's likely we'll gain seats in the Senate," Republican National Chairman Haley Barbour predicted. He also suggested a possibility of several seats changing hands and a lot of close races.
Newly naturalized citizens will be at polls tomorrow
SEATTL— The polling place is out of your way? Candidates don't excite you? You think one vote won't matter?
Don't try such excuses on Naval Ramdin, a new citizen and first-time voter. To those who say politics leaves them disgusted, disenchanted or disinterested, Ramdin has a simple but emphatic reply.
"Vote," he said. "This is the only shot you get. It might not be a big one, but it counts."
Predictions are that some 90 million voting-age Americans won't participate in today's election — a figure that astonished Ramdin and other recently naturalized citizens in and around Seattle.
Many such new citizens share an old-fashioned patriotism. They weep when The Star-Spangled Banner plays. They consider voting a privilege, not a duty.
The Associated Press
Unheit Ridder Tribune
n Bob Dole's home state,
at the University he attended before entering World War II and with Dole's political career hanging by a thread, the College Republicans — the University of Kansas' student GOP
Last week, open campaigning for the Kansas native amounted to two information tables in the Kansas Union open until 2:30p.m. on Monday and Tuesday.
The few debates between College Republicans and KU Democrats have been poorly publicized, and the College Republicans, made up of about 30 students, never even got together as a group to watch the presidential debates on television.
Considering the opportunity — campaigning on a campus that lies in the home state of a presidential candidate — the College Republicans' profile seems strangely low.
But many College Republicans say there is no need to campaign for Dole on campus because he already has the state Jocked up. Some are turning their efforts toward the Congressional elections in Kansas. And some
believe that praying, not campaigning, is the only hope of getting Dole into the White House in 1997.
A Divided Group
Though Republicans at the University of Kansas vigorously echo the rhetoric of the national Republican Party, their views of Dole as a presidential
Dole as a presidential candidate are mixed.
Samantha Bowman, Wichita junior and policy chairwoman of the College Republicans, often cried while watching Dole during the second presidential debate.
"No!" she cried out, or "Don't say that!" after
the Republican candidate answered questions
"I think he comes across as stiff at times, but he's a very serious person, and the president needs to be a serious person," she said. "Clinton's a real big schmoozer."
Although she supports Dole as a candidate, Bowman's words often seem more like campaign tips than praise. While watching the
presidential debates, she was full of commentary on Dole's performance.
ne's being a lot more personable than I thought he'd be able to be," Bowman said during the second debate.
Ryan Kauffman, Lawrence junior and chairman of College Republicans, also seems to have doubts about Dole as a candidate.
"Dole is not the best communicator," he said. "I know a lot of people who agree with me."
Kauffman is a believer in polls and doesn't see much light at the end of the tunnel. Dole has consistently trailed Clinton by double digits for the last few weeks. Kauffman said he wished that Dole's campaign would have focused more on concrete issues.
?
"You've got a candidate down 15 points, and as much as you'd like to say, 'It's gonna happen,' I don't see a 15-point difference just dwindling overnight," he said. "It's so hard to keep enthusiasm about your ideas when your candidate is losing."
As recently as yesterday, Dole was 16 points behind Clinton, according to the CNN/USA Today/Gallup presidential poll.
But other members of College Republicans aren't as pessimistic.
Story by Ian Ritter
See DOLE, Page 5A
Internships may ride on tonight's results
Students who seek political experience are waiting anxiously
By Neal Shulenburger Kansan staff writer
Tonight, students seeking political internships next semester have nearly as much on the line as the candidates.
stances on the issues, and I like the way she does things," he said. "Working for a campaign gives you experiences that you just don't get otherwise."
Jason Rose, Minneapolis senior, who worked in Democrat Judy Hancock's congressional campaign, said he might pursue an internship with someone in Congress, although his chances were better if Hancock won.
Rose said he might try no matter who won — even if he had to cross party lines.
"Ive already worked on her campaise so I am familiar with her
"I enjoy working for legislators."
Rose said. "Working with them gives you a chance to experience a side of politics you don't normally see."
Students searching for internships have no guarantees even if they do volunteer work for candidates during campaigns. The Federal Election Commission does not permit candidates to offer employees or volunteers jobs before the election has
However, he stressed that Hancock had not guaranteed or even offered him a position.
concluded.
Brad Burke, Topeka junior, worked this fall for Republican Vince Snowbarger, Hancock's opponent in the 3rd District. He said that he was focusing on whether Snowbarger won the election for now but that he had thought of being an intern.
"I certainly wouldn't rule it out," he said. "I'm really interested in politics, and this is the best way I know to get some first-hand experience."
Dole and retiring representative Jan Meyers. He said he would not limit himself to working only for Snowbarzer.
Burke already has been an intern with presidential candidate Bob
"I would like to work for a Republican in Congress if possible," he said. "There are quite a few Republican candidates that I like."
Britta Campbell, Lansing junior, will be an intern in Washington regardless of who wins the election. She said she was more interested in working for a nongovernmental environmental organization than working for a legislator. She said, however, that the election still might have some impact on her job.
"It could affect what I will be doing while I am there," she said. "A Democratic Congress and president will make different laws than a Republican one."
TODAY
The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is paid through the student activity fee. Additional copies of the Kansan are 25 cents.
POLLS
Polling sites in Douglas County will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- See page 6B for a map of local polling sites.
OPINION
Voting is a serious responsibility and an important right.
- See page 4A for a list of The Kansan's endorsements
VOTERS
Many minority, gay and lesbian voters say they won't vote for Republicans based on the party's stance on affirmative action, English Only laws and education.
See page 3A and 5A
ONLINE
www.kansan.com
The UDKI has links to the homepages of all the major parties.
INDEX
TV...2A
Opinion ...4A
Scoreboard ...2B
Horoscopes...4B
Classifieds ...5B