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Monday, November 7, 1988 / University Daily Kansan
Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Once more, endorsements for election-day contests
As election-eve food for thought, here are summaries of the Kansan editorial board's candidate endorsements:
PRESIDENT: Michael Dakakis
Vice President George Bush has tried to label the Massachusets governor as a dangerous radical, but it is Bush who has made the decision potentially most dangerous to the nation. He chose Dan Quayle as his running mate. Bush also has been part of an administration that has run up a tremendous deficit, ignored vital social issues and made "government" synonymous with "unethical."
U.S. HOUSE: Jim Slattery
Dukakis, on the other hand, has a strong running mate in Lloyd Bentsen, has run a clean campaign. He has made himself easily accessible to the public and has shown through his proposals on health insurance, daycare, student loans and other issues that he has his priorities right for leading the United States for at least the next four years.
U. S. HOUSE: Jim Houser, for Senate, has an impressive record in southeastern Kansas. He has worked to help rural Kansans, promoted innovative business options for the state and labored to keep Haskell Indian Junior College open.
Keep Haskell Indian Junior college in comparison, Phil Meinhardt, the Republican candidate, has a career serving the Air Force around the world. But that hardly prepares him to be a servant to the people of northeast Kansas. Also, some of his campaign tactics cause his competence to be questioned.
Wint Winter, Republican, has been a good friend of the University of Kansas. KU needs such a strong ally as the battle for the second year of the Margin of Excellence gets underway.
tence to
KANSA SENATE: Wint Winter
His main challenger, Mike DuPree, Democrat, has some interesting ideas regarding the environment. Although those ideas warrant attention, they aren't the biggest concerns facing the state and KU now.
KANSAS HOUSE: Jessie Branson, Betty Jo Charlton
KINGSBAS HOUSE! Jessie Branson, Betty Branson, in the 44th district, incumbent Jessie Branson, a Democrat has four terms of experience fighting for KU and important social issues. Her opponent, Renee McGhee, is a master's degree candidate at KU and has experience on Student Senate Branson deserves her fifth term.
In the 46th District, Betty Jo Charlton, a Democrat, has 12 years of legislative experience, an excellent record on environmental issues and has supported the Margin of Excellence. Her Republican opponent, Bernie Norwood, has no comparable experience and has not promised extensive support to KU. STATE: Anderson
SHERIFF: Loren Anderson Loren Anderson, Republican, has been with the Douglas County Sheriff's office since 1965. In that time, he's proven his dedication to law enforcement. He was a charter member and is director of the Capitol Area Major Case Squad. He also has supported having additional officers on patrol expanding the HELP identification system for rural areas.
Gale Pinegar, Democrat, has criticized the Anderson's department using confusing statistics, but he hasn't said how he'd solve those problems.
COUNTY COMMISSION: Tom Pyle, I.J. Stoneback
These races have been uninspiring, but Tom Pyle and I.J.
Stoneback come out as the lesser evils in their respective
races. In the 2nd District, Pyle is preferable to opponent Mike
Amyx because Pyle has been a leader in Eudora for 12 years
as a member of the city council, whereas Amyx has been part
of a Lawrence city commission that hasn't been able to show
leadership on several important issues.
leadership on several important issues. In the 3rd District, Stoneback is the choice over Louie McElhaney because of his county commission experience and strong stands in favor of a south Lawrence trafficway. McElhaney lacks government experience and has taken no formal campaign platform.
VOTING
Finally, the Kansan encourages everybody to vote tomorrow, regardless of whom they support. May the best candidates win.
The editorials in this column are the opinion of the editorial board
The editorial board
The editorial board consists of Michael Merschel, Mark Tilford, Todd Cohen, Michael Horak, Julie Adam, Julie McMahon, Christine Martin, Tony Balandran and Mukha Jost.
News staff
News staff
Todd Cohen ... Editor
Michael Horak ... Managing editor
Jule Adam ... Associate editor
Stephen Wade ... News editor
Michael Merschel ... Editor
Noel Gerdes ... Campus editor
Craig Anderson ... Sports editor
Scott Carpenter ... Photo editor
Dave Eames ... Graphics editor
Ill Jess ... Arts/Features editor
Tom Eblen ... General manager, news adviser
Business staff
Business star
Greg Knipp...Business manager
Debra Cole...Retail sales manager
Chris Cooper...Campus sales manager
Linda Prokop...National sales manager
Kurt Messersmith...Promotions manager
Sarah Hidden...Marketing manager
Brad Leenhart...Production manager
Michelle Garland...Asst. production manager
Michael Lehman...Classified manager
Jeanne Hines...Sales and marketing adviser
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Partisan picks for president
awt Eames/KANSAN
Bush knows how best to lead the U.S.
When we set aside all of the accusations and innuendos, the charges of racism and lack of patriotism, the negative advertisements and made-for-TV sound bites that have been the product of both parties during the 1988 presidential campaign, the voters of this nation still are left with a fundamental decision between two very different ideologies which would guide the United States into the 1990s.
continually.
George Bush has been prepared for the challenges that face this nation as we head for the year 2000. As the Western world witnesses unprecedented change occurring in the Soviet Union under Mikhail Gorbachev, it is vital for
Brett Frazier
At one time during the presidential campaign, the Democratic nominee tried to tell this nation that competence was the key to the future, and that ideology and a sense of direction was not needed to govern America. As I get ready to join the working world in a few months, I emphatically reject this notion. Competence is what makes the whistle blow every hour to signal the end of classes, but it has no idea which class I'm going to attend next. Competence makes the KU buses run up and down the Hill on schedule, but without any idea where their passengers will be going, or what is taking place in the University community.
KU Republicans
Now is not the time for on-the-job training. We need a president who understands the complexities of foreign policy, and one who knows that you sometimes have to deal with enemies and adversaries in order to advance the long-term interests of this nation. We don't need a governor whose idea of national security and foreign policy is unilaterally withdrawing the state's National Gaard troops from military maneuvers.
the United States to show stability and a willingness to meet whatever challenges the Soviets might hand us.
When I think about bringing home my first paycheck after college, the thought of increased tax rates concerns me. When George Bush pledges not to raise taxes, it is a symbolic way of telling me that as president, runaway government spending will be his first target, not my billfold.
transmission.
As I interview for jobs and think about buying a new car, it strikes home when I look at the low interest rates, low inflation, low unemployment, and the high rate of job creation that has been trademarked of the past eight years. To use a cliche: If it's not broke, don't fix it. George Bush will provide the necessary repairs to those areas that need it, but this nation doesn't need a new
buffalo
Considering that I'm a student, George Bush's plan of an IRA for my education, with tax-free status, makes more sense than treating the program like the present Social Security system, which would have me paying for someone else's education, as the Democratic nominee proposes.
There are many other issues that are of great importance to this nation, and I'm not going into the voting booth with blinders affixed. I realize that the past eight years have not been all milk and honey, but it is clear that this nation, though not following the straightest of paths, is not headed in the wrong direction.
George Bush provides both an ideology and a high degree of competence to lead this nation into the 1990s. The choice for president is clear.
Brett Frazier is a Pratt senior majoring in economics and chairman of KU College Republicans.
Bush would lead in the wrong direction
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This year's presidential election has not fueled the passions of the American people. Many have already decided to not make a decision on Tuesday. They feel that the issues discussed by the candidates do not relate to them or have any effect on their lives. This assumption is absolutely false.
assume that the next president will lead us in the direction that we move as a society. Are we going to be a society in which each individual is concerned only with his own welfare, or are we going to be a society that cares about the welfare of each member?
Today, more than 38 million people live below the poverty level. The number is rising slowly each year. The majority of the poor are not unemployed; on the contrary, they do work, but still are unable to work their way out of poverty. What message do we want to send to the people? Do we tell them just to salute the flag, say their Pledge to be good used to being poor, or do we send the message that our employment and society will help them become productive citizens? Although George Bush claims he is concerned about the poor and the homeless, he has not addressed these issues.
George Bush has run a campaign based on labeling $\clubsuit$ The Republicans have labeled Gov. Michael Dukakis as being soft on crime. The Bush campaign has hashed and rehashed the Massachusetts furghold program without giving
Debbie Bengston Namyon Kim
KU Democrats
George Bush, while using this as an issue against Michael Dukakis, has neglected to mention that he supported a federal furlough program that furloughed a convict who raped and murdered a minister's wife during his furlough. Bush, in fact, awarded a medal to the program one year after the incident.
all facts, Dukakis inherited the furlough program in 1972 from Republican Gov. Francis Sargent; Dukakis actually signed legislation to make the program more restrictive.
program one year later.
George Bush has been hiding behind such non-issues because he has no real plans or programs to help improve this nation. He says he will not raise taxes and will balance the budget, but he has no workable plan to accomplish this goal. He says that he wants a kinder and gentler nation, yet for the past eight years he has stood by while massive cuts in programs vital to the nation have been made.
Employment and training programs have been cut by 52 percent under the Reagan administration. Funding for education has been cut by 8 percent. Such programs are essential to
many who are trying to escape from poverty. The money saved from these programs did not help balance the budget; instead, it went towards increasing our military spending 55 percent. If George Bush cares so much about the "little" people, where has he been these past eight years?
In his only major decision as a presidential contender, George Bush has chosen Sen. Dar. Quayle of Indiana as his running mate. Before the announcement of his running mate, George Bush said, "Watch my decision, and that will tell all." Conservative columnist William F. Buckley has been quoted as saying that Dar Quayle's question is as Eisenhower drunk? "Yes, we should丘pray for the good health of George Bush." George Bush has not exercised good judgment in his most important decisions thus far. Can we trust him with future judgments that will affect all of us?
Through negative campaigning, George Bush has become his party's nominee. Kansas Sen. Bob Dole told the truth about George Bush "Stop lying about my record." Dole said in frustration after the New Hampshire primary. But the lies continued, and then he didn't let George Bush do to Michael Dukakis what he did to Bob Dole. Don't listen to the lies.
- Debbie Bengtson is a Junction City senior and chairman of the Dukakis campus committee. Namyon Kim is a Junction City senior.
BLOOM COUNTY
© 1998 Washington Post CO
by Berke Breathed