Bill or Bob in ’96?

Sunday, May 19, 1996

Survey of issues shows it’ll be a toss of the old coin

The Republican primaries are over and now it’s Bill Clinton vs.
Bob Dole, one-on-one for the whole enchilada ­ the presidency
of the United States of America.

Unfortunately, the choice is looking more and more like a pick
between the better of two evils. It is no longer a secret that a
huge segment of the American public is dissatisfied with what the
two parties have to offer anymore. In surveys, upwards of half the
populace routinely indicates they would be open to third party
possibilities.

In reality, though, there are no serious independent candidates
for president this year. For all the Reform Party’s hype, Ross
Perot is a has-been; Colin Powell does carry some weight in
political circles, but he has consistently ruled himself out of
talk for an Oval Office bid this year. So it increasingly looks
like Bill and Bob. Talk about an anticlimactic presidential race!
Just remember, that depending on the issue, each side has its
strengths and weaknesses. A brief look at some of the major issues
in this year’s presidential race might give us more insight into
the burning question: Bill or Bob?

First, the Republican Party: I think that what’s good about the
GOP revolves around four major conservative battle cries: balanced
budgets, tougher crime approaches, ending race-based affirmative
action and a stronger illegal immigration reduction effort.

On the economy and on the budget, I am ready to march with the
GOP. Democrats want to stall and brush away the issue, but that
cannot be done. A seven-year balanced budget plan is the correct
way to go. Hello, Democrats, even your leader Mr. Clinton has
realized this. Nevertheless, Democrats simply want to block the
issue like they did when they defeated the Balanced Budget
Amendment.

I don’t think many people realize how much an exploding federal
budget affects them. The national debt is climbing into the
trillions, growing millions each day. This issue will impact
students, I guarantee it. It’s not affirmative action or student
fee increases that are going to have the most impact on us, it’s a
huge tax burden when we’re middle-aged. Some 15 percent of your tax
dollars already goes towards paying interest on the national debt.
Think that’s about enough yet?

Speaking about affirmative action, I have said before that I am
not in favor of it the way it is being done now. Race-based
preference programs had their place in society a decade ago.

But we’re in 1996 now. Yes, I know racism exists, and I know the
level playing field for all ethnic groups is not level. But it’s
time we started allowing equal opportunity for all Americans
regardless of their gender or race, to be judged solely on their
own personal merit and not what demographic group they belong to.
Diversity, schmiversity, the whole damn thing is the biggest crock
and anti-equality thing I’ve seen on this campus.

The admissions committee or hiring board’s job should not be to
see who best fills their "goal" or most enlightens their
advertising brochure. Pick whoever is best qualified whether
they’re black, white, Latino or Asian. The only type of preference
that should be given to college applicants is one that takes into
account economic adversity and economic disadvantages overcome by
students.

So far, I only see Republicans advocating some type of
economic-based replacement to racial preferences. And I only see
Republicans trying to actually do something useful about our crime
problem: tougher sentencing, more executions in shorter time frames
and more community-based policing.

Democrats have totally blown this issue. Clinton, paranoid of
being called "soft" on crime, is at least somewhat with the "get
tough on crime" times.

The GOP has also taken the lead on advocating better measures to
combat illegal immigrants and the problems they cause. Democrats
are just getting in the way like they did on Proposition 187. Just
because you want to limit the flow of people entering this country
at an ever-increasing pace makes you a racist. Bullshit. Where I
come from it just makes you someone with common sense.

I can’t speak for all Republicans, but don’t call me a racist or
a Mexican basher just because I want to stem the flow of illegals.
I’m Asian and I have no problem saying that any illegal Asian
immigrant or white illegal alien should be booted out of this
country as well. They damn well better be. I don’t care what race
you are, if you’re illegal, get out!

Rest assured Democrats, your party does still have a good number
of positive attributes. This fall, the Democrats can take advantage
of the Republicans’ mistakes and misguided actions concerning
abortion, gun control, the environment and important social
programs.

The GOP has squandered the abortion issue with regal stupidity.
It’s time for the Christian Coalition to wake up and face the wrath
of women who are threatened with the possibility that the GOP will
take away their right to choose. Bill Clinton can guarantee a
woman’s right to choose, but Bob Dole can’t. Too bad Bob, you’ll
definitely get hammered on this one in the fall.

Thank you Republicans for slapping grown women and their right
to choose in the face. Thank you for trying to force people to
bring kids into this world that they don’t want. "Go Pat Go," Go
home, Mr. Buchanan!

The Republican intransigence on gun control has also been
disheartening. Can someone please tell me what is wrong with having
to endure a five-day waiting period for a gun while authorities
perform background checks? Nothing, that’s what I thought. Then
silence, you gun-toting die hard National Rifle Association
zealots.

The GOP also lacks vision on the issue of the environment. The
Democrats have taken the lead in trying to manage a sustainable
environment. When the Democrats have gone too far and catered to
extreme environmentalists, the GOP wasn’t there to moderate.
Instead, the GOP went far right asking for practically no
regulations. It’s time for Republicans to follow the lead of
moderates on environmental issues.

Finally, the Republican Party has become too associated with
spending cuts in good programs: school lunches for needy children,
Head Start funding and AmeriCorps. Spending cuts are necessary, but
are tax cuts for the richest Americans? No, they ain’t; Reaganomics
went out of style with Larry Bird, James Worthy and the 1980s.

So where does that leave us? Well, it leaves me pretty confused
between Dole and Clinton. It may come down to a flip of a coin.
Shoot, where’s that damn army general war hero when you need
him?

Patel is a fourth-year political science student. His column
appears on alternate Mondays.