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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 6, 1984)
Opinion Page 2/The Battalion/Wednesday, June 6, 1984 1 percent landslides Every time an election comes around, people are reminded to get out and vote. Some candidates call you on the phone and ask if you’ve voted yet. Cam paign workers may knock on your door and ask the same question. Often, a person’s response is, “The other guy’s going to win anyway.” Or, “Oh, one vote won’t make any differen ce.” But Saturday’s run-off elections illus trate that just one vote can make a dra matic difference. In the race for the Democratic nomi nation for Texas senator, Lloyd Doggett came out ahead of Kent Hance by a mere 476 votes — something less than two votes per county. Only 18 votes separated Max Hoyt and Joe Barton in the Republican run off for 6th Congressional District rep resentative. One vote can make a difference. If either Doggett or Hoyt was your choice, you could have solidified their leads. Victories by a precarious 18 votes — such as Hoyt’s — can be lost if the re count shows any discrepancies. Dog- gett’s margin of fewer than two votes per county may decrease. Likewise, if your candidate was Hance or Barton, you should feel guilty that you didn’t get out and vote. All it takes is a few people out of a large con gressional or senatorial district to make a difference in a race this close. Never believe that your vote doesn’t matter. Remember, if you think you don’t really care who is elected, you are just as stuck with that candidate as any one who voted for him or her. Think about that when the Novem ber elections roll around. — The Battalion Editorial Board Jackson resurrecting Ike's ploy Ur By DAVID S. BRODER Columnist lor The Los Angeles Times Syndicate WASHINGTON — With some prompting from Gary Hart and the ghost of Dwight Eisenhower, Jesse Jackson has put his finger on the tactic that could create a national television drama this sum mer, destroy Democratic hopes for a calm con vention, and conceivably frustrate Walter Mon dale’s plan for neatly nailing down the party presidential nomination. Jackson tipped his hand when he commented that what he is contemplating is like “the Eisen- hower-Taft challenge” at the 1952 Republican convention. That Jackson, who was only 10 years old that summer, knew the almost-forgotten story of that convention fight should send shivers down the spines of unity-minded Democrats. Robert Taft, the Ohio senator and hero of Re publican regulars, came into Chicago that sum mer as far ahead of Eisenhower, Earl Warren and Harold Stassen as Mondale figures to be ahead of his two competitors going into San Francisco this summer. The New York Times put Taft just 74 votes short of nomination as the con vention opened. Out of desperation, the Eisenhower forces charged Taft with a “Southern steal” of dele gates. Their complaint was that many of the Taft- controlled Dixie Republican parties had barred enthusiastic Democrats-for-Eisenhower from voting in their caucuses. The dispute centered on Texas, and pro-Eisenhower politicians and edito rialists trumpeted “the shame of Mineral Wells,” the town where the delegates were picked. The national committee and the credentials committee both voted that the Taft delegates were legitimate, under the rules. But the Eisen hower forces kept up the cry that if the “tainted” delegates were seated, “the nomination would be - tarnished,” as the Times put it. “The ‘steal’ there fore was reinforcement of the basic Eisenhower slogan, ‘Taft can’t win.’” Hart launched the same tactic against Mondale several weeks ago by claiming that 587 Mondale delegates are “tainted” by the fact that they were chosen in states where union political-action com mittee (PAG) money was used to finance the Mondale delegate slates. Mondale has promised to return the PAG con tributions, but last week Jackson got into the act, arguing that “if the money is tainted, so are the delegates.” So far, Jackson is alone in threatening a cre dentials fight against the Mondale 587. But Hart’s campaign manager, Oliver Henkel, has put Democratic National Gommittee officials on notice that if Hart did well enough in the final primaries to have a chance of stopping Mondale, he too may join in such a challenge. seating. Taft resisted, as he was hound todoif j m ^ati hoped to be nominated, and the first natioj :a iiy ur television audience ever to see a nominatingcn Tuesday vention heard hours of oratory from the Esc Ihe state hower side on the theme, “Thou shall not steal oldie ait Pressured by this propaganda assault plii ^ a ’^ ^ public opinion it generated, the delegates it budge rowly approved the “fair play” rules amendmet , ear ’s en and then forced Taft to yield most of thedi ; In ar pitted delegates. Eisenhower’s nomination [, House Ji came inevitable. aid the farious s Clearly, in the current situation, if a news; P 111 ^^ sion of the “fair play” rule were invoked a ru Mondale’s 587 “tainted” delegates were noli ,ii ” lowed to vote on any credentials challenge,Mu Durinj dale would lose control of the convention-mi laid, stan probably the nomination. Neutral party officials say the challenge to the delegates has little basis in party rules. In any case, they expect Mondale to control the conven tion committees where this will be decided. But Jackson’s reference to the Eisenhower-Taft fight clearly shows that he understands that need not be the end of the story. The ingenious device the Eisenhower forces used to break Taft’s grip and force him to give up the delegates that might have made him the nom inee was the beautifully named “fair play” amendment. But equally clearly, such a tactic is not limi work in 1984. Neither Hart nor Jackson everi crated Europe or attained the status of natioi am hero that Eisenhower enjoyed. While the pn Cl I ^ AS moment. But just because a tactic won’t wi name , sa does not guarantee it will not be attempted A group of pro-Eisenhower governors ad vanced the notion that, as a matter of “fair play,” the challenged Taft delegates should not vote on their own — or other challenged delegates’ — If Jackson is serious about pursuing his i| dated version of the Eisenhower strategy,at Hart decides to join him, the home screens newspapers will be filled with emotional char^:S ret *‘ enl ' that Mondale is winning with “tainteddelegates' That kind of convention may not domuchti Jackson’s or Hart’s chances. But it will certaiti improve Reagan’s prospects. Trying to avoid the campaign jinxes The Battalion C1SPS 045 360 Mendxrrof ' Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Rclxxa Zimniermann. Editor Bill Robinson, Editorial Page/Assistant City Editor Shelley Hoekstra. City Editor Kathleen Hart. News Editor Dave Scott. Sports Editor The Battalion Staff Assistant News Editor Den.t Brown Stall Writer* Robin Black. Kari Fluegel. Surah Oates. Travis Tingle Copv Editor Tratie Holub Photographers Peter Rocha. Dean Saito Editorial Policy Letters Policy The /Lmu/ion i* u non-profit, urlf-ut^ Leuert to i/ie EUitnr s/wm*/ not exoretl IMMtinic nr**/MlJrr ;i* * iiHnmitnilt .100 fin It in lenffllt. The etliitiri.il u*IT re- •>ei\ite it* Te.vus .l.vAf .»m/ ISr\:in-('.tdlege >er\es the right tn cxlil letters hir stvle untl- Si.mtin. letiffih hut ** ill make e« ery el inn to tn.iiiit.iin the juthnr’t intent. F.uh letter nniu be Ofnniun* e\f*rc%\eti in The ll.nt.tlinn .ire signet I jml mu*t inclutle the inhhets ant! thnse nf the Etlnnrt.il UtKinl nr the .inthnr. telefilnnie nutnhemithe writer. .nul ihi tn it netes\.iril% le/n t^eiii the n/hn- The ll.iil.ilinn is fnihli.thetl Monday mn% td Tex.!* AXM .ulinmisii.not*. 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EX 77IOX By HELEN THOMAS Columnist for United Press International WASHINGTON — President Reagan says he is running “scared” in his re-election campaign, even though the polls and the pols are reassur ing. The president was asked once more to speculate on his re-election chances when he was interviewed by an Irish Television correspondent and he refrained on grounds that he is superstitious. “I find it impossible to speculate or suggest that I am going to win,” he said. “I think it jinxes me if I do that. So I’m always going to behave as if I’m one vote behind. I’ll run scared.” In advance of the Republican National Gonvention, which is being called a coronation since the ticket is already set, the president is being se lective about his appearances. He is going for the high visibility on plat forms that will enhance his presidential and statesman image. His trip to Ghina caused a “blip” upward in the polls, says top aide Mi chael Deaver. And his 10-day journey to Ireland, France and England is giving him maximum exposure. In Ireland, he returned to the homeland of his ancestors, which can’t hurt him with the Irish-American voters although he insists that electio neering is not in his thoughts. He also is identifying with the nation’s war heroes as he goes to Nor mandy to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the D-Day landing during World War II, which marked the beginning of the end of the war in Eu rope. And in London he is hob-nobbing with the the leaders of Western Eu rope and Japan for three-days during the Economic Summit. His aides portray him as man who will attend the summit as a victor whose recovery policies have worked, and the others will have to get on the bandwagon if they do not want their economies to be left behind. He will walk with royalty at Buckingham Palace, and in somelrishi nals his ancestry has beentraced back to an 1 1 th century monarch. He has plenty of television on his trip abroad, making both themoit ingand the nightly news shows. When he returns the next big stage will he the Olympics, which her formally open at the end of July, playing to an audience of millions. Adel to the spectacular appearances his Oval Office picture takit and ceremonies in the Rose Garden, which can occur daily if he chooses. The advantages of the incumbency have not escaped him andhet certainly campaign from the White House even if it is not called that.Th Secret Service would love it and it would ease the problems considerab!' but for the man who likes to run as if he is 25 points behind, it’s notlikei that Reagan will not hit the road. But the full-scale campaigning is not expected to begin until afterll traditional Labor Day kickoff. On the other side of the coin, the Republicans are sitting on thesidt lines enjoying the spectacle of the Democratic candidates heating tl» selves up. White House money is still on Walter Mondale to win the nominatior and Reagan’s strategy is predictable. He will continue to link the form) vice president with President Jimmy Garter’s administration — which! foreign policy, at least, had many more successes than Reagan. The president, who heads the federal government, will run again. 1 government and Washington again as though he had just taken overtk reins. His speeches are laced with jibes against government and how the pn vate sector is the answer. Still he wants to be head of the United States government for another foil years and he does not want to rest on his laurels. I Garde convention polls in 1952 showed Eisenhowei likely winner, if nominated, the polls todaysfc President Reagan heating any Democrat. So the conditions that made the tacticworki i f cts l * 1 ' 1952 are missing this year — or at least atik * legist. “You’l he activ aid Dr. products keting fo prices. T alway in< you are b Durinj for water time to strike. “Then year com Hollowa; Agriculti the Text Station a mem spe “Peopl ever, tha attract in weather i In mai can be us added. I and Dur insecticid Insolvent financial institutions are bank robber's nightmare By ART BUCHWALD Columnist lor The Los Angeles Times Syndicate It was the legendary Willie Sutton who, when asked why he robbed banks, said, “That’s where the money is.” Willie’s reason may no longer be valid. Re cently a well-dressed robber walked into the Her itage Bank in Anaheim, Galif., and handed a note to the woman supervisor which read, “Give me all your money or I’ll start shooting.” The supervisor indignantly informed the rob ber that Heritage had no money and had gone bankrupt in March. The man walked out in dis- gust. What the newspaper story could not report was what happened when the robber got in his getaway car and drove off. “So how much did you get?” his partner asked. “Nothing,” was the rely. “They have no mon ey.” “What do you mean they have no money? All banks have money. The Heritage Bank is the largest one in Orange Gounty.” “What are you yelling at me for? They’re insol vent. The depositors have been paid off and the Feds are now liquidating the place.” “Why didn’t you know that when you decided to pull the heist in the first place?” “I cased the joint for three days. The reason I picked it was because there weren’t any guards around. I thought they were just being careless. It turned out there was nothing to guard. I should have been suspicious when nobody both ered to lock the doors at night.” “But how can a bank go busted?” “I guess they made a lot of bad loans and couldn't collect them. It’s going on all over the country. If it’s a big bank like Ghicago Gontinen- tal the Feds get nervous and put more money in, so there won’t be a run on it. But in this case they decided to let it go out of business. Don’t drive so fast. Nobody is chasing us.” “Why should they chase us? We came away dry.” “Don’t get sore at me. It isn’t my fait the bank screwed up. I wasn’t the only one in there that didn’t know they were out of money. Three peo ple were trying to get loans, and one lady wanted to know what happened to an electric blanket they promised her when she opened her ac count.” “Banks should put signs up when they run out of funds. We could have been killed or gotten 20 vears for trying to stick up a place that went un der because of a bad management.” “You just went through a red light.” “I always go through red lights after a bank robbery.” “But we didn’t rob the bank. Technically we have nothing to fear. If they didn’t have money it’s their fault, not ours. I wouldn’t be surprised if they failed to report it. The lady I gave the note to wasn’t even frightened. She was just mad I hadn’t read the papers.” “So what do we do now?” “I don’t know. I guess we’re going to have to read the newspapers more closely and find ot which banks are still in busines and which ones are in liquidation.” “Do you still hve the note you gave her?” “Yeah, she handed it back to me and told me not to come in again. I assured her she had noth ing to worry about on that score. I also told her I was going to pass the word to all my friends about robbing Heritage branches.” “What are you doing now?” “I'm rewriting the note. I’m going to say, ‘If by any chance you have any money in the bank, give it to me or I will start shooting. Otherwise, disre gard this message.’” FIRST THE PlAV WPEP/ THEN THE MOV/E BOMBEP ,mANP NOW PAPPVS BANK JUST WENT UNPER r h w