The Battalion
OPINION
Tuesday, November 13, 1990
Opinion Page Editor Ellen Hobbs 845-3; T uesda
Good news, bad news in politics
Last Tuesday’s election marked the
end of the campaign season, and most
people would agree that the next one
will come much too soon. But before it
fades into the history books as just one
more campaign of little substance and a
lot of hype, I offer my assessment of the
most deserving candidates, the least
deserving candidates, and what this
election means to our political parties.
• The Most Deserving Candidate
Who Won: This award was a tough one,
not because there were so many
candidates to choose from. On the
contrary, a list of nominees was difficult
to compile. Yet most people would
agree that it has to go to Lawton Chiles,
the former U.S. Senator from Florida
who beat Republican incumbent Bob
Martinez in the Florida governor’s race.
By discussing the issues and pledging
not to accept any individual
contributions to his campaign larger
than $100, Chiles earned the respect
and votes of the Florida people.
Although his contribution pledge was a
difficult one to keep, Chiles survived.
His pledge assured the people of
Florida that if victorious, he would not
be indebted to special interest groups.
Chiles ran a model campaign that
hopefully others will feel compelled to
follow.
• The Least Deserving Candidate
Who Won: No contest here. The winner
of this title easily goes to the backward-
ass, ultra-conservative Jesse Helms.
In one of the most closely watched
Senate races in recent history, the
people of North Carolina had their
choice of either Jesse Helms, the
Republican incumbent, or Harvey
Gantt, the former mayor of
Charlottesville.
It looked like Gantt’s discussion of the
serious issues facing North Carolina and
the country would earn him a majority
of the vote. But in the last week of the
campaign Helms ran a television ad that
played to the fears of the white male by
portraying Gantt to be in favor of racial
quotas in regards to employment.
Ordinarily, this type of tactic would
be ineffective, but considering that
Gantt is African-American, it worked.
Helms’ campaign reached a new low in
dirty politicking.
• The Most Deserving Candidate
Who Lost: As you might have guessed,
Harvey Gantt takes this prize.
While his opponent, Jesse Helms, has
Patrick
Nolan
Columnist
spent the last eighteen years trying to
rid the country of communists,
homosexuals and controversial artists,
Gantt thought the senator from North
Carolina should be tending to regional
concerns.
Gantt discussed education, the
environment, unemployment and taxes.
He purposely avoided negative criticism
of Helms while highlighting their
fundamental differences. Yet Helms
opted for the low blows and emerged
victorious.
• The Least Deserving Candidate
Who Lost: While old news, it deserves
the award. David Duke’s run for the
U.S. Senate in Louisiana scared people
nationwide.
The good news is he lost; the bad
news is he won roughly 46 percent of
the vote and is eyeing the governor’s
race in 1992.
How a former Grand Wizard of the
Ku Klux Klan can win 46 percent of the
vote is a disturbing question. But then
again, we’re talking about Louisiana.
• The Good News for Democrats: In
short, Ann Richards won, Lawton
Chiles won, you picked up eight seats in
the House of Representatives and one
in the Senate. You should be in a good
position to redraw district lines in your
favor.
You also dashed any plans Phil
Gramm might have for the presidency
in 1996. Unlike his colleague, Lloyd
Bentsen, Gramm’s political coattails are
non-existent. Virtually every candidate
that Gramm campaigned for lost.
• The Bad News for Democrats:
You lost the governor’s race in
California and Massachusetts.
Senator Bradley of New Jersey and
Governor Mario Cuomo of New York,
potentiaf candidates for president in
1992, fared poorly in their respective
races.
• The Good News for Republicans:
Clayton Williams lost. You can breathe a
sigh of relief, there will be no more
poking fun at your party’s nominee for
governor.
The best news for this party: you won
the big prize — four more years of a
Republican governor in California.
• The Bad News for Republicans:
You lost the Texas Governor’s race, the
Democrats are alive and well in the
South and your overly optimistic hopes
of gaining a majority in the House will
not be seen in this century.
Oh, one bit of advice, if you’re a
fledgling Republican who is
contemplating a run for a political office
and Phil Gramm or George Bush offers
their help, tell them thanks-but no
thanks.
• The Good News for Ann
Richards: You won. A political upset
that people will talk about for years to
come. Just months ago you were 15
points behind in the polls.
• The Bad News for Ann Richards:
You won. You will now face the arduous
task of trying to implement your
programs. Good luck with that while
you try to deal with a shortfall in
revenue of about 3 billion dollars.
• The Good News for Clayton
Williams: The oil industry seems to be
picking up. That may be enough to
make up the eight million dollars you
lost in the campaign while you defend
your bank in court from angry
insurance customers.
• The Bad News for Clayton
Williams: Nineteen months later, eight
million dollars poorer and you’re still
not governor. Console yourself with the
praise you’ve received on your
concession speech.
• The Good News for Incumbents:
You did much better than everyone
thought you would. The House
returned 96 percent of its members,
and only one incumbent lost in the
Senate. You fared well, considering this
was supposed to be an “anti-incumbent”
year.
• The Bad News for Incumbents:
The term limitation idea is beginning to
pick up steam. You had better get
responsive or face the wrath of term-
limiting initiatives.
So there they are, my interpretation
of last Tuesday’s election. Some
surprises, some obvious, none that we
haven’t seen before or won’t see again.
Patrick Nolan is a senior political
science major.
THE
COLLEGE
BOARD
©WtOTUtP&cePP
NEW
]Mail Callt
Fundamentalism not outmoded
EDITOR:
I would like to offer a different perspective of a fundamentalist than Jet!
Farmer has in his article “Fundamentalist religion: Its time has gone.”
I can relate to a great deal of what Jeff had to say about fundamentalists
taking their cause or belief to the extreme. People who use their beliefs to con
done violence are obviously dangerous to us all.
Let me point out why I feel fundamentalist Christianity is not an “out
moded belief.” I consider myself a fundamentalist because I believe in the
fundamental teachings of Jesus Christ. He was here to teach us all the basics
tl
e<
)y MIKE L
)f The Ba1
In reco]
raphy Aw:
c&M stuc
iranis anc
we all need to build from. His perfect example is a model we all should model 'round'th
our lives after.
It is always amazing to me how Jesus’ teachings have stood the test of time, Ho Rangot
and how I can use those teachings now, right here at Texas A&M.
It is true that the world today seems more complicated than ever before
With such a diverse world population one would expect such a variety of be
liefs when it comes to religion. I just have a hard time placing a fundamental
ist label on people that use extreme or violent measures to force their point,I
would rather call them extremist or radicals.
I can really only speak from a Christian point of view when I say that Ido
not feel that these violent confrontations, by people claiming they are funda
mentalist, are actually valid.
Look at the life and teachings of Jesus and see the how He related to a va
riety of personalities, not by violence, but with love. Believing in Him and his
teachings are truly fundamentalist. For that reason I am proud to label myself
fundamentalist.
John Braun ’92
Top 10 gubernatorial rejects
EDITOR:
In the spirit of David Letterman, I present
The Top 10 Worst Individuals to be Elected as Texas’ Governor:
10. Bill the Cat
9. Krusty the Clown
8. Donald Frump
7. David Duke
6. Oral Roberts
5. Rosanne Barr
4. Geraldo Rivera
3. Dan Rather
2. The Energizer Rabbit
1. Ann Richards
Brian Purcell ’93
Williams was a bad Ag
EDITOR:
This is a note to all of you who wanted to put Clayton Williams in office
because he was an Aggie.
When Williams was asked if he would run for governor again in 1994, he
said, “I may be an Aggie, but I’m not stupid.” Obviously, Williams does not
place much value on being an Aggie.
Yes, Aggies should stick together, but we should make sure who the true
Aggies are before we jump on the bandwagon.
Ariane Catala ’91
Bonfire bus cancellations not smart
EDITOR:
I would like to know whose bright idea it was to cancel bus service on
Thursday, Nov. 29, the night of bonfire.
First of all, many students, myself included, have classes on Thursday
nights and depend on the bus system for transportation to and from class.
Second, although I am not condoning the activity, alcohol consumption is
a fact of life at bonfire. Running the buses and even running extra buses the
night of bonfire will definitely cut down on the number of alcohol-impaired
drivers on the road.
According to the article, which appeared in a special bonfire section
The Battalion, the decision not to run the buses was due largely to the fact
that a few students who rode the buses last year were being rude to the
drivers.
Is it fair, though, to punish the entire student body for the actions ofa
small number of rowdy students? I would rather see them getting rowdy on
the bus than weaving back and forth in the passing lane on Texas Avenue!
I urge the person or persons responsible for the decision to cancel the bus
routes on the evening of Nov. 29 to reverse the decision immediately. I also
urge anyone who has paid for a bus pass and depends on the bus system for
transportation to class, as well as anyone concerned for the safety of Texas
A&M students, to speak up for the need to operate buses on Nov. 29.
For exa
cated? All
news stori-
Bryan 1
raphy ma
United St;
most geog
“It’s be
ered imp
“But you
places am
and undei
He says
nology in
geograph
You c
rent even
Ba
HOUS1
dent Herb
monitored
st extremi
university
“As I i
Toing to I;
Toing to n
:o take au
iown here
When
Texas kicl
srning boi
'For th
concerned
thwart the
Southern
‘As a rest
abuse hea
criticism.
“I gues
gored as
aid.
Lawrence J. Clark
graduate assistant
Have an opinion? Express it!
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit lettm
for style and length, but will make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. There is no guarantee that
letters submitted will be printed. Each letter must be signed and must include the classification, addressed
telephone number of the writer. All letters may be brought to 216 Reed McDonald, or sent to Campus Mail
Stop 1111. “
TV*
JbU)
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Cindy McMillian,
Editor
Timm Doolen, Managing Editor
Ellen Hobbs, Opinion Page Editor
Holly Becka, City Editor
Kathy Cox,
Kristin North,
News Editors
Nadja Sabawala,
Sports Editor
Eric Roalson, Art Director
Lisa Ann Robertson,
Lifestyles Editor
Editorial Policy
The Battalion is a non-profit, self-sup
porting newspaper operated as a commu
nity service to Texas A&M and Bryan-
College Station.
Opinions expressed in The Battalion
are those of the editorial board or the au
thor, and do not necessarily represent the
opinions of Texas A&M administrators,
faculty or the Board of Regents.
The Battalion is published Monday
through Friday during Texas A&M regu
lar semesters, except for holiday and ex
amination periods. Newsroom: 845-3313.
Mail subscriptions are $20 per semes
ter, $40 per school year and $50 per full
year: 845-2611. Advertising rates fur
nished on request: 845-2696.
Our address: The Battalion, 230 Reed
McDonald, Texas A&M University, Col
lege Station, TX 77843-1111.
Second class postage paid at College
Station, TX 77843.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes
to The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald,
Texas A&M University, College Station
TX 77843-4111.
Adventures In Cartooning
by Don Atkinson Ji
tf&i-Hetf-m.' x dip tr/
x vesTRoveo cot
M&xr op rue Mu/ wntev
uoosroM Recoups'