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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 29, 1998)
•‘Ptember; Battalion led juni: McCown ' Saturdi, persityc'. 'eplaced art in ttel Jay's ga^f f North It S that perfi chance 1 : locum sa J Op inion Page 9 • Tuesday, September 29, 1998 Polls, panic and political spoils 'athy saves elections from scandaVs impact LE he most enigmatic aspect of ewinsky —K is the state m Prtgnpublic opinion, hi poll after oil, unnerving lajorities of ” " -*rican citi- CALEB mcdaniel (its have main- lim'd their approval of the Presi- ent s job in office. ■cads of pundits continue to isist — against all the laws of olitical logic — the matter is still none of our business.” And in son to a: "With ], you: He hai s own: in wha; : is way. h co ’ : biu of the lewd and nauseating Hes)lK«ji s 0 f “gtarr Report,” Hy Americans still seem able s his e!rmp ara te their opinions of Pres- S h' 11 iW Clinton’s “jobs” in the Oval e oe i[fj( ? f roni f[i s job in the Oval Of- ■ Go figure. States ■h many, the public’s resilient le coni:aMj va j ence j s a mystery. To he 96 ■ rS) j s downright disgust- nid plaetB gut take a moment to con- ee arch:m- t fjat it is simply the fact of te matter. o try a:: p as ^be polls seem to indi ear an: a tl most Americans still ap- WundeMe of the President’s policies is re: (hie abhorring his personal m justrBpies, then another equally ppenetrable mystery immedi- tely presents itself, w are the Democ- ats so worried gut the fall dolgressional i P(i$ lections? iher le. m goal: ond in tied for ovv card: she doe anyone It is not hard to find pes simists in Washington, but they seem to be having a special hey day discussing how the debate over impeachment will influence the November elections. Deter mined to make the scandal parti san, Democrats are now step ping to the floor to encourage their Republican colleagues to speed up the inquiry. After all, they know election day is just around the corner. But Democrats are wasting their consternation. If the Amer ican people have done anything right in response to the Lewin sky matter, they have judiciously kept their opinions of President Clinton confined to President Clinton. No one, not even Ken neth Starr, would claim Clinton’s shenanigans should reflect on his party. The failures were his own, not the party’s. Most everyone, whether they support or oppose Clinton’s im peachment, can agree that the question is whether to impeach Clinton. The question is not about whether the entire Demo cratic party should be booted from office. And the polls reflect this im partiality. If they show majority of nee r with th i the cof Coliseu isas oma. d to ntrf : Americans are willing to support Clinton’s job performance while booing his moral performance, then they imply Americans will similarly keep questions of Demo cratic policy separated from ques tions of Clinton’s fitness to lead. The polls do not give reason to think there will be a huge politi cal fallout in November because Clinton let too much hang out last year. This is, after all, the way it should be. You may have no re spect for President Clinton. You may deplore his character and his credibility. And you would have good reasons for holding such opinions. But you should not let these reactions influence your views of other Democrats. They are different individuals, and they deserve separate, im partial judgment. So, Democrats, take a chill pill. People who voted for Democ rats before Lewinsky will contin ue to vote fot Democrats after Lewinsky. (And by voting a De mocratic ticket, they are not nec essarily voting for Clinton.) People who did not vote for Democrats before Lewinsky will still dump the donkey after Lewinsky. (And by not voting for Democrats, they are not nec essarily motivated by Clinton’s ill repute.) Republicans, be aware of this fact. Tying to play the Lewinsky card to get votes in November probably will not work. If any thing, it will backfire. Americans are tired of this or deal. Being tired of scandal coverage does not mean that they approve of Clinton or dis approve of im peachment pro ceedings. But it does mean they are weary of war. And they do not want an election blem ished by stained dresses. They want an election based on policies, not on a personality. And if the polls are right, there will not be many surprises come election day. People will vote for Republicans because they agree with Re publican policies, not because Clinton is not a Republican. And they will vote for De mocrats because they agree with the Democratic platform, regardless of the fact Clinton is a Democrat. Imagine it — politics based on principles instead of per sonalities. Make it happen. Caleb McDaniel is a sopho more history major. Revelations guarantee Republican victories BEVERLY MIRELES F orget Moni ca. Forget Paula. And please forget the provocative headlines that have monopo lized newspaper front pages everywhere. Focus on the real issue at hand. Not only has Bill Clinton diminished the office of the of the presidency by idi otically exploit ing the adulter ous whims of a 22-year- old intern, he has single- handedly sabo taged the De mocratic party in the upcoming elections. While the Republicans have been sitting pretty for the last two weeks, De mocrats across the country, scrambling to save their jobs, have come very close to publicly denouncing the very man that repre sents them. And the school of thought that suggests “hate the sin, but love the sinner” must be a veritable slap in the face to all De mocrats running for office these days, seeing how the leader of their party jeopar dized their job security. The public, thoroughly sick and tired of the Starr report and its implied consequences of impeachment, still expresses a desire to move past the Clin ton issue. Keep in mind this does not mean that everything is forgiv en and forgotten. It is almost certain that the nation, weary of Clinton’s incessant denials, will take out their resentment on many incumbent Democrats, and shut out a whole slew of up- and-coming ones. Clinton regularly refers to “his place in the annals of history.” He is guaranteed one now, though it will probably be more of the infa mous type than a visionary one. Twenty years from now, Clin ton may be somewhat redeemed, as Nixon was in the public’s eyes, but historically he will still be the man who put the Republicans back in power in the executive and legislative branches. Politically speaking, this is more substantial to the public than Clinton’s wrongdoing. His alleged perjury may be a punish able offense, but the real punish ment will lie on the shoulders of the Democratic party. At this point, many Democrats are thinking about what a relief it would be if Clinton stepped down. At least it would spare the Ameri can public months of verbally elu sive rebuttals from Clinton’s legal team, and they would not have to stand behind a man that blatantly lied to them. cy to the Republicans for at least two terms. Clinton’s wrongdoing may not “get him” in the end, so to speak, but before he has even packed up and left the White House, the American public will be trying to wipe the slate clean of the scandal. In other words, they will clear the political arena of Democrats next election. TYuth be told, the Amer ican public may resent the Republi cans for their enduring im age as a group of over-privi leged “fat cats,” but they really distrust the De mocrats. Whatever or whoever Clinton manipulated, covered up, per jured, groped or misled, the fact that he took something as honor able as the presidency and then demoralized it is the true insult to the American people. The Democrats, unfortunately, will likely pay the price for it. Democrats in positions of power already seem to be few and far between. Besides Al Gore and Richard Gephardt, are there many other Democratic op tions for the presidency? Al Gore really should not even be counted, since his hopes of claiming the presidency have been ripped right out of his sweaty little hands by Clinton and Kenneth Starr. This is assuming the Democ rats have a chance at the presi dency. As of now, it looks like Clinton relinquished the presiden- Makes sense, right? The group that has continually and adamantly supported racial equality and attempted to give back to the less fortunate through funding is now consid ered the “shifty” party. The way things look now, the Republicans have the chance to rid themselves of more than a few Democrats this November, at least until the next set of elec tions comes around. The Republicans are already in control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Clinton scandal will defi nitely not loosen their grasp on either one, unless the Republi cans misstep and overplay their scandal card. For now, they have a clear path to the White House, and it is all thanks to Bill Clinton, leader of the Democratic party. Beverly Mireles is a sophomore microbiology major. ulingopP ! next n lie road: H riendships demand ectatio 11 ' 1 season 1/ he ssure e done 1 ' d the tf' natches Vggies'f i in tx ;ykora ^ kills pe f nble tch and n eight 1 ' 1 \ ome say friends make the world go two re*md. Some say All-Aitf p does. But junior 1 ryone knows ected 1(, |od times are jter when you i share them h someone. But just as col CORRIE CAULEY e represents an opportune time finding friendships that will it three •a lifetime, it is also a time en students are so burdened studies, projects and organiza- os, that friends are put on the :k burner. While many students get tght up in the grind of every- pergaP l they often take the availabili- of their comrades for granted. After all, that is what friends are — to always be there, right? Well, yes. And no. In today’s fast-paced society it asy to get caught up in the try of things. In college, it is easy to begin ing a hectic life that never ms to slow. And pressing on [Ward the goal of a huge salary er graduation makes it even er ^ a ^sier to become self-absorbed nalisiu'B and forget the ones who kept you going through it all. Although classes are the prima ry priority, friends are what make college more than an education. Friends make it an experience. And although throwing back a few and enjoying a Robert Earl Keen concert may seem like an experience, friendships deserve the more quality times too. College often creates cookie-cut ter friendships. Everyone falls into their routines and friends are made to fit that routine. Every week is the same — after the projects are done, work is completed and after other obligations are met, then time can be spared for friends. Unfortunately, waiting until a more convenient time to be a friend can be costly. People often forget they are living on borrowed time, and today is what counts. Like any relationship, what you put into it is what you get out of it. Friendship requires an investment. To build strong friendships, students must make them a priority. Each student has a unique schedule, some with more time on their hands, some with less. And although school and activi- attention ties are important. Chemistry 101 only stays with you a while, but a good friend is there to stay. Everyone likes to know they are appreciated, and friendships would be stronger if people were willing to make sacrifices — an hour of their day for lunch, a minute to just drop by and laugh over coffee or an evening to go on a drive and just get away. Now is the time to make each day count, to meet new friends and cherish the time spent with old ones. After this it is nine to five — a wife, a husband, a dog, kids, a mini-van (or maybe not) and the time you thought you would have just is not there. Students have such great dreams and potential in college, and they should make it count. It is possible to be the studious student, the over-involved Aggie and the kind of friend that makes a differ ence. It is all about priorities. College is a time for making memories, and there are won derful memories to be made ... but it is the people that make them precious. Carrie Cauley is a senior journalism major.