m Battalion
O PINION
Page 5 • Monday, July 19, 1999
. Where, oh where, has my Liddy Dole gone?
Marginalized candidate can still beat George W. Bush if she capitalizes on her talents
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Beverly
MIRELES
ecratt
essel bi
mplex
is said.
ot tal
stitutes
tions
lizabeth Dole is
now the Republi
can’s equivalent
a party favor and
is been dismissed as
ich,
■hanks to George
Bush’s relentless
nd-raising and con-
ant media hype, Dole
fltering. Her poll
libers have dropped from 15 to 7 per-
‘rtt.
She has consistently beaten A1 Gore in
jpartisan polls, but in the GOP straw
ills, she cannot seem to get past the
eamroller that is Bush.
Ber pursuit of the nomination is now
pendent on the hope that Bush will
ale a misstep.
Bhat most Republicans think of her as
e obvious No. 2 in a Bush-Dole ticket
is severely diminished the role she
Bts to play.
Boor Liddy Dole.
Mas she gotten pushed aside or what?
lokly bread gets more attention than this
Bian does.
B>l<e many professional women. Dole
as been confronted with the secret max-
nlf gender politics - a qualified woman
Bwin the nomination, but only if there
not a man available to fill the post.
■he is quickly learning that being the
lost accepted female candidate does not
lean being the victorious candidate.
Breeding has trained her to grin and
ear this hard truth. Southern belle-style.
Bowever, if she continues to act in
licit a reserved way, she’ll be grinning
nd bearing it all the way back to the Wa-
flrgate Apartments.
Ber only chance now is to get out there
nd show a thing or two to prove gender
ihluld not be the only calling card of her
tandidacy.
■There are three main factors in the race
lofthe nomination - money, temperament
and experience. Dole needs to reaffirm
her positions on these three things in or
der to weaken Bush’s stranglehold on the
lead.
• Money: It is the necessary evil of
every candidate.
Dole has raised about $3.6 million, not
a bad figure. However, Bush has at least
$37 million bankrolled.
In order to use her obvious monetary
disadvantage against Bush, she could
campaign against “buying” the presiden
cy.
Americans, though thoroughly jaded
when it comes to money in politics,
would resent the thought that Bush, who
has over 10 times what the other Republi
can candidates have, deserves the presi
dency.
And the public should resent this.
''Moldy bread gets more
attention than this
woman does. 77
Bush may be the poster boy for big
money, but he certainly isn’t the image of
strong leadership.
Dole can remind them of this.
• Temperament: Dole needs to drop
the “preparedness is second to godliness”
act.
Spontaneity may not be her strongest
point, but by allowing the robotic image
she has gained to take hold, she’s harm
ing her candidacy.
Being thoughtful does not have to get
in the way of Dole’s image.
People want prepared presidents but
not timid ones.
Unfortunately for Dole, the need for
intense preparation can be misconstrued
as the inability to make important deci
sions.
If she can shake the automaton image,
then she definitely is on her way to
showcasing her experience.
• Experience: This is Dole’s true ace
— she is more qualified than Bush and
Sen. John McCain.
After serving as president to the Red
Cross and holding two cabinet posts, her
record tops both McCain and Bush in
public service.
As Red Cross president, she had to
make informed decisions at a fairly quick
pace. Bush’s governorship can hardly
boast the same experience. Texas gover
nors are typically weak.
She desperately needs to show she is
the most qualified for the nomination.
Those veiled barbs of hers will not do
the trick.
They will only remind voters of the
“Little Miss Perfect” moniker that New
York Times columnist Maureen Dowd has
already saddled Dole with.
Liddy Dole has the chance to win the
Republican nomination for president, if
she has the good sense to use her advan
tages.
If Dole sticks to the issues and rein
forces the notion that the other Republi
cans running do not have a strong issue
to stand on, she has a good chance to
make a jump in the polls.
For the Republicans who haven’t
caught Bush fever, she might be exactly
what the ticket calls for.
For those who already have bought
into Bush lock, stock and barrel, Dole is
patient.
She will be waiting and ready for
when he stumbles.
Beverly Mireles is a junior
microbiology major.
Jeff Smith/The Battalion
Wealthy nations must consider
^welfare of less affluent countries
More fees should be optional
■east LANSING, Mich. (U-
£ 1/jRE) — According to a recent
^ /^Bort by the United Nations De
i a careBopment Program, the increas-
;t, said ■globalization of world
arrestjconomies is widening the eco-
in Ifietmic disparity between the
d Morld’s most developed and
yer, 1 east developed nations,
jes andprhe reoort warns the increas
ebeen
-easons
)ortunii
iring,
said.
?d aftei
i Bark
; d bee:
dam
ie iva :
And if it is true that un
checked globalization will
plunge the world’s underdevel
oped nations further into pover
ty and plight, then is the United
States or any other globally suc
cessful nation obligated to assist
the unsuccessful nations or limit
their own success to limit the
damaee it inflirts?
doubtedly, needed when dealing
with free-market economics.
We learned that lesson rela
tively early in our history as a
nation.
We have been attempting ever
since to strike a balance between
unchecked competition and con
cern for the welfare of the eco-
W a
V V regis
tration loom
ing, I have
been flipping
through the
fall registra
tion schedule,
and noticed it
lists 17 sepa-
rate fees — Seventeen.
Some of these fees are neces-
S^rv Rut r>thp>rc aro inct r>lair->
Marc
GRETHER
The fee arrived a few years
back when a group of students
decided their cable bills were too
high and wanted help from
everybody else in paying for
them. Somehow, they convinced
enough other people to go along
with their coercive plan, and
now, all pn-campus students are
stuck with their legacy.
The health center and Rec
Center fees are two more fees
farced on students. However,
4.u ~~~ 4. r — _ _
facilities and an amazing rock
wall.
But why should a disabled
person be forced to pay $50 a se
mester for it? They may not be
able to benefit from it.
For that matter, why should a
lazy person be forced to' pay a
Rec Center fee? They will defi
nitely not benefit from a Rec
Center they choose not to use.
The career center fee is an ex
ample of a good fee. For starters,
' e fee is optional. The career
■nter stays in business because
'ople want it, people need it
id those people are willing to
ty for it.
Even some mandatory fees
e good fees. The computer ac-
ss and library fees help pro-
ie services all Aggies need.
Most other good fees (lab,
lysical activity and distance
ucation) are only assessed to
jdents taking specific courses,
lese fees are needed because
me classes cost more than
tiers. It makes sense that
□se taking the classes pay for
?m.
Attendance at a university is
t required.
Nonetheless, stupid, coercive,
ilectivist fees should not be
ced on students once they get
re.
Marc Grether is a mathematics
graduate student.
jstion you. Badges can be pur-
ised at K-mart for $4 plus tax. 1
it the students of Texas A&M
enow their rights and to be
are of these men.
Scott McCrosky
Class of ’98
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