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■^here must be something wrong with
9 me. I am a Texan. I am an Aggie and
I. I am voting for A1 Gore.
Why? Because he is more qualified for
e job and has better policy ideas than our
jvemor.
For eight years, Gore has
been the most influential and
involved vice president in
this nation’s history. He has
played an integral part in the
disarmament of the former
Soviet Union, cut govern-
ent spending, protected the environment
id represented America in international
lations.
Mi the battles he has lost, such as health
ire. he has stuck to his guns until the end,
^hi ng for what he believes is the best for
Krica.
Mis opponent never really stood for any-
inr before this election. Can you name an
ea in which Texas is better off today than
t |is six years ago?
Jpeorge W. Bush has played the part of
iifcmor well, smiling for the cameras and
itting ribbons, but where have the real re-
Mis been? He is not just a Washington
itlider; he is an Austin outsider,
mhe difference between the two candi-
rjtls is that Gore honestly cares about
Terica. He may not exude charisma or
ivi boyish charm, but he has the qualities
"ftssary to run this country — qualities
Jh lacks.
Nicholas Roznovsky is a
senior political science major.
believe A1 Gore and George Bush are fine
presidential candidates. However, I feel
Gore would be a better president.
«ease m dup* WO uld not consider myself a Republi-
I, +1/3ull., fo „ . T r
■ or a Democrat — so 1 am voting tor
ore because 1 agree with him on several is-
9m- The issues that mean most to me as a
fun, Laugn-a<j)inan and a citizen are abortion and equal
M-T(6pm-». ,
pm) &Sat( j*"-S.
BankotAn- ] am pro-choice — I believe that a
em 6 "sic Oman should have the right to decide
K |at she can do with her body. I am also
is Stan iieque-ilavor of equal rights, which entails
e coliacu C l lia * P a y f° r women.
exom |Bush has made it clear that he is pro-
.housInglOtJi ife. while Gore has stated that he is pro-
, :hoice. Bush said, “Surely this nation
9||ncome together to promote the value
, 0 ,„ 7T of life.”
I -800-77fAi. p
. MAmericans should value life, but the
value of life should include the choice of
Ijhattodo with that life. Bush is ignoring
$i5o:.- this notion.
As a college student, I am trying to im-
<713) love my life. This includes being able to
^-^gfupport myself. Equal pay for women is a
■jor issue in the work force of America.
A-T^pore is strongly in favor of equal pay for
l>meh.
| Recently, Gore said, “Working women in
IS | is country will never have the futures they
i W erprices 1 ^ serve unt >l they earn the pay they deserve.”
s, credit ca* ; 1 strongly feel that if women do the exact
pe job as men, they should be paid the
line. From a woman’s point of view. Gore
will protect my rights.
I Sunnye Owens is a junior journalism major.
portunity half the world envies, then you
might as well move to one of those other
countries.
I am fairly skeptical of politics and
do not believe an ambitious voter who
casts his or her vote will change the
system.
However, I do believe that, since the
historical shift from monarchies to rep
resentative governments, heads of state
have been bound, however loosely, to
speak for the will of the people.
And it is this belief that keeps me
speaking and keeps me angry at politics,
because as John Steinbeck said in The
Grapes of Wrath, when people stop be
ing angry, they lose all influence.
I voted for George W. Bush. Not be
cause I believe he is a “reformer with
results,” but for the same reason I call in
repeatedly to MTV’s “Total Request
Live” and ask them to play more small-
label rock bands — because I can, and
because I want MTV executives to
know that someplace, somewhere,
somebody is still angry for having to
listen to Britney Spears and her clones.
So I wish Bush the best of luck. He
is going to need it. And blast Carson
Daly for not playing more Elliot Smith.
Eric Dickens is a senior English major.
I
Election roll call
Columnists advocate their picks for president
hi
1
-I
J«
R
9 His
alph Nader was born to accomplish
two things — save trees and kick
ass. And he is almost done saving
_nd
2iy.
Lsit
or
His ass-kicking ability is reflected in his
jCjinent campaign for the presidency. Nader,
the Green Party candidate, has sued almost
every government agency imaginable and
[seems to have more experience dealing with
the facets of government than any other
candidate.
I Nader’s greatest asset is a well-built pro-
wessive character that even the square-
jawed A1 Gore cannot approach.
I The Nader campaign boasts involvement
in politics since George W. Bush was still
Rearing training boots. The Harvard-educated
|iwyer first arrived in Washington when he
was 29 years old and had little
on his mind other than mak
ing sure automobiles were
safe for Americans.
What transpired from that
is a legacy of consumer pro-
etion and standing up to practices that hurt
>eople. Thanks to Nader and his “Nader’s
Raiders,” the American public is more at
:ase than ever before in the areas of automo
biles, drinking water and the loss of Ameri-
an wildlife.
Vote for Ralph Nader. His history of dis-
egarding the needs of big business in favor
he needs of the consumer reflects that he is
he candidate who can lead America to the
text century.
nurd
Reid Bader is a junior political
science major.
a
W i
l
e solemnly declare that the
foundation of our political
position and moving prin
ciple of our political activity is our full sub
mission and unshakable faith in our Savior
and Redeemer, our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Agreement with the Constitution’s pre
amble should draw a vote for the nominee
who represents Biblical values — Howard
Phillips of the Constitution Party. While
third-party candidates never win the presi
dency, one should vote for the person who
best represents the voter’s ideal political
universe.
Those who rightfully fear a Gore win
need not choose between the Republican
and Democratic candidates, especially in a
state where a Bush win seems inevitable.
In a likely close election, the opportunity
for one vote to make a striking impact is
present; one should not waste it on a candi
date whose platform, like those of Bush and
Gore, is insipid and avoids issues.
So, patrons of a pro-life stance, advocates
of a strong American defense infrastmeture,
activists against drug abuse, supporters of
the Constitutional right to bear arms and
champions of other truly conservative caus
es should write in Howard Phillips.
Jennifer Ramby is a sophomore journalism major.
A nyone with an ounce of sense knows
who to vote for — the candidate
who cares greatly about the people
of our nation, despite their sizes — the can
didate who will make our nation happier and
healthier — the candidate who likes to wear
pink short shorts — Richard Simmons.
Genius minds think alike — Franklin De
lano Roosevelt’s “New Deal” shows striking
similarities to Simmons’ “Deal a Meal.”
Simmons has shown dedication to ending
our nation’s epidemic of obesity with his in
genious programs and emo
tional personal visits. Sim
mons needs to go beyond
“Sweating To The Oldies” to
solve the rest of our nation’s
problems.
Simmons obviously can
trim more than waist sizes; he can trim the
national budget. He has shown his cost-cut
ting abilities by wearing short shorts.
Simmons has shown that he can achieve
his goals with the structure of his “Deal a
Meal” program. Simmons would reduce
Medicare costs with a nationwide “Sweatin’
To The Oldies” program to make his con
stituents happier and healthier.
It is obvious that anyone who wants this
nation to be healthy and full of glee will
write in Simmons on the ballot today.
Shannon Greenwood is a senior
computer engineering major.
P eople can argue about who would
make the best president until they
are blue in the face, but the differ
ences between Bush and Gore are not obvi
ous enough to make a noticeable difference.
The president is just one man, and a rela
tively powerless one at that. Even if the new
president did have strong, life-changing be
liefs, he could not singlehandedly change
the course of the entire nation.
However, neither presidential candidate
is offering anything the American public has
not heard before, so these concerns are un
founded. Both majority candidates are mas
ters at riding the political fence in garnering
as many votes as possible.
There is more variation within each polit
ical party than there is between them, which
makes it unlikely that either president will
advocate any drastic legislation — it might
hurt his chances of being re-elected.
Jessica Crutcher is a junior journalism major.
A fter a great deal of mind-numbing
deliberation, I am voting for Gov.
George W. Bush.
Let’s be honest — both major candidates
are seriously flawed.
Essentially, Bush was a failure in life un
til he reached middle age. His string of dis
astrous oil busts in the ‘80s solidified his
legacy of being a terrible businessman.
As governor, Bush skillfully rode the
coattails of an aggressive state legislature
and claimed credit for welfare and education
reforms that were well on their way to ap
proval before Bush was sworn into office —
all of this on top of the
shameless exploitation of his
family name.
Vice President A1 Gore is
no better. His tendency to
embellish his accomplish
ments — “inventing” the Internet, “serving”
in the Vietnam War — rides that line be
tween bending the truth and flat-out lying.
Furthermore, I have no tolerance for the
current campaign finance system. Simply
stated, it is legalized bribery. The lingering
question marks over Gore’s improprieties
during fund raising are too murky to ignore.
Despite his flaws, there are two com
pelling reasons I am voting for Bush.
First, I wish to see Roe vs. Wade over
turned by the Supreme Court. There have
been rumblings that Chief Justice William
Rehnquist and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg,
among others, are pondering retirement.
Last year, Roe was narrowly upheld in a 5-4
decision. As president, Bush would be in a
position to appoint pro-life justices and
change the balance of power in the court.
Second, Bush is a “Washington outsider”
who has a track record of erasing party lines
in the name of the greater good. In his re-
election campaign for governor, he earned
the surprising endorsement of the Democrat
ic lieutenant governor, Bob Bullock.
Even with my vote, I admit I do feel a bit
jaded. Both major parties have moved so
close to the center that, in many respects,
they are indistinguishable.
I guess I have been listening to too much
Rage Against the. Machine.
David Lee is a senior economics and
journalism major.
T he problem with elections is that you
have to pick somebody. Well, techni
cally, you do not have to — you can
abstain. But if you do not want to take an op-
fully support George W. Bush be
cause I believe him to be a true
leader and the most capable man
to lead our country.
Though it is not blaringly evident,
there is a major difference between
Bush and Vice President A1 Gore: Gore
deals with details, plans and programs,
while Bush uses a value-oriented ap
proach to leadership.
Karen Hughes, who has been Bush’s
communications director since his cam
paign for governor in 1995, said in 1999
that it is possible to know Bush’s posi
tions on issues without consulting him.
Hughes said that when Bush first
took office, he told his staff that all his
positions could be knows by asking sev
eral questions: Does it promote the fami
ly? Does it facilitate and promote con
trol for localities? Is there an existing
law that clarifies the subject?
Bush knows what it means to govern
without bias or partisanship, as evi
denced by his administration in Texas.
He will govern on the premise of what
is right for America, not what is right for
approval ratings or an overly controlling gov
ernment.
Bush will lead our nation with unrivaled
dignity and bold vision, and that is why he
has my vote.
Chris Carter is a senior
speech communication major.
O ne could take many things into con
sideration when choosing how to
vote for president. For me, the one
thing that sticks out is the issue of respect.
A1 Gore has been less than truthful with
the public regarding his personal life, his po
litical beliefs and his actions while in office.
The public now questions his credibility,
and he lacks its respect.
If Gore is not respected by the nation, how
can he be respected by foreign leaders? If
Gore is not negotiating from a position of po
litical and personal strength, America suffers.
George W. Bush is a man who has been
honest with the nation about his personal
life, his shortcomings and his hopes for the
future. He has surrounded himself with a
group of people who command respect.
When he deals with foreign leaders, the
American people will not have to question
whether Bush can be counted on to do what
is right for the country.
It is important for a president to have the
respect of the people and the world. Gore can
not deliver on this issue. This is the primary
reason my vote has gone to George W. Bush.
Mark Passwaters is a senior
electrical engineering major.
I n order for a government to be stable,
there must be a willingness to cooperate
on both sides.
Gov. George W. Bush has shown greater
responsibility in handling bipartisanship
than Vice President A1 Gore.
Gore, who favors the abolishment of the in
ternal combustion engine, is much more liberal
than he would have voters know. The points
on which Bush differs from Gore happen to
align with my conservative, religious nature.
Bush showed courage in addressing his
stance against both abortion and same-sex
marriages during the presidential debates and
Republican conventions. Bush displayed the
desire to give tax cuts to everyone, not just a
select few, as with Gore’s plan.
Since the two candidates seem closely
aligned on many issues, the deciding factor
was image. Though President Bill Clinton
did a fine job during his tenure, he brought
no respect to the Oval Office.
It is time to change that image by bring
ing in a Washington outsider, not by electing
an individual already tied to not only an im
moral presidency, but scandals of his own.
Marcus White is a sophomore
general studies major.
Mail Call
Student body shares
views on today’s
presidential election
As a junior wildlife and fisheries
science major, I have followed the
environmental policies of both can
didates closely, and the choice is
black and white.
Al Gore will be the most progres
sive environmental president we
have ever had, and George W. Bush
will be the worst.
Case in point: Al Gore helped
arrange the Kyoto Protocol, a world
wide treaty to reduce global warm
ing gas emissions.
It has already been signed by
every world power except the United
States. Bush, on the other hand,
openly opposes this treaty.
Instead he supports "voluntary”
regulation of industry. This policy
has only reduced emissions in
Texas by 2.4 percent and has
helped Houston become the most
polluted city in the country.
In addition, Bush recently ap
pointed two chemical/oil executives
to the Texas Natural Resources j
Conservation Commission, the very
board that serves to regulate those
industries.
In short, Bush is owned and his "
priorities do not serve the best inter- ;
ests of the United States, while Gore
looks to make our country an exam
ple of environmental responsibility.
Christopher Shull
Class of 'OV
This election period has taught
me so much about why the Ameri
can people, in general, are frustrat
ed with politics.
Each year voter turnout decreas- •
es, political cynicism increases and
indifferent armchair analysts debate
which of the two major-party candi
dates is the lesser of two evils.
Bush is running for the sole pur
pose of winning so he can add pres
ident to mediocre businessman and
ineffective governor on his resume.
Gore has had to fund-raise him
self into Washington so many times
that the values that he initially
brought to his career in politics
have been compromised to the
point of uselessness.
Why has no one taken a step
back to analyze why it is that people
in this country are really not given a
true voice in this election?
Government is no longer the
supreme force behind our national
motivations.
Large corporations have bought
our representatives and cus
tomized their appointments to cor
porate likings.
One of this season’s debates, for
instance, was funded by Anheuser
Busch.
Who gave these corporations,
whose minds are consumed by no
greater good than human greed, the
right to decide how our democratic
process will proceed?
This certainly is not the moral
voice I want governing our nation.
Our nation is moving into an era
superceding modernism, and like any [
transition period, it is time to throw
out these old and ineffective ways of
conducting government and replace
them with government that is truly
for the people and by the people.
Only one candidate, Ralph Nader,
has even addressed these issues.
Nader has built a career fighting
large corporations or> behalf of the 1
general public.
Isn’t that what you want a politi
cian to do for you?
Joshua Hamilton •
Class of ’03
Editor’s note: The Battalion re
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port of Gov. George W. Bush, nor any
for third-party candidates other than
Ralph Nader.
The Battalion encourages letters to the ed
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Letters may be submitted in person at 014
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Columns and letters appearing in The Bat
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They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of
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