Well, after watching the presidential debate I am still alive and awake -- just barely -- and standing firm in my support of Bill Clinton. Perhaps you are as well, or maybe not, but no matter where your political views lie, the political forum for discussion keeps getting weaker.
First, let's go to the challenger's issues. Bob Dole likes to talk about drugs. Well, let's talk about drugs. Clearly drug use today is down from where it was 25 years ago, when probably everybody, including President Clinton, was getting stoned. But crime is up, drug profits for dealers are up, more people are in jail, and drugs are just as available now as then. Those are the facts.
Sure hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent, literally millions have been arrested, and what has changed? Well for one, there can be no serious discussion about doing anything other than "Beefing up our War on Drugs." Just like in Vietnam, America cannot realize that they are losing a war.
At least Clinton is somewhat open on this issue; he appointed Jocelyn Elders as Surgeon General -- which Dole attacked him for tonight -- who at least said that we should consider another approach with drugs. Clinton himself smoked marijuana in college, as everyone in his (and many in our) generation did. Dole, however, is grasping at straws, and can only point to some random statistic about four year drug trends to try to rally a pathetic campaign. At least Clinton is just holding in the middle, rather than using those same old scare tactics.
I did Lincoln-Douglas debate for three years in high school, imitating the value and moral oriented debating style, patented in that Presidential debate. Yet last night, there was no such clash. Clinton touted his numeric and legislative successes: 10.5 million more jobs, the drop in crime, four straight years of cutting the deficit, Medicaid, the Brady Bill, the Assault Weapons Ban, his commitment to Medicare, education and the environment, etc. Granted, President Clinton has advanced the nation considerably in the last four years, which is probably the major reason why he will not only get my vote, but win the election. Yet he has had no real platform of action and has allowed the current debates to be taking place under conservative guidelines and issues, rather than pushing forward a progressive platform.
Why? Because we have let the Republicans fire the shots, instead of firing our own. What about racial equality? Income equality? Our national commitment to education, children's welfare, and human equality? Why is there no attack on the racism, gay--bashing, sexist policies advocated by Senator Helms, Senator Thurmond, Pat Buchanan, and the right wing? Where have the progressives gone? Hopefully, four years from now, with Al Gore at the helm, the Democratic party will again be able to push for a better national policy, rather than trying to starve off ideas that would weaken this nation.
Dole, held some candy out to us, a 15 percent tax cut, and in typical Republican style, hoped we were all too stupid to realize that we (when dealing with Republican plans, "we" only refers to the non-rich) wouldn't realize that we're shooting ourselves in the foot. Dole called for a "Main Street Tax Cut" -- which translates into cutting the capital gains tax. Is Dole looking out for Main Street, America, or Main Street, Beverly Hills? Although, don't think for a minute that Dole does not know what Beverly Hills 90210 is. He dazzled us all in his closing speech by "Inviting all the young Americans to check out his web page, www ..."
I wonder if Senator Dole realizes that the internet was created by the very same government funding he wants to cut? But in today's political climate one can never admit the government has accomplished something good. Even President Clinton has stopped doing that, stating that the government should provide us the tools that we can use to be successful. What ever happened to the idea that the government could do more than that? How about providing us the atmosphere to be ourselves: to be gay, to experiment with our bodies without the fear of the drug death penalty, to be what we want to be, rather than what Washington wants us to be?
I've decided to vote for President Clinton, as the best of a bad bunch. I hope that at least he will allow, in his second and final term, a national discussion, where all views can be discussed both openly and intellectually. A forum, where Jesus and the Religious Right are not allowed to set the rules, a place where one can decide if he agrees with Marx without facing a blacklist, a stage where all are free to voice all of their ideas. Isn't that what America is supposed to be?