Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.issues From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: issues Wed, Mar 18 1992 Date: Wed, 18 Mar 92 05:44:27 EST Message-ID: 03-18 0000 DECISIONLINE: Issues & Debate USA TODAY Update March 18, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network Here are some of the issues and topics being debated across the nation Wednesday morning in USA TODAY: Election; Race. TODAY'S DEBATE - ELECTION: USA TODAY'S OPINION: The election mud-slinging has started. It's not pretty, but it can be instructive. Sunday, Jerry Brown drew attention by accusing Bill Clinton - without evidence - of funneling state business to his wife's law firm, which Clinton vehemently denied. It was the most flagrant evidence of a nasty edge that has invaded the campaign: George Bush attacks Pat Buchanan for owning a foreign car; Buchanan counters by labeling Bush's advisers "foreign agents." Clinton implies Tsongas is pro-Syria and anti-Israel. And a Tsongas ad asks, "What has Clinton got to hide that's really bad?" ... The electorate would be worse off if, for instance, courtesy prevailed and a candidate's racist past went unrevealed. ... The bad part of negative campaigning is that it might scare some timid angels away from political careers. But it can also keep out scoundrels who fear their misdeeds might be discovered. OTHER VIEW: PATRICIA NELSON LIMERICK, a historian at the University of Colorado: Negative campaigning is a waste of everyone's time, an insult to each voter's intelligence and a full confession from the candidates that they have nothing serious to say to the American people in a time of trouble. But USA TODAY still thinks negative campaigning has some tolerable, even redeeming, qualities? Well, why not? Even mud wrestling has its fans. Let us try to imagine Americans so hard up for entertainment that the spectacle of thin-skinned men shouting stridently at each other in a so-called "debate" would seem appealing and interesting. In tolerating, even encouraging, this degraded and degrading style of campaigning, USA TODAY betrays a cynical, resigned despair over the prospects for intelligent self-government in this nation. Democracy deserves something better. More to the point, democracy requires something better. VOICES ACROSS THE NATION ON RACE RELATIONS: WEST UNION, W.Va., Randy Bonnell, 33, real estate broker: Race relations are getting better, especially in the area where I live. We're in a rural area, and people used to be very prejudiced but have gotten much better over the last few years. Our population has become much more mixed, and everything seems to be going well. FREEPORT, N.Y., Carrie Nelson, 23, engineer: On the one hand, compared to years ago, they're better. But recently, they seem to be getting worse because of the increase in racial-bias crimes. Things are probably on a downhill trend because of our economy. Everybody's down and out and they have to blame someone. MELBOURNE, Fla., Edith Ivory, 38, certified nurse's aid: I don't really look at it like that. Yes, I believe race relations are getting better, but the only way to truly improve is for people to accept Christ in their lives and get closer to God. I'm a Christian, and I love everybody. I don't look at it as a racist thing. LAWRENCE, Kan., Don Bread, 47, college instructor: There seems to be more violence, more blatant display of discrimination. Perhaps it was better hidden in the past. I see it on the upswing here in Lawrence. Go across this nation, and you see racism sticking up its ugly head. OAK HARBOR, Wash., Eileen Cabral, 50, bookkeeper: I believe race relations are better because I see more people working and living together than they did maybe 15 years ago. On jobs, I don't think blacks or other minorities are discriminated against. Most employers simply go with the best candidate for the job. Issues & Debate Editor: Michele Coleman. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM