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Show ( t& n CAPITOL jgjjjjjjgj WATCHDOG V j Hendrix A popular president The old cynicism is developing of the apparent front runners for the presidential choices of the two major political parties. Once again we are hearing the "lesser-of-two-evils" talk that has accompanied presidential campaigns as far back as most of us can remember. In fact, it is said, "we haven't had a popular U.S. President since John F. Kennedy," and that very well may be true. President Johnson was riddle by the Vietnam War and refused to seek reelection re-election when his popularity in the opinion opi-nion polls fell below 40 percent. President Nixon weathered a first term with approval ratings in the 50 and 60 percentile, then resigned in disgrace when his popularity fell below 30 percent per-cent during the Watergate scandal. President Ford enjoyed lack-luster support and lost the most important poll of his political career - the election day vote in 1976. President Carter is riding a high of support for the first time since his election elec-tion because of the Iranian crisis. But during the early days of the 1979 "energy crises" Carter surpassed Richard Nixon with the all time lowest approval rating in modern polling history - below 20 percent. Pollsters agree that President Carter's new found popularity is beginning to fade as American patience runs-out over the hostage situation. Faced with this 20 year history voters are looking at another presidential election elec-tion year with a knot in their collective stomach. They want an end to the energy crisis and foreign affairs debacles. They want an end to domestic upheaval as a result of inflation. What we see is an incumbent president presi-dent seeking re-election on promises to correct these problems which have not been corrected while he has been in in the Oval Office. Carter will most likely run against Ronald Reagan, who comes to the public with refreshing rhetoric, but with credentials no better than Carter's - both served as Governors of their states. Will we, the electorate, vote for an unknown quantity in Reagan or a president struggling to snatch stability - of the jaws of failure? Perhaps its not the condidates that are so weak but we, the people. Is it our own apathy and lack of understanding of politics and government that makes our leaders ineffective? If we were to take time to understand the issues and the candidates, could we find someone to support? How often do we depend on the newspaper columnists, television commentators and our uninformed friends to tell us how to vote. Too few of us spend only $1.00, on our income tax form, to financially support the political process. It takes money, big money, to elect people to national office. of-fice. Too often the contributions to our candidates come from special interest sources expecting something in return down the road. Often what they want does not equal good government for the rest of us. And so another election season begins. In Utah we will elect an entire House of Representatives, a third of the State Senate, all of the State office holders including; Utah Constitutional Amendements. We will elect a U.S Senator, two members of the U.S. House of Representatives, and we will vote for President of the United States. Rather than being embarrassed in the voting booth by names we've never seen or heard before, (I sure know that feeling) let's be prepared to vote, and then support, those poeple we elect to public office. If we do, perhaps we can find another popular president. |
