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Show 4 Signpost-Friday, February 5, 1988 Top ten things a president needs to demonstrate Does anyone fit the bill? Chris J. Miller Editor-in-Chief Two very important events happened less than four days apart, although they are probably considered to be at different ends of the spectrum in terms of world-wide importance. Late Night's David Letterman hosted his sixth anniversary television show last night. And come Monday, the Iowa caucuses will take place, the first major hurdle in the race for the presidential nominations. So, in combining the two very important events, I'd like to list the top ten things I'd like to see presidential candidates demostrate along the way to the White House. (My home office is in Big Piney, Wyoming.) 1 -- Appeal to all areas of the political spectrum. My favorite for this is Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri. Gephardt seems to me to be able to fit into any age and credibilty group. 2 - Persistence in the face of adversity. Vice president George Bush has continually taken the licking, and seems even stronger than ever. 3 An ability to handle complex economic issues. Republican candidate Pierre DuPont has the money and has some good, if not lofty, economic ideas. 4 - Empathy for the underdog. The Rev. Jesse Jackson is the hands-down winner in this one. He fights for the less privileged no matter what the circumstances. 5 Political maturity. This is a must, and one of the toughest. While many candidates have trouble showing their maturity, Sen. Robert Dole seems to have kept his cool intact 6 A unique angle. It makes a person easy to follow when they are easily identifiable (as is Ronald Reagan.) The vote here has to go to Paul Simon, the ex-newspaperman with the Charles Kuralt wardrobe. 7 - An ability to relate to sports teams. This may seem like a goofy one, but as long as the president is going to make those customary calls to the winning locker room, he might as well be good at it. Old NFLer Jack Kemp is the choice for this one right now. 8 - Can stay away from scandals and controversies. I think Arizona's Bruce Babbitt ought to be one of the best at this. He hasn't been affected at all by other politician's problems in his home state. 9 - Should have a good game plan for after the elections. Governor Michael Dukakis has been impressive in his announced plans to do with the country what he did to Massachusetts. 10 - Tough talker. Albert Gore has taken the lead several times and spoken his mind, a noteworthy effort among the normal political strategy. There you have the list of lists. A couple of names are absent from the list, most noticeably Gary Hart, Alexander Haig, and the Rev. Pat Robertson. Not that they don't have some of these qualities, but I don't think they are even serious candidates; Hart for his escapades, Haig for his past, and Robertson for his zeal. This editorial was not written to belittle any candidate, but to illsustrate a point or two about the group of presidential aspirants, and possibly about all future White House hopefuls. While all have certain qualities which are noticeable and desirable, it seems obvious that no one candidate has distinguished himself beyond that. With each succeeding president it becomes apparent to me that the American public has created an expectation of perfection from our nation's top executive. Is it too much to ask? Probably. The country will never be satisfied with what the president is doing. It's an unwinable job. PRO and CONsensus C -VS: As the 1988 primaries and caucuses approach, who do you feel are the front-runners? Why? Polling and photos by Judd Bundy i 1 1 ii liniiiiiii - Wi.rn jtmii impumimmfmmmmJ ft ni .., ,J "Gary Hart. But I would prefer Babbitt and Bush." Ted Hansen Sophomore Earth Science Education Ogden, Utah "Hart, by name recognition only. I'm not real thrilled with any of them. It's like picking the least of the worst, and Bush will get the Republican nomination." Cindy Olson Freshman General Studies Seattle, Washington "Gary Hart, because he's got the right moves, and Bush, because he is Reagan's puppet." Kevin Mask Junior Microbiology Boston, Mass. "Dole, because I like bananas, and Bush, because Pat Robertson has made enough money on TV." Gerald Wilcox Junior Chemistry London, Ontario, Canada I f " ; i ' " '-hk - i i I t ' -.-"li!r.v.?. U- - -AzP J Photo not available "It's still too early to tell for the Democrats, but Bush has got it tied up." Sharonn Firebaugh Freslvnan General Studies Ojai, California "Babbitt and Bush probably." Doug Warner Sopliomore Business Management Sandy, Utah "Definitely Dukakis. If "It's a real weak not, Gephardt. And of election year. No one is course, Bush and Dole." really worth voting for." John Cowan Junior General Studies Ogden, Utah Michelle Cypers Sophomore Pre-Pharmacy Layton, Utah |