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Show MONDAY, OCTOBER THE DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE continued from page B opinion. Up and down 500 South, political operatives, interns and some politi. cians themselves were stationed to greet the Ute fans as they approached the stadium. They battled to shake every hand possible, to show the most support for the Utes and to get the largest amount of attention. The candidates fought hard, and winner was not easily an . discernable. Jim Matheson's campaign won hands down for the greatest number of signs and supporters. But Karen fire truck Crompton's and the woman dressed in a fish suit urging people to vote against Gov. Michael O. Leavitt were the most old-scho- questions. "Soundbites tend to dominate politics, but politicians need to get out and meet the people," Matheson said. Matheson, along with his brother, Scott, the dean of the College of Law, learned this from their father, Utah's former governor. Campaigning at home games "has been a political tradition in Utah for a long time," Scott Matheson said. "It allows people to put a name to a face and it builds excitement. We learned this from dad's issue-orient- POLITICS ol flashy. Many might think this article overanalyzes the situation, that the politicians and their campaigns just showed up to shake a few hands before the game, but they would be totally wrong. With Election Day just 16 days away, every move a candidate or a campaign makes is perfectly coordinated, planned and strategized. In the early morning hours on Saturday, a few campaign staffers led interns carrying hammers and wooden stakes to the stadium parking lot in an attempt to put their signs in the best locations. They also attempted to stake out an area to call their own before the game. The campaigns knew exactly which voters they were targeting. They didn't crowd around the student entrance, but the walkway traversed by tailgaters and the community members utilizing the Latter-day Saints Institute of Religion parking lot. Derek Smith, Republican candidate for the 2nd district, set up camp next to fellow Republican Nancy Workman, who is running for Salt Lake County mayor. The tandem was located directly across the street from the tailgaters and were the first major political presence fans came across. Smith's opponent, . Matheson, went for the opposite strategy. He set up camp right next to the south entrance to the stadium and was the last politician seen by the fans. His volunteers handed out "team rosters" with Matheson's logo printed nicely on thcback. Some candidates even planned out their wardrobes or at least their spouses did. One of the Democratic candidates' wife fussed about the shirt he had on, talking about it as if the two had a long conversation about the merits of wearing the red or grey sweatshirt and whether it should be accompanied with a collared shirt under it or not. In the end she got frustrated and said, "He never listens." Smith is slowly catching up to Matheson in the polls, and their debates are getting increasingly tense. They face off over the merits of a tax cut, the constitutionality of campaign finance reform and if gun control is a necessity, but the two seem to agree on the worth of pre-gacampaigning. "This is a great way to meet a lot of people and to build a lot of excitement," Matheson said. "Meeting as many people as you can is what politics ought to be about." Smith agrees. "People want an opportunity to meet the candidates in person," he said. "It makes the campaign more personal." Most of the time, volunteers attempted to hand out campaign literature while the candidates jiist waved and smiled as people walked by. Matheson said most fans are not interested in deep political conversations moments before the kickoff, but Smith said he answered a few ed campaigns." Scott Matheson said the "This is a great way to meet a lot of people and to build a Sot of excitement," Matheson said. "Meeting as many people as you can is what politics ought to be about." waning stages, every vote counts, and if the candidates can sway an undecided voter with a firm handshake and an overly excited "Go Utes!" cheer, then they will do it. Matheson and Smith were not the only candidates who worked the football crowd. U.S. Senate Candidate Scott Howell had his signs interwoven with those of fellow Democrats Matheson and Crompton. Leavitt's campaign bus constantly drove around the stadium honking its horn in a style similar to Crompton's fire truck's appearance . Football fans even saw a small glimpse of presidential politics, as the Green Party of Utah handed out fliers in support of Ralph Nader. The Green Party targeted the football game because "We have a more sympathetic crowd with U alumni then in many other venues," of said Dave Rowland, Utah's Green Party. Unlike Matheson and Smith, Rowland wasn't looking for the tailgaters, but more for the students. "Those are the people right in the middle of the education process," he said. "They are more receptive to Nader's message." Once the game started, some of the candidates went in to watch the Utes' Darnell Arceneaux throw better passes to the Rams receivers than his own, while the volunteers picked up the signs, which are on U property at designated times. By the time the game was over, any hint of the political carnival that had taken place only a few hours before had disappeared. Fifth South returned to normal, except for a few of Matheson's team rosters and Smith's brochures, but just wait until Nov. 4 when the Utes take on UNLV. The battle will ensue again and the stakes will be ever greater, with only three days until the football fans rush to the voting booth. only-allowe- "response has been great." "People like to see candidates out working the old way," he said. Matheson and Smith have attended every home football game the Utes have played, and with each game a couple more signs pop up and the candidates get more attention. "Since the commercials started coming out, people know who I am now," Matheson said. e camSmith said the a of is of series only paigning part as Election voters reach to attempts Day draws closer. Five nights per week, volunteers canvas the neighborhoods. Kids with rollerblades weave in and out of streets, dropping off campaign literature on doorsteps while Smith is at a campaign rally somewhere in downtown Salt Lake. "We are trying to find every opportunity we can to get the message out to the people," he said. The true question is, do the people want to hear it? "It takes away from the whole football game," said Ute fan Dean Webb. "I come to the stadium to be part of the game, not politics." Bountiful High senior Ryan Snel-so- n pre-gam- agrees. "I don't know why they think sticking 50 signs in the ground will make me vote for them," he said. While most of those walking down 500 South were not overly eager to meet the candidates, some enjoyed the political confetti. "It doesn't bother me at all," said Brandon Pack, a U student studying physics. "I picked up some of the literature because I find it interesting" Communication student Matt Stapleton said, "It is good for the candidates. It' is a great way to promote their campaigns." ..And that was part of the point. Whether people liked seeing the mounds of signs or the campaign strewn around the literature ground, they did start talking about politics. The public address announcer told the crowd that 37,505 people bought tickets to the game, but with large spats of empty red seats around the stadium it was obvious that the actual attendance was around 27,000. Still 27,000 hands take a while to shake, and while most, people already know who they are voting for, the candidates meet the many to influence the few. With the race getting tight in its The marketing slogans are unbelievably racist. "Everybody loves 2 light color," one ad announces. Another reads "get clearer, softer and smoother if you want to have that lovely schoolgirl complexion." As in the other exhibits, the analysis here is really insightful. The authors not only illustrate the oppression through fashion that white america had over African Americans, but they provide convincing evidence that these trends continue today. Other exhibits at the site include information and historical perspective on the Black Panther Party, the Tuskegee Airmen and the Million EBSSTiNGS continued from page 8 scholarly analysis. "The verdicts were hardly surprising in the climate of the time, where conviction was guaranteed of any black accused of such a crime," the site reads. "A local jurisprudence riddled with racism ensured that the defendants were at a disadvantage." The Black History Museum Web site's most interesting exhibit is one titled "Black or White." It takes a provocative look at a trend big in the '20s and '30s wherein many African Americans, in order to gain k traction in a predominantly culture, attempted to whiten their skin and straighten their hair. At this site, visitors can peruse advertisements that promoted products that claimed to bleach brown Man March. anti-blac- Such a scope and breadth of info- rmationon the 20th century in particularmake the Black History Museum's interactive Web site an excellent primer for this week's events. skin. mi. if m iwiimn 9 23, 2000 m ii iiiiiiim.ii.. n ' inn m rn I d ffii in imm imiiiii wiiw""P' miiiii-rf- mi1 mrtlnwiw m iiYTrtrin i D0N7WAUC, RUN TO YOUR NEAREST NEWS ( i SmNp!!! f1:: A IK Diversity finally c the U? Spanish as the OfficaS language of Utah? . if: S Tuition Is going to lofty go down? ""4 ' & If - j T yM. ) l v:.f"tf 3 ML 4 |