| The Harvard Salient | November 4, 1996 |
| Cover Story | |
here's something about Bob Dole that is keeping thoughtful Republicans up at night. There are plenty of good reasons why Bob Dole would make a better president than Bill Clinton. As Harvard Republican Club President Jay Dickerson explains, "Dole has a proven record on the issues": bloated entitlements and excessive government intrusion in our lives. In addition, Dickerson insists, "Dole is not an embarassment to the country."
But there are many who, while believing in the basic Republican principles of personal liberty and limited government which Dole, the candidate, represents, still do not feel comfortable with Dole, the man. Flip-flopping Slick Willie loses the character debate, but for many, it is Dole who makes them most nervous. There's something about Bob Dole that is staying my pen as I move down my absentee ballot.
If forced to put the feeling into words, most women would use the word "choice." Clinton is for it; Dole has made it fairly clear that he opposes abortion rights. Litmus tests are for irrational zealots, but in this case their use may be indicative of a more general attitude toward personal freedom. Of course, it really doesn't matter what Dole personally believes, because the proven system of checks and balances can prevent him from imposing his ideology on the rest of the country. Still, I don't want to check his box.
It could be the "age thing," but even a friend's father, who is a contemporary of Dole, commented that "Dole has missed the boat on the big move toward women voters." He's not taking women seriously as the educated, politically active force they have become. Despite a feeble attempt at a rhetorical embrace, women are not convinced that he "gets it." What is ironic, though, he chuckled, is that although Clinton sounds more appealing to women voters, he is "a bottomless pit as far as ethics are concerned." There are a lot of "God-fearing, upstanding" women who don't like Clinton's scandalous behavior, but they are voting for him by an overwhelming margin.
Some point to Dole's tainted political career - for example, his involvement with the tobacco industry - as the reason he dissatisfies voters across the Republican spectrum. The issues aren't really the central concern for many, though. As freshman Jeff Kepp argued, there is "a lack of purpose to [Dole's] campaign." It seems to be "just another step in his political career." Even though, as Dickerson said, Dole has a proven record in the Senate, Kepp worries that he is simply "not fit to rule; he can't lead." The frustration at this inexplicable something keeping many away from solid support for Dole simply increases as his campaign flounders in this miasmal indirection. Nevertheless, Kepp doesn't agree with the opposition either. "I'm a Republican," he affirms - red, white and blue. Clinton, no matter how hard he has swerved to the right in the past year, he will always be soft - fuchsia, ecru and cornflower.
There are some specific issues that concerned people most. Joe Varet is convinced that Dole's plan to fix the welfare system is simply a euphemism for feeding it more tax dollars. He worries about the influence of Medicare and Social Security special interests. Dole is as bad as Clinton to him, and he will vote for the Libertarian candidate, Harry Browne. Mike Patterson sees a parallel between the racial integration of the armed forces in 1948 and the admission of homosexuals today, and views that issue in almost the same way as many women view the abortion issue. Patterson acknowledges, though, "[My rejection of Dole] is based more on intuition than reason. I don't have to like someone personally to vote for them, but I do have to be comfortable putting them in a position of power. I am not comfortable giving Bob Dole the power of the presidency."
omfort is a funny liberal-sounding word, one
which most Republicans would not care to use. But there is something sticking
in many of our craws. I don't want to vote for Clinton, but I don't want
Bob Dole to be my president. I don't want an America represented by him.
Choosing a president is not like choosing a legislator. Time and again people
bring up the character issue, wondering whether it is relevant to the job
of governing. I would say it doesn't have to affect the political process,
but it most definitely affects the way we see ourselves as citizens of a
country. Dole isn't just out of touch with America, but it seems most people
feel out of touch with him.