Page 32 - Phoenix1999-2000

Thursday, October 21, 1999 - Page 8 COMMENTARY Governor Too many politicians - and the election Ventura in is a year away! - the news enough junk is the big deal lately? I have seen Edward Schultheis experiences In fact, maybe we should just move the elec- What early presidential campaign on television the presi- about just to get it over with. tion to next Tuesday again dential elections to last me a lifetime. Forbes overload. and news experience to more thought pro- our television That way we can devote this, Gore that, Beatty whatever. The only problem is that the elections a Republican, a Democrat, or maybe even a voking topics. Ryan Seavolt explains how aren't until November of the year 2000. That reform supporter. The recent splurge of presidential candi- is more than a year away! Governor Jesse Ventura's Don't you think it's a little premature to Perhaps I'm a little bit of everything. I am dates only enhances my notion further. Can simply jokes that My roommate blatant honesty has once again be discussing presidential hopefuls this early going to hell because I am not a Republican. we just cut it out? to see so much politi- I mean if I wanted landed him in hot water. in the race? Maybe he's not joking. cal stuff, J could just look at my roommate's Iwas even surprised to even see the usu- I thought it would be a hard enough de- wall and see George W. Bush stickers, and Has the most popular governor in the ally controversial "Politically Incorrect's" cision to choose between Gore and Bush. he even is part of the Steve Forbes online country stuck his foot in his mouth? "Sur- Bill Maher talking about the presidential Now, however, Ihave so many other choices poll, which Iam sad to say that Ijoined. vey says: YES 1" and man, is that foot ever race. such as Forbes, Bradley, Buchanan, Beatty, I mean realiy, Warren Beatty for presi- stuck in there good. Citing that he doesn't normally talk about and Trump. dent? Donald Trump? By the time they get In a recent interview with Playboy presidential candidates so eariy, but if they Oh wait, never mind, I was wrong, it's out of office.they would have gone through magazine, the governor of Minnesota, were willing to throw it out for all to see, still just Gore and Bush. Oh, where have you four first ladies. Jesse Ventura, spoke very critically of then he could then start his bashing. gone Dan Quayle? It seems that every single movie star with religion, sexual assault, obesity, drugs, Politics, it seems, has become one of the We need a simple person to cut through money thinks they can take over the White prostitution, and other issues. largest businesses in the "free world" at least. all this madness. Maybe we can just have House. CNN reponed that Ventura made the statement that organized religions are 0. Warren Beatty for president? Donald Trump? By the time they get out of office they "sham" and a "crutch for the weak- minded." would have gone through four first ladies. He also commented that the Tailhook scandal in 1991, when several female Na- Imean, good old Bill and Hillary haven't Bill stick around for another four years. N~vember 2000 is still more than a year val officers were sexually harassed, was even gotten out of the White House, and they Perhaps Hillary can just lake over for her away. "much ado about nothing." must feel like everyone isjust trying to speed husband for the next eight years. By then So Gore moved to Nashville. So Bush did These comments have gotten Ventura, up the process. Chelsea will beold enough, and then she can inhale. So what? the highest elected official of the Reform I guess it's kind of like talking about a take over the family business. This might be the first election r can vote Party, founded by Ross Perot, into deep person's funeral, and they aren't even dead It's not too realistic, but it would solve a in, but I am sick and tired of seeing all this trouble with his fellow party members. yet. lot of political problems for sure. junk this far away from the election. Russ Verney, the national chairman of My roommate is an avid Steve Forbes The point is simple. There simply is too My only consolation probably will be by the Reform Party, asked Ventura to re- supporter and an especially staunch Repub- much madness right now, and it's not even next year they won't have enough dirt on the sign because of the outrageous state- lican. election time. candidates to run a full story. ments. Senate Majority LeaderTrent Lou This doesn't really pose a problem, ex- Perhaps it's just that we love elections so Oh nevermind, it's politics, what was I cept in the fact that I am not sure what I am, much that we want to start a whole year early . thinking? ... I can at least respect thefact that he speaks Pat Buchanan can't catch a break his mind... In his new book, A Republic, Not an Ryan Seavolt describes Pat Buchanan's fellow Republicans are jump- Empire, Republican presidential hopeful Pat Buchanan's affected she present ing on the "hashing bandwagon" with the also denounced Ventura's anti-religious Buchanan makes the argument that the political world. front runner for the Republican nomination, statements in a recent speech. United States should have had no involve- George W. Bush, and fellow GOP candidate While I do not agree with Ventura's ment in World War I. drawn-out Cold War between the United Elizabeth Dole, criticizing many of dismissing religious individuals as weak- He contends that the United States had States and the Soviet Union from taking Buchanan's writings. minded, or his incredible lack of sensi- no important national security interests in the place. Steve Forbes has also gotten in on the act, tivity for victims of sexual harassment conflict and so should have stuck with a Although Pat Buchanan's statements are berating Buchanan for his controversial opin- and assault, one must wonder ifhis crit- policy of "isolationism." somewhat hard to believe at times, they nev- ions. ics have ulterior motives for denouncing Buchanan doesn't stop there. He goes ertheless are legitimate arguments, whether However, Buchanan's fellow Republi- the governor. even further, saying that if the United States right or wrong. cans probably did this more out of an attempt Verney, for example, is a good friend had not been a participant in World War I, However, instead of trying to combat to curry favor with the mainstream establish- of Perot, whom Ventura says is no longer then the war most likely would have ended 'these arguments with historical Jacts, ment than to express their own views. a serious presidential candidate. In addi- in a bloody stalemate. Buchanan's critics rely on accusations that At present, it seems that everyone wants tion, Ventura supported Jack Gargan's So, Buchanan claims that World War II he is an anti-Semite. to point their finger at Buchanan and boldly successful attempt to repJace Verney as would never have been fought because the This accusation stems from his opinion proclaim that what he said is outrageous. It party chairman in January. German people would not have had so much that the United States need not have been doesn't seem as if anyone wants to try to Similarly, Lott has his own reasons for fear and resentment of the Allies. involved in the second world war. Michael explain why Buchanan's statements are so denouncing Ventura - namely to become Thus, Adolf Hitler would not have had Kelly, a columnist for The Washington Post, wrong. more accepted by the religious right. the opportunity to rise to power by playing wrote an op-ed column in which he stated It's hard to guess at the twists and turns Lou is not alone. Too often today, upon the fear and anger of the German that an anti-Semite supported Buchanan af- that history might have taken if a different politicians condemn something or some- people. ter Kelly had written critically of the politi- action were taken at a critical moment in the one simply because they know it will lead Needless to say, critics of Buchanan are cian in a previous article. past. However, at least Buchanan dares to to more public support for themselves. taking this opportunity to target this example This statement implies that the only sup- speculate on this, while most of his political While I vehemently disagree with of "irrational" thinking in order to destroy porters of Pat Buchanan are anti-Semites. contemporaries seem content to cater only Ventura's statements, I can at least respect him as a presidential candidate. So, does it matter that Buchanan may to the political issues that will garner them the fact that he speaks his mind, even if Of course, if World War I did end in a have one prejudiced supporter? I'm sure that more votes. it results in more trouble for him from stalemate, as Buchanan suggests, then World there are many bad, unsavory individuals out Personally, I would not necessarily sug- both politicians and the public. War II may very well have been averted. So, there who support elected officials already gest that the Republicans of this country vote For his part, Ventura, famous for pro- are Buchanan's statements really that unbe- in office. for Pat Buchanan. I, for one, intend to vote wrestling long before he became famous lievable? Seriously, could anyone with any moral for George W. Bush as our next president. as a politician, boldly proclaims that un- To the delight of his critics, Buchanan fortitude still support President Clinton af- However, the American people should be like other public officials, he tells the truth also contends that after 1940, Nazi Germany ter all of his immoral activity and bold-faced made aware that Pat Buchanan is a serious about everything. was no longer a threat to the United States. lies to the American public? politician with some well thought-out ideas. Governor Ventura says that although Granted, that one is a little hard to swallow, The predicament that Buchanan's state- Likewise, the press and rival politicians his opinion may differ from that of oth- but it is still a legitimate point. ments have gotten him into may squash any should not criticize Buchanan so harshly, at ers, he will not necessarily give the po- Perhaps the United States should have let chance he has for a solid Independent run least not without attempting to make some litically correct answer when asked about Nazi Germany and Communist Russia oblit- for the Presidency, and especially for the solid argument concerning the validity of his his feeling on a particular issue. For that erate one another, then swoop in to take com- Republican nomination for President, even statements. bit of honesty, at least, he should be com- mand of the situation. ifhe were to miraculously make it to the New After all, rampant accusation serves no mended. This could have prevented the long, Hampshire Primary and win.