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COMMENTARY OCTOBER 14, 2004 - Page 5 Blurred ideologies breed dichotomy and tolerance cal swing voters. position America holds in the ROB GOEKE NEWS EDITOR Thus, on November 2, world, its citizens cannot be in voters have a choice between a bitter societal struggle. America is at the same an extremely conservative America needs to be an ex- choice and a moderately con- ample to the world, not a na- servative one. tion that's at war with itself and Logic would suggest isolated from the world as Tho- at the . that for this sort of political mas Friedman said in a New sam e environment to exist, social York Times column October 3. values would become more Abraham Lincoln said, "A conservative to correspond. house divided against itself The opposite is the case. cannot stand." At the time he If anything, social val- uttered that, slavery was the of the last statement is just as ues are becoming more and issue dividing the nation, quite I'm not Bush, and confusing as reality. views on gay rights and abor- literally. society has more liberal. Whatever your What is occurring is a Thankfully, dichotomy between popular tion, the fact that these ideas progressed light years since I'm not Kerry culture and politics. In the have become mainstream then. Butin many ways, we are race for the White House, the shows a more progressive divided quite bitterly. The abil- incumbent has made no effort society, which is not necessar- ity to work together with those Advertising gives narrow view of candidates to go to the left on any of his ily wrong. on the other side of the politi- policies and ideas. Traditional Problems 'begin when cal and moral spectrum is the sue advertising to win votes, social policies coupled with a this more forward thinking only way to solution. GEOFF PECKHAM and save the negative ads for stark, good versus evil view philosophy clashes with the Congress needs to do so, towards the end of the elec- of the world has led to a very more traditional political phi- but so does the average citizen. STAFF WRITER tion. Now, all I see is nega- right-minded administration. losophy. In essence, America If you have a view, make sure I'd go out on a limb and tive advertising. • At the same time, the now has two sides against it is well informed. If you're say about ninety percent of the Many of the ads aren't Democratic challenger has each other: the broadminded pro-choice, try and understand United States population even official ones for the ei- not provided a clear ideologi- left and the conventional where pro-lifers are coming k now 5 ther candidate. The Swift cal difference from his oppo- right. That is the reason for from, If you're with President who Vote Veterans for Truth have nent. During the presidential the bitter political and ideo- Bush on banning gay marriage, they're go- been running ads question- primaries, John Kerry was logical divide that exists to- do not view homosexuals with ing to vote ingJohn Kerry's years in Viet- close to Howard Dean in the day. When it comes to social hate or ignorance. America can for Presl- nam. The same strategy was ideas he espoused. Yet once issues, people are unable to be more liberal and conserva- used against John McCain, a Kerry was faced wi th George accept concessions. tive at the same time, as long Novem- former POW, in 2000, which Bush, he did not stay to the But compromise will as tolerance exists on both ber 2nd. helped Bush secure his left, but went back toward the have to be made in order for sides. trictly party's nomination. center to appeal to the magi- America to advance. In the guessing, I Iwon't question the va- would say roughly about forty- lidity of their claims, but the portion of voters who are un- five percent will vote for Bush, decided probably aren't fo- Senators please: D.C. baseball will the other forty-five percent will vote for Kerry. The polls don't cusing on John Kerry's mili- tary career. What Ibelieve it deny this. comes down to is people are hurt Baltimore on and off the field So it's not that difficult to assume then that the remaining mad at George W. Bush for and other attractions at the compete if they had some pitch- PATTERSON ten percent will decide who our how he handled Iraq, but BRIAN COEDITOR Inner Harbor will lose busi- ing or this was the year they next President will be. they aren't sure John Kerry wouldn't finish fourth. r was Shouldn't the advertisements could do a better job, largely The Expos are moving Oh well, at least I've got both parties release be aimed ~t because he hasn't taken a to D.C. and it looks like this a team to root for now. always envious because I that teri percent? If I were In definite stance on many of could be The Expos were dying wanted a team to be delusional charge of either George W. the issues. That's right, he's bad news in Montreal and the only about, and now there is one to Bush's or John Kerry's cam- a flip-flapper. Questioning for the go along with the Redskins and -paign. I'd make sure ~l~ads John Kerry's career in Viet- Orioles. place that made sense was Wizards. Locations like Washington. were diverted to the CItizens nam will have a minimal ef- Bal- Las Vegas, Portland, Puerto Of course I haven't been who plan on voting, but aren't fect, if any effect at all. timore Rico, and Tampa Bay could waiting the entire 33 years for sure for who yet. Oddly The same goes for sun Col- never support a major league a team, but my dad has been a enough, this is not the case in George W. Bush. If a citizen umnist, franchise. loyal Senators fan for the length modern politics. is already convinced of Michael It's been 33 years since of the hiatus. The problem with politi- Bush's shortcomings, ques- Olesker, "I had given up hope of cal advertising is that the _ads tioning his service in the fears that baseball was played in the ever seeing this day, but of capital nation's and now are aimed at the voters who Texas Air National Guard is Baltimore will ultimately suf- course it ain't over til it's over," have already made up their just reinforcing those notions, fer on and off the field. he said on the day the an- minds. Neither party is focus- not establishing new ones in "In Baltimore, we shud- nouncement was made. He ing on the undecided voters. the minds of the voters who der at the thought even remembers the Senators Instead of saying "you should haven't decided to vote for. because ... with baseball in final home game in 1971 when vote for this candidate be- These candidates need Washington, the estimated 2S they lead 7-5 against the hated cause .... " They're saying to enforce their images better, percent of Oriole Park atten- Yankees with two out in the top "You've made the right deci- not tarnish each others. If dance from the D.C. suburbs of the ninth. The fans stormed sion. Now go out and per- you're not ardently against figures to drop drastically," the field; the umps called the suade your nelghbor." Word of either of these candidates by Olesker wrote back in late game and awarded the Yankees mouth might work for th.e now, especially after aU the September. a 9-0 forfeit victory. movie business, but not poli- negative advertising that's The logic goes li.kethis: Now if you're wondering tics. been going on, you probably The Orioles lose the revenue what this has to do with More and more candi- won't be. So what difference Frank Howard l~ad the American l~ague McDaniel College, well it really inHomeRunsin1968andl97D.Wil1Tony dates are trying to persuade would it make by seeing an- generated from D.C. fans Batista do the same in 2005? doesn't have much to do with along with the value of the you not to vote for them, but other advertisement saying broadcast rights. As a result, seems to be a good time to it at all. As co editor in chief r rather against the o~her guy. John Kerry is unfit for com- they will not be able to in- stress to writers not to write This negative advertising has mand, if you don't think ~o crease their payroll and sign bring it back, even if Iam go- articles that have nothing to do been used for years, and while already? These candidates players to compete with the ing to have to root for Tony with the school. Then again as Batista, Brad Wilkerson, and it has been effective, this elec- need to get more creative, Yankees and Red Sox. Even Tony Armas. co editor in chief r can write tion is too dose to rely on trash- and they've got very little with the 'compensation I've heard a lot of delu- what r want to. ing talking your opponents. time left to do so. owner Peter Angelos will re- sional Orioles fans on campus At least that joke Imade Before the 1980s, candi- I'm Geoff Peckham and about Tampa Bay was kind of dates would use image and is- I approved this article. ceive from Major League talk about how they could funny. Baseball, local restaurants