Bob Dole Essay, Research Paper

How Dole Could Have Used The Issues To His Advantage

In a more or less conservative state, the more or less conservative

campaigner, Bob Dole, should hold been a lock for the presidential term ; the lone

job was President Clinton. Clinton had moved rightward positioning himself

between Newt Gingrich & # 8217 ; s avid revolutionists on the right and broad

democratic barons on the left. Clinton & # 8217 ; s addresss started sounding like a

Republican was giving them. Bob Dole had followed the Nixon political orientation of traveling

& # 8220 ; starboard & # 8221 ; in the primaries and coming back to the centre in the general

election. The lone inquiry was whether Dole had gone excessively far right and would

non be able to retrieve in clip. With Clinton & # 8217 ; s move to the right and his

advantage of tenure, Bob Dole would hold to show some exciting new thoughts

to win over the American people.

Throughout the history of presidential elections, there have been a few

issues that ever appear: abortion, offense and the economic system. The place taken

by campaigners on these issues could do or interrupt their run.

The first of these issues, abortion, has been a hotbed of contention. The

pro-life versus the pro-choice groups. Throughout his political calling,

President Clinton has been adamant on back uping a adult females & # 8217 ; s right to take.

Clinton stands house on the fact that abortions should be & # 8220 ; safe, legal and rare & # 8221 ;

without many unneeded limitations. To further demo his difficult stance on

abortion, Clinton vetoed a measure in April that would hold banned a seldom used

process termed & # 8220 ; partial birth abortions. & # 8221 ; President Clinton defended his

determination, naming it justifiable in utmost state of affairss, such as instances of colza,

incest and to salvage the life of the female parent. Unlike Bosnia and homosexuals in the

military, Clinton has non wavered on this issue. Bob Dole on the other manus has

taken merely the opposite stance on abortion. Dole opposed the 1973 Roe v. Wade

determination that legalized abortion. In 1983 he voted for a constitutional

amendment to turn over this colony but has since softened his base and

supported an amendment to curtail abortion except in instances of colza, incest and

if the life of the female parent is in danger. Dole, non surprisingly, supported a prohibition

on & # 8220 ; partial birth abortions & # 8221 ; and has condemned President Clinton for blackballing it,

stating, & # 8220 ; A partial birth abortion blurs the line between abortion and

infanticide, and crosses an ethical and legal line we must ne’er cross. & # 8221 ; Dole & # 8217 ; s

place could present a possible obstruction to the presidential term. His stance is

responsible for his immense gender spread. Women perceive Dole as stiff and

insensitive to their demands. What Dole must make is lodge to his guns but reassure

the state that even though we do non all agree, we must non allow it split us.

Another pillar, in footings of issues, is that of offense. With gun control

statute law being debated in the Congress and lifting rate of drug usage among

adolescents, the state as a whole is acutely cognizant of this relentless quandary.

Clinton is the first Democrat in a long clip to take the offense issue from the

Republicans. A jurisprudence and order president, Clinton has supported the decease punishment,

and backed the & # 8220 ; three work stoppages you & # 8217 ; re out & # 8221 ; policy of life sentences for three

clip convicted felons. The President besides signed the Brady measure set uping

a five twenty-four hours waiting period to purchase pistols and besides pushed the chiefly Democratic,

1994 offense measure which sanctioned 100,000 new community constabulary officers. Dole

has supported about every anti-crime statute law that has passed his desk in

his 35 old ages in Congress, but in a show of partizan political relations led an resistance

battle against Clinton & # 8217 ; s offense measure. He called it & # 8220 ; porc La

den” for its support

of such frivolous plans such as midnight hoops, which called for a

plan to open up school gyms to inner metropolis young person in order to maintain them off the

streets. Dole besides tried unsuccessfully to undo the proviso for 100,000

constabulary officers, reasoning alternatively that communities should be free to pass their

money in any mode they wish and supported turn overing the prohibition on assault

arms. In add-on Dole has been critical of Clinton & # 8217 ; s judicial assignments

naming them soft on offense. He has pledged to name tough Judgess who will be

tough on offense, particularly drugs. Dole must utilize this issue unrelentingly. Even

though offense Numberss are down, offense is still a job. Dole must reiterate his

call for captives to work 40 hours a hebdomad to assist counterbalance their victims and

so travel rapidly to the drug epidemic. Dole must utilize Clinton & # 8217 ; s faux pas ups

against him. Remember that Clinton said that if he had to make it all over once more,

he would inhale. Dole must besides utilize fellow Democrats against Clinton, such as

representative Charles Rangel, who has been quoted as stating, & # 8220 ; I & # 8217 ; ve been in

Congress for over two decennaries and I have non seen a President who cares less

about this issue. & # 8221 ;

With the federal shortage in the millions of dollars, the authorities has

been progressively seeking to cut back passing but more must be done. The

American populace has grown really wary of the extra money being spent by

authorities. Any presidential aspirant must turn to this issue adamantly.

Clinton took many stairss early in his first term to demo his New Democrat

political orientation through heavy shortage film editing, and due to a large revenue enhancement addition, the

shortage has fallen from $ 290 billion to $ 130 billion during his first four old ages.

He besides called for a line-item veto, a Republican thought, for three old ages before

acquiring it passed. Clinton would utilize this as a waste cutting tool. Since that,

nevertheless, Clinton has neglected the issue, peculiarly on the balanced budget,

proposing 10, 8, and 7 twelvemonth proposals. Last twelvemonth his resistance to a 7-year

balanced budget forced two partial authorities closures.

During his congressional calling, Bob Dole was a shortage fellow, back uping

a balanced budget while minimizing supply side revenue enhancement cutters. In an attempt to

combat Clinton & # 8217 ; s dual digit lead in the polls, Dole has reverted to a program for

a three twelvemonth, 15 percent income revenue enhancement cut and a $ 500 per kid revenue enhancement recognition.

Although this would still up the shortage by $ 550 to $ 800 billion, Dole insists

he can still equilibrate the budget through a Reaganomics manner economic growing.

Even though support for Dole & # 8217 ; s 15 per centum revenue enhancement cut has declined he must still

harp on it. It will look much more consistent if it is used in context with the

cost of college, place monetary values and the job of caring for the aged. Dole

must besides emphasize the fact that Clinton is for large authorities, which means

disbursement large money. This will besides do his revenue enhancement cut more compatible to the

people. If all else fails, merely state, & # 8221 ; The best manner to maintain authorities

functionaries from passing your money is non to give it to them in the first

place. & # 8221 ; It worked for Reagan.

Dole did non utilize the issues efficaciously, and he did non demo assurance in

his thoughts. Clinton presented himself as a brake between Dole and Gingrich & # 8217 ; s

conservativism and it worked. Dole presented facts and figures, so expected the

American populace to clap him. But we & # 8217 ; re covering with world here, to win, he

should hold been more aggressive and tackled the issues head on. In the terminal, by

non turn toing the issues clearly, Presidents Clinton & # 8217 ; s middle of the roader base, coupled

with the good economic system and aggressive candidacy, was excessively much for Bob Dole to

over come.