European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 23, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 columns the stars and stripes David Broder Bentsen is democrats Best Hope for 1992 in the Short time since to network computers once again coloured the electoral map of the United slates in Republican hues the democrats have Wal Lowed in collective guilt and Mutual self loathing As is i hair custom. But they Haven t gotten to the heart of the matter. Unless they do they will find that 1968 has crippled hem As badly for 1992 As he 1984 election did for this year. The problem is not simply that Michael Dukakis followed Walter Mondale in losing California Texas Illinois Michigan Ohio Pennsylvania and All of the South. Thai s bad enough. What is worse ii i hts human legacy. In 1984, the Only other candidates the democrats introduced to the country were Gerildine Ferraro Gary Hart and Jesse l Jackson they turned out for very different reasons to be in Nomin table in 1988. A Quarter Century of history argues that the Ameri can people do not elect strangers to the White House. For Good reason. They know the occupant of the ova office makes decisions of great consequence for them their families and their country. They take the Choi every seriously. With one exception the people hey have chosen to entrust with that responsibility Are peo ple they have known Well Long before election year. The great exception is Jimmy Carter and he lingers in voters minds As a cautionary example of what can �0 wrong when you entrust the White House to stranger. Since the Rule of the presidency is that no strangers need apply the vital question for the democrats is who else besides Dukakis did their party introduce to the voters in this election Cycle people like Dick Gephardt Albert Gore jr., Paul Simon Bruce Babbitt Patricia Schroeder and Joe Biden probably Don t count. It s doubtful any of the lingered Long enough to create a lasting favourable impression with the voters of Many states. No the Only democrats other than Defeated Nomi Nee Dukakis whom the country got to know in 1988 were Jackson once again and sen. Lloyd m. Belsen of Texas. The reality the democrats have yet to grasp is that they must nominate one of those three men in 1992 or Challenge the incumbent president of the unite states with someone who. Is once again a stranger to the american people. R. What do democrats know about these three men they know that Dukakis is a candidate of great tenacity and steadiness who won deserved credit for the unstinting Effort and uncomplaining Demeanour he showed in the final stages of his Campaign. But they also know that he carries a Large share of the responsibility for booting away chances to have made this a least a close race. His history suggests that he does things better the second Lime around but Democrat would obviously think twice about sending Dukakis Forth As their Champion again in 1992. Jackson is the most exciting figure in the parly Arnold Sawislak More dynamic by tar than the men who Defeated him for nomination in 1984 and 1988. But any realistic Democrat knows Jackson carries two Large burdens into a presidential contest his race and his ideology. Jackson can do nothing about his pigmentation an the returns from last week s election once again demonstrated the racial polarization of the american electorate. He has shown no disposition to change his views. He occupies the most leftward flank of a nation Al party which already is seen As being to the left of most general election voters and that leaves by Olsen the Surprise Star of the 19bs Campaign viewed More favourably than any one else on either ticket unexpectedly effective both Asa stump speaker and a television performer As much in demand in the Northeast the Midwest an the West As in the Southern Stales that were originally envisaged As his special province. Sci Ibsen is 67, comfortable and influential As Senate finance committee chairman. He has inherited Lyn Don Johnson s and Sam Rayburn s distaste for person Al involvement in the nitty Gritty of democratic party organizational affairs for All that Bentsen is clearly the Best available Hope for the democrats restoring their tattered Politi Cal credibility. If Paul Kirk is willing to serve another term As party chairman As seems increasingly Likely democrats need not search elsewhere for a master of the mundane but Villa arts of fund raising and organization building. But Kirk docs not do policy and Bentsen is clearly the Man who should be drafted to Bead whatever new National policy Council the democrats create an to speak for the party along with its congressional leaders in responses to president Bush. He May not in the end have the Energy or desire Torun for president in 1992 in which Case the democrats can contemplate the relative risks of Duka Cit Jackson or the mysterious stranger. But if bunt san performs up to his Campaign Stan Dard As Leader of the Loyal opposition in the next four years he could become the consensus Choice for 1992against a Man he already has beaten once in a Texas Senate race1george Bush and even if he failed to win Back the White House he Likely would have the judgment to pick a mining mate who would give the democrats a head Start instead of a headache for the 1996 race against vice president Quayle we Englon poll unfavourable news withheld until after election it always is amazing to note How Many Small pieces of bad news somehow manage to pop to the surface in Washington As soon As a National election is Over. It May be wickedly cynical to suggest that these negative nuggets were held Back for political reasons until the voters had selected a new president. But try As one will it is hard to believe that All of the fallowing developments just happened to be ready for Public announce ment less than a week alter nov. B the Justice department filed Brief asking the supreme court to Over turn its landmark Roe is. Wade decision permitting women to have. Abortions during the first phases of pregnancy without breaking the Law. The labor department announced it would permit individuals to to piece work at Home in several industries where such activities have been banned for dec Ades because of a history of sweatshop conditions. The department of transportation announced a program of random drug testing of employees in the transportation Industry whose jobs involve Public safely or Security. The Farmers Home administration began sending out notices to 80,000 Farmers that they must pay their Delin quent Loans or face foreclosure action the office of management an budget announced that the fiscal 1990 budget which under the Gramm Rud Arian Law May not. Be More than 100 billion in the red now appears to have a,$132 billion deficit $21 billion higher than the last reelection estimate. Oddly enough a huge increase in the expected budget deficit also came to Light a Short time after the 1984 presidential election. None of these actions constitutes a major Surprise policy decision forthe Reagan administration and it seems very unlikely that any or All of them i announced before nov. 8, would have changed the course of an election i which the Winner got 7 million More votes than the loser and carried 40 slates. Out while several of the items above might please As Many people As they out rage it is Only common sense to suppose that no politically savvy Public official would purposely risk alienating even the smallest pocket of voters just before an election that is expected to be close. The simple fact is that he Liming of these announcements is just another example of now the party in Power tries to remain in Power. It should be noted that the National Farmers Union alerted the Media weeks before the election that the farm foreclosure action could be started any time after oct. I when official regulations governing the program look  Clark the Cha administrator also had a ready explanation of Whitlook a full month after the regulations went into effect to gel the foreclosure notices into the mail. We had to train thousands of people out in the Field and we just could t do it any sooner he said there is no reason to doubt Lark s statement but a colleague who did his Basic news training at the fabled City news service in Chicago recalled being told if your Momma says shelves you Check it out. The opinions expressed in the Calam usand cartoons on this Page represent Bose of the authors and Are in no Ray to reconsidered As representing the ticks of the Slars and stripes or the United tales government