European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 5, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 a the stars and stripes monday november 5,1990 columns Bob Partlow turnout expected despite voters anger voters Are mad As hell but it looks As if they re going to take it some More. Political analysts and Barbershop philosophers agree that folks Are fed up with Washington politicians but that this Quot throw the rascals out Quot sentiment wont translate into Many incumbent losses in tuesdays elections. Instead americans Are More Likely to show their dismay by staying away from the polls in droves. Predictions Call for a turnout about the same As in 1986, the last non presidential election year. In 1986, 36.4 percent of eligible voters cast ballots the lowest percentage since 1942. The mood of the nations voters is Quot disgusted disillusioned and disinterested a a said Curtis Gans director of the committee for the study of the american electorate. But while people declare their distrust of Congress they also figure their own representative is a pretty decent person at least for a politician. A recent Abc Washington Post poll found 34 percent of americans disapproved of the performance of Congress but 64 percent thought their local member was doing a Good Job. Only one incumbent congressman lost in a primary a Republican rep. Donald Quot Buzz Lukens of Ohio who had earlier been convicted of having sex with a 16-year old girl. The opposing party did not even put up a candidate against four incumbent senators a Sam Nunn a a. Thad Cochran a miss. David Pryor dark. And John Warnerr a. Quot people Are angry at the system and the institutions like Congress but not at their own legislators a said William Schneider a senior fellow at the american Enterprise Institute. He does no to expect Many officeholders to be voted out. A that would also require a Large turnout a a great Many people who done to usually vote going to the polls a Schneider explained. Quot but signs Are of a Low  whether they vote this is an autumn of discontent for Many americans. Even in areas where recession is not yet a reality folks arc worried about their jobs and disenchanted with elected leaders. Unemployment in Rural Jackson county Iowa is at its lowest level since 1965, said Bob Osterhaus who owns the drugstore in Maquoketa the county seat. But everybody still seems put out with politicians Quot people say when you Send somebody to Washington in three years they re contaminated a said Osterhaus. Quot there a a lot of frustration. People Are not feeling Good about reaganomics George Bush Jim Wrights amp is the Keating five. They re mad which Means they May or May not go to the  in Iowa s hot race dubbed the Battle of two Toms democratic sen. Tom Harkin is seeking re election against Tom Taulker a Veteran Republican congressman. Neither candidate can run As a Washington outsider and the incumbent Harkin is leading in surveys of Likely voters. Osterhaus said enthusiasm is wan for any candidate. Quot we re deluged with negative to spots a he said. A a lot of people Are very discouraged with Congress and the  everywhere the Economy is becoming a dominant Jim Fain Issue. Unemployment is increasing in Southern California a cutting into the traditional optimism in a sunny area where Boom times have been As much a part of the lifestyle As a Valley girls and surfers and Ronald Reagan republicanism. A a in a seriously thinking about moving East a a Laid off travel agent in Eltoro told the los Angeles times. This rising economic pessimism will Hurt republicans More than democrats in tuesdays election analysts said. Quot history tells us one thing about How the american people in elections View the Economy and that is that they blame the party that controls the White House a said Robert Beckel a democratic consultant in a to interview. Quot republicans Are not Only in the White House but republicans have held the White House for 10 years. It is a Republican Economy and they will take the  election trends Are hardly Rosy for republicans Schneider agreed. Gop stalwarts Are disgruntled a angry with president Bush for abandoning his Quot no new taxes pledge uneasy with the budget Deal and a summoned to any unifying cause like anti communism. Thus these republicans have Little incentive to vote Schneider explained. Quot its either going to be slightly bad for republicans or very bad for republicans a predicted Gans depending on How Well the democrats get out their voters. That turnout will Likely fluctuate wildly in different states. Black voters Are galvanized in North Carolina by the Senate race Between incumbent Republican Jesse Helms and Harvey Gantt the Black mayor of Charlotte. But elsewhere the traditionally democratic Biack voters Are not enthusiastic about the election said Ted Arrington chairman of the political science department at the University  Carolina at Charlotte. Quot Blacks Are going through a period in which they feel rather disappointed. A few years before distracting before the voting rights act we told Blacks their problems were they did no to have political Power a if they would just get registered and vote we would elect Black officeholders and their lives would change a said Arrington. A the fact is Blacks have registered and voted some Blacks have been elected to office and you know what the life of the typical Black person did no to get any better. In the 1980s, it May indeed have gotten worse a he explained. A there Isnit any enthusiasm in the Black Community to get out and vote a new York times tax Issue bolsters democrats election bids thanks to president Bush a goal line stand against taxing millionaires the democrats go into tuesdays midterm election in better shape than anyone dreamed. Instead of losing two or three Senate seats As seemed inevitable last summer they Are almost sure to break even and May even gain one or two. In the House they should increase their lopsided majority by 5 to 10. They have 50-50 shots at governorships in the Mega redistricting states of California Texas and Florida plus surprisingly Strong challenges in Ohio and Illinois local personalities and issues dominate most of these races but Bush a stubborn Battle for capital gains and upper income tax Breaks reminded voters there is a generic difference Between the parties when it comes to nurturing the Rich. It helped too that democratic leaders rediscovered their roots at the 11th hour and fought to shift a bit of the tax Burden onto people making More than $100,000 a year. Bush has had a remarkable run with messages from both sides of his Mouth Willie Horton is. Kinder gentler environment and education is. No new taxes a a in be had it with Saddam Hussein is. A going All out. To avoid  even so his Campaign pitch that republicans who voted against his budget ought to be elected because democrats had made him include taxes in his Noble Rescue of a deficit imperilled Economy was a touch hard to follow. If the Deal was evil Why was he angry at de Rollins for suggesting gop candidates oppose it if it was virtuous Why try to decapitate democrats who passed it for him Over the dead bodies of the candidates he now favors Al from who staffs the democratic leadership Council thinks his conserva Tive leaning group helped make democratic candidates More acceptable by steering the party away from special interest liberalism. He cites among others Dianne Feinstein in California Lawton Chiles in Florida Neil Hartigan in Illinois and Harry Lonsdale in Oregon. While he does no to exactly claim John Silber in Massachusetts some of Silbery Seery message fits his Mold. In the face of the sudden Squall republicans scurried in All directions a from a contrite gov. Bob Martinez in Florida to a motor mouthed Clayton Williams in Texas. They agreed on almost nothing except opposition to Bush s budget. Sen. Jesse Helms no ornament to either the human or caucasian race won the sleaze Derby. He panicked when polls showed him trailing his Black opponent Harvey Gantt in North Carolina. The result an openly racist attack reminiscent of Georgia a Eugene Talmadge half a can Tui ago. There a a lot of anger and disgust at the system these Days some of it unjustified. As congresses go the 101st Wasny to that bad. Passing even a Patchwork deficit reduction that raised taxes and Cut services before an election was Gutsy by today s standards. Enacting workable clean air and child care Bills was something no recent Congress had been Able to pull off. Campaign finance Reform was the Only conspicuous failure. In the Odd Way that politics plays out the resentment Isnit targeted at incumbents across the Board however. Republicans seem to monopolize the crosshair that a a healthy Omen for democrats in 1992, but they re sure to find a new Way to blow it. Cox news service