European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 28, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday March 28, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 13 commentary Walter r. Mear democrats discovering the joke s on them t marvelling at an old friends record ratings in the popularity polls the Secretary of state joked that he has to wonder about surveys that show approval for the president beyond 90 percent. A George Bush and i have been close friends for Many years and even i done to like him that much a Secretary of state James Baker said. At this Point republicans can afford to joke about Bush a unprecedented popularity. According to a times Mirror Center Survey that and other products of the persian Gulf War Victory have positioned republicans to establish themselves As the dominant National party. But this is not an election year and durability is another question. The democrats Call the current polls a product of War euphoria and say the out ook will change Long before it comes time to vote. A when the american people feel economically insecure they turn to the democratic party for leadership a said Ron Aid Brown the party chairman. A fall George Bush has offered in the Way of leadership at Home is a 21-veto Salute to delay and  but when the democratic National committee met Friday and saturday there was no sign of prospective candidates to test the theory by challenging Bush in 1992. Sen. Jay Rockefeller d-w.va., issued the cliche Call a democrats its time to take off the  not his though. Rockefeller said he wont be a presidential candidate. Rep. Richard a. Gephardt d-mo., the House majority Leader told the democrats the party should push an ambitious set of Domestic programs saying that will eventually overtake the current Republican surge. He also repeated that he likes his Lead Reship Job and a i and not running for Scott Harris  president. No Democrat is running As Robert Strauss a former party chairman observed at saturday nights dinner of the Gridiron club of Washington. A hell that already makes it a stronger Field than we had last time a he said. In the same White tie setting Bush joked about his administrations Lack of major Domestic proposals to Congress. He said he Hadnot heard so much laughter since his last speech on Domestic policy. When political leaders make cracks like those about themselves and their party colleagues it is off season banter. A year from now they will be using straight faced variations on those themes against each other in the 1992 election Campaign. Before then the democrats Are going to have to find candidates in order to find their voice on National issues. That a always a problem for the party challenging the White House. The presidential party Speaks with one voice and the opposition Seldom can find anyone to match it. That a Why the televised opposition responses to major presidential addresses Seldom count much politically. Strauss pointed to democratic difficulties on that score in another of his dinner jokes this one about the party a two leaders in Congress. He said he had been asked How to identify House speaker Thomas Foley and had replied that if two people were talking at the Capitol and one was yawning the other one is Foley. If they re both yawning he said then its George Mitchell the Senate majority Leader. When Tho Sii democratic leaders took Over in Congress in 1989, they were billed As a new look for the party photogenic figures with television talents that would make them powerful persuasive spokesmen on National issues. Conventional Wisdom held then that Bush no Ronald Reagan on television would be vulnerable to the new democratic communicators. It Hasni to turned out that Way. Reagan incidentally was briefly mentioned saturday night. Baker said when the War loomed he Sug gusted to Bush that he do what Reagan would have done in the same situation. A he said the president told him a no i done to have time for a  editors note a Walter r. Moara Vico president and columnist Lor the associated press has reported on Washington and National politics for More than 25 years. A War s outcome routed anti War movement a they were overestimated outta neutered outpaced and finally overwhelmed. As the end neared there was surrender and Retreat. But for the bloodshed americans Antiwar movement is not unlike the iraqi army. Both forces had seemed formidable a and both crumbled in the fury of Battle. Only 10 weeks have passed since 47 of the 100 . Senators voted no to the Resolution authorizing War and polls showed that four in 10 americans wanted to give economic sanctions More time. In the Early Days of persian Gulf War protesters numbering Irr the tens of thousands swarmed on the streets and president Bush complained that the incessant beating of anti War Drums in Washington a Lafayette Square disturbed his sleep. In the end however the president pro claimed Victory Over not just Saddam Hussein but the peace Niks As Well. A a there a no question about it a he declared the Day after ordering a cease fire. A the country a solid. There Isnit any Antiwar movement out  Many would dispute that assessment. But certainly these Are times that try a peace activists soul. A As Flag waving celebrations continue for a War that claimed relatively few american lives and bequeathed unto commander in chief Bush a 91 percent approval rating anti War activists Are coping with the realization that americans indeed love a a a Good War. They Are left now to philosophize about Why the Mission first to prevent then to Stop a War failed to search for other causes to support and to Salvage lessons for the next War a one that will surely come they say. A a we be taken a tremendous blow and we have suffered a said Blase Bonpane director of the peace advocating office of the americas. A but i think we understand that our work has got to be  a we initially tried to prevent War then we tried to Stop it. Our Job now is to try to create a political climate in this country so the kind of thing that happened in the persian Gulf can to happen again a said Alex Molnar a Milwaukee College professor and Marine father who founded an anti War group composed largely of relatives of military personnel. Calling itself both pro american and pro military the fledgling military families support network presented a new Breed of activist while campaigning against the War. The anti War activists failure to affect the Progress of the Gulf War could be measured not Only in the shrinking size of protests and the fluctuations of opinion polls As the War continued but in the perception that few of their arguments even received serious consideration in official Washington the Media and neighbourhood debates. Supporters of the Gulf War suggest that the peace movement lost this political Battle wholly on its merits. After All prewar voices Point out there was Little question who was wearing the Black hat. A this was gods gift to War making a acknowledged anti War activist Todd Gitlin a sociology professor at the University of California Berkeley who is a Veteran and scholar of the Vietnam Era protests. In addition to a a villain out of Central casting a Gitlin said referring to Saddam the argument for War was aided by a a very cleverly staged  but anti War activists argue that the Point Wasny to whether Saddam is evil. The anti War argument remains fundamentally that it was a conflict that could have and should have been avoided. Many say it was not americans fight a that a misguided foreign policy got the United states into the conflict that it was a War that could have been halted earlier with much less death and destruction that history May not be a kind judge on what in retrospect seems a lopsided Slaughter. Activists ruefully credit the White House and Pentagon with managing an effective censorship Campaign. And they accuse the american Media of a cheer leading the War Effort by focusing on High tech successes. Many activists react with disgust to what they perceive As evidence of a gloating we re no. 1 attitude. Estimates of iraqi dead and wounded vary widely More than 100,000 is riot considered beyond the Pale. A a it a not a War that America should be proud of a said Carl Rogers a co founder of Vietnam veterans against the War who helped organize an ultimately unsuccessful Campaign for a cease fire during the Aerial bombardment. He described As a a shameful the Way that All but a few of the senators and members a. Congress who had argued and voted against authorizing the War later closed ranks and voiced support for the combat. By abandoning anti War sentiment politicians proved they were More interested in their political futures than in demonstrating the courage of their convictions anti War activists say. But politicians say that self preservation Wasny to the Only Force at work. Instead Many say their behaviour reflected the difficulty of the War Powers debate and the feeling that once the vote was taken it was important to present a United front. A they saw we did need to support troops and close ranks As a democracy to fight a War to win a said rep. Mel Levine d-calif., who had protested the Vietnam War but voted for War with Iraq. /. A a a a. A As it turned out the anti War movement suffered from a leadership void. Prominent activists such As sex attorney general Ramsey Clark and Daniel Ellsberg were perceived As anachronisms of the Vietnam Era. Disabled Vietnam Veteran Ron Kovic a whose Story became familiar to a new generation of americans because of the film a born on the fourth of july a inspired crowds at los Angeles rallies but was frustrated in getting his message to a wider audience. Many activists were heartened by the anti War stand of the Rev. Jesse Jackson because of his existing constituency and ability to command Media attention. Then they were disappointed that Jackson a political survivor himself seemed to eschew the leadership role. C the los Angeles times