European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 15, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday october 15, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 13 Tom Wicke chasm yawns Between politicians Public commentary  pne a  m. And Soti _ Nark amp up . _ _ 3s5�  a a ?c6 ct5 Lios St we it Krone \ it a a �0ems. / i. U. I. J Eop it / 1ae can amp a amp Ion. It neg sync. Rubber checks written by members of the House unpaid Bills at the congressional dining room Capitol Hill parking tickets a fixed a the mess the Senate made of the Clarence Thomas nomination a All have fed Public disquiet and contributed to the growing movement for term limitation. That disquiet however is neither recent nor momentary and even some of the most discontented citizens do not consider term limitation the Best answer to their concerns. Last july six intensive a focus group discussions conducted in Illinois Florida and Massachusetts reflected what the organizers saw As a a dangerously Broad Gulf Between the governors and the governed in . Society. Those organizers were Peter Hart a Well known poll taker for democrats and an opinion researcher for private concerns and Doug Bailey who Heads a Republican political consulting firm. The 68 participants in the three locations were a City dwellers and suburbanites professionals and Blue Collar workers voters and non voters a a mix whose outspoken views convinced Hart and Bailey that a americans desperately want to believe that theirs is a government of by and for the  but they concluded also that a deep Down. Very few think we have that  the Public so frustration with politics is real and their mistrust of the political process runs very deep. It is a corrosive cynicism that threatens to undermine american  Here Are some of the specific attitudes of the three groups a americans feelings of Pride following the desert War have been largely dissipated in frustration and concern for the future. A positive developments in the soviet Union Are not removing americans Domestic concerns. A health care crime education these should be our priorities a said one participant a instead of loaning the soviet Union millions of  a most thought fewer than half the members of Congress were a sincerely motivated to serve the people and that the longer they stayed in office the less motivated they became. A politicians were widely considered too partisan too subservient to moneyed interests a particularly for Campaign funds a and too afraid to a level with the Public about Tough issues. But the system was seen As dominated by powerful interests so that a Little men without big Money had no Hope of winning office a and incumbents were believed to have rigged things to favor their own re election. A participants were frustrated and angry at their inability to get a straight information from politicians a who a talk past the issues and usually rely on a attack and counterattack on each other. Participants also saw the news Media As a a trivializing political debate. A numerous reforms were considered vital. Most often demanded was a reduction in the amount of Money candidates can raise and spend in campaigns. Next in order was helping voters to get More Ana better information about candidates reducing the influence of a special interest funds on campaigns encouraging a issues oriented rather than negative advertising and cutting Back incumbents advantages such As free mailings to voters. A there was no a significant enthusiasm Quot for Public financing of political campaigns. More strongly supported was the idea of free to time blocks for candidates to speak directly to the camera and requiring their participation in debates. A term limitation was seen As a Good Way to shake up the system but participants expressed reservations about taking away the voters right to keep Good legislators in office. One striking conclusion Hart and Bailey Drew was that declining participation in politics a flows As much from informed frustration As from Lack of  they fear that this could result in even fewer citizens voting could improve opportunities for a extreme and demagogic candidates and might make it harder to find political solutions to pressing problems. Quot political leaders must be willing to listen a really listen a to the people a the organizers believe. A and they must also take time to talk sense with the people and explain themselves much  Isnit that almost a definition of politics c Tho new Yolk times William f. Buckley , like Bush needs a National concern there a nothing like an election coming up to quicken the political pulse and the labor party in Britain construes the decision of prime minister John major not to hold elections this november a he a required to hold them sometime before july a As a sign of weakness. It is that Only in the sense that if major thought he could easily win another term for the conservative party tomorrow Why he would hold elections tomorrow. His decision to postpone indicates at once insecurity about the present and optimism about the future. Yes inflation is coming Down from 10 percent to 4 percent exports Are rising and the mood is generally Good. Major has had to contend with his emergence from the Large Shadow cast by Margaret Thatcher. The general scene is about As it might have been at Buckingham Palace after Queen Victoria died a what on Earth am i going to do to match that one in fact it is More difficult since in this Case Queen Victoria Hasni to died she is very much around and she made an appearance at the party a annual conference at Blackpool ,.where she was treated like Joan of arc. There was a Strain of poignancy there to be sure reminiscent of the ovation Given by the democratic party to Adlai Stevenson in los Angeles in 1960, when it at once adored him and told him it was moving up to worship at a different altar. John f. Kennedy s. A British poll reveals that 80 percent of conservatives holding office believe that their prospects Tor re election Are a Little brighter under John major than under the Iron lady. And remember we Are talking about a country that cast aside Winston Churchill in 1945 in Exchange for Clement Attlee. But the cheer on the other Side of the aisle is to an amusing extent a reflection of the gradual departure of the British socialists from socialism. It was not very Long ago that Neil Kinlock inherited a party that had committed itself to unilateral nuclear disarmament and whose hard left Wing the militant tendency behaved like a mob assembling to storm the Winter Palace. A gradually and of course under the impulse of successive defeats at the hand of Thatcher Kinlock rowed rightward. There is no longer any talk of destroying Britain s nuclear Arsenal though there is talk of its progressive uselessness. And in Kin Nock a big speech at Brighton the economist reports that a emr. Kinlock used the sword Only twice and each time with a Giveaway prefix a we Are democratic  for earlier generations the qualifying adjective would have been superfluous a even offensive. Instead he offered a managerial vision of a better educated work Force and More investment in Industry. He would Lead a value for Money  some 15 years ago. He was arguing that it was not labors Job to Salvage and re establish  a meanwhile there was a pleasant Surprise at Blackpool. There had been some apprehension about just How Michael Heseltine would be treated. He is at the moment the environment minister but historically it was he who initiated the Challenge that suddenly and unexpectedly unseated Thatcher so that there was con Cern that the conference would be divided in receiving him. Not so. He is by common consent the crowned King of conservative orators and he gave the conservatives the fighting talk they wanted to hear including such Galvani Zers As a we Are going to take the labor party apart As we have never done before a his ovation was stupendous and there was some concern that however Well he did the prime minister major would not be Able to top the performance of his ministers. There was talk in London that Jeffrey Archer the politician novelist was there among the elect group that put together the lines for majors speech. But the problem the conservatives lace is not unlike that of the republicans under i Coic Bush. They need to be touched by a communicable National concern. The telegraphs Charles Moore put it this Way a they will not be convinced in or. Major displays Only amiability. If or. Major is merely Nice he will be condescending. He will be saying in effect a Don t bother your Heads with complicated policies or upset yourselves with political argument. Just leave it to my decency Ami my colleagues ability. He has to show he trusts the people enough to explain what he stands for and what he Means to do. The reason that Britain needs a Lory government after All has nothing to do with the fact that or. Major is meet than or. Pm  c it it pm a it