European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 3, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday january 3, 1992 the stars and stripes Page 13 commentary David Brodelet s Hope 92 yields a functioning government even by a generous definition fewer than a dozen people can be described As major candidates for president As the new year begins. Somewhat More than 100 aspirants will be seeking Senate seats in 1992 and probably Between 1,000 and 2,000 will be running for nomination and election to the House of representatives. For that tiny fraction of the populace the stakes in the 1992 elections can be easily defined a Victory or defeat. But what about the rest of us what constitutes Success or failure for America in the electoral Enterprise that will give the year just beginning much of its definition and shape if we re not Clear at the outset on our goals for the 1992 election we re unlikely to see them realized in the end. Let me suggest two that seem overriding. First the Campaign itself should restore a sense of legitimacy to the political processes of this Republic not further erode Peoples Trust in the mechanisms of democracy. And second at the end of the game there should be a government in place with both a mandate and a potential to act on the nations problems. If we can do both those things we will have improved our situation no matter who is in office. If we fail we will be worse off As a nation a whoever has won. These May sound like platitudes but the reality is that neither result is assured or even Likely. We have endured a series of campaigns where negative advertising on matters of questionable relevance has dominated the airwaves driving out discussion of voters real concerns and disgusting so Many people that turnout on election Day has steadily declined. And at the end of those campaigns the voters have refused to make a Basic Choice Between parties with the result that in Washington d.c., and in nearly two thirds of the states what the rest of the free world considers a government a namely an executive supported by a legislative majority a cannot be found. This pattern of negative campaigns and divided government is in my View responsible for much of the frustration and aggravation More and More people express toward politics. If it prevails again we Are All the losers. A the press is poised to take on part of the Challenge. The Call for closer scrutiny of candidates to spots that was sounded in this column two years ago got a Good response in the 1990 Mia term Campaign but this year such monitoring will become the Norm. All four major television networks and dozens of local of the cop political spectrum moderate right far right Reich a Iii newspapers and stations Are geared up to do a had watches that will help expose exaggerations distortions and outright misrepresentations in the 30-second spots. That wont Stop the practice but it should raise the penalty for those who think they can win simply by destroying the opponents reputation. Discouraging the lies in Campaign ads is much simpler however than assuring that the Campaign really addresses the voters concerns. The latter requires candidates who Are prepared to put Forward ideas for debate and Media which Are willing to take them seriously when they do. We Are off to a decent Start with the presidential candidates. On the democratic Side Douglas Wilder is pretty clearly winging it on Many National issues and Jerry Brown May sound like he a running for president or common cause not the United states with his one note sermons on the evils of the current Campaign finance system. But the other four a Bill Clinton Bob Kerrey Tom Harkin and Paul Tsongas a have thought about what they might do in Many vital areas if they became president and Are prepared to debate their views. President Bush has a substantial record already and come state of the Union time promises to have a Domestic economic plan As Well. Whatever one May think of his challengers Pat Buchanan and David Duke they cannot be accused of declining to put Forward often controversial policy ideas. How Well the policy debate is communicated a especially on the vital medium of television a remains in doubt. The networks have asserted that they will stage the Winter and Spring primary debates. That a Fine but Only if to format Ting does not interfere with a genuine Exchange of views. The first debate a run by Abc a was not encouraging. The estimable Tom Brokaw Felt impelled for some reason to keep shifting subjects Long before the candidates had said what they were capable of saying. Lets Hope that in the next one a scheduled on can before new Hampshire votes on feb. 18 a the Moderator will pick out one or two major topics a the Economy being an obvious Choice a and let the candidates discuss their proposals among themselves until they have been fairly tested. But even a Campaign scourged of scurrilous ads and focused on real concerns will leave the nation frustrated unless the voters themselves recognize the need to create a functioning government again. C Washington Post writers group Howard Kleinberg hostage crisis needs a More definitive end and so it seemingly ends with two bodies dumped pay ignominiously a on Beirut roadsides. Hostage hold in ing Lias ceased to be a crisis for americans the survivors having been released to the syrians and the two who were murdered coming Home in body bags to funerals with honors. But the words of former hostage Alann Steen continue to hold True a i think unfortunately they Are going to get away with  George Bush is dealing with the hostage episode much As he is dealing with the Domestic Economy he a working on it. The president of the United states has not said anything More meaningful than that he believes a anyone who violates International Law should feel that  eventually be brought to Justice but i want to see this chapter closed before we go further along those  Well the chapter is closed. What a next one does not have to be an expert in Middle East intrigue and politics to recognize that Syria knows who the hostage takers Are. After All the victims were Assed into their hands by the kidnappers. The syrians a Mew All along who they were but they played the game to Benefit themselves in an image conscious role As a go Between. At the time hostages were being taken and held we bit our lips and sheathed our weapons. Any harm to the kidnappers undoubtedly would bring death to the hostages. The hostages now Are free a or dead a and any american who m the future puts himself in an exposed situation in syrian held Lebanon gets what he deserves. We have Moll coddled the syrians for the Sake of Unity against Saddam Hussein. We have coaxed them years who tortured and beat William Buckley so badly that he died who hanged William Higgins and videotaped the grotesque scene. They did t even have the decency to return the bodies of Buckley and Higgins in coffins. No their remains were dumped into the Street a As garbage often is discarded. Another president Ronald Reagan spent most of his presidential years incapable of avenging the fatal terrorist attacks on the . Embassy and . Marine corps Barracks in Lebanon in which hundreds died. He apr it Oil it of it will a a a to Middle East peace talks although their belligerency toward Israel is As belligerent As Ever. Syria is in control of Lebanon these Days an aggression Little noted by either the Reagan or Bush administrations. And Syria remains on our Short list of countries identified As supporting terrorists. Among those terrorists Are the men who chained Terry Anderson to a Wall for the better part of six we powerful words but they were hollow. Instead Eagan tried to appease the very people a the iranians a who were suspected of masterminding the terrorist attacks and no earlier openly held american embassy personnel hostage. When i think of what this country went through to put its hands on Manuel Noriega i wonder if just half that emphasis and might could not be used to capture and or till outright the animals who held our people in Lebanon and murdered two of them. C Cox nows service