European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 27, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday february 27, 1992 the stars and stripes Page 13 commentary David s. Brode Buchanan Brown use loud protests As tools they Are the washers of 1992, Pat Buchanan and Jerry Brown. Self styled populists and anti establishment crusaders they Are the most Media indulged contenders in the Republican and democratic presidential Fields allowed to define themselves As no other candidates Are. The Washington press corps in particular has been round heeled for its buddy a Pat a newspaper columnist Star and Host of to talk shows a at least when he is not trashing the press on behalf of some conservative president. Reporters and broadcasters accepted without Challenge the idea that Buchanan a Arsenal of extremist views and his service As in House propagandist for Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan were sufficient credentials for a presidential race. Duped by bad exit polls that exaggerated his Success they converted Buchanan a 37 percent share of the vote against president Bush in new Hampshire into the Lead Story of the Early 1992 contests. Now they Are tempted to do the same thing with Browne a close second place finish behind former sen. Paul Tsongas of Massachusetts in the Maine caucuses. Before new Hampshire the former two term governor of California and three time presidential candidate had been dismissed As an eccentric. His fifth place finish in new Hampshire seemed to certify his irrelevance so his accomplishment in the Maine caucuses is being heralded As a remarkable feat. In reality both Brown and Buchanan demonstrate How easy it is in a time of economic pain and political disillusionment to round up support by being loud voiced protest candidates. That three out of eight new Hampshire republicans and three out of 10 Maine democrats want to squawk about the Way the economic and political system is treating them is not remarkable. Brown and Buchanan Are Riding a wave neither of them had to create. When George Bush broke the a no new taxes pledge that won him the 1988 new Hampshire primary and seemed indifferent to the recession wracking that state and All of new England he opened the door to Buchanan a kind of Challenge. When the a Keating five and the Story of the House Bank abuses demonstrated the Power of big contributors and the self indulgence of some legislators an opportunist like Brown saw an opening. But politics is More than protest. For Peoples anger to be saved policies must be put in place that address their needs and right the wrongs of which they properly complain. The problem with populism a Buchanan s right Wing style and Browne a left Wing variety a is that it is Long on indignation but notably Short on solutions. Buchanan is peddling a form of economic nationalism and european Stock chauvinism claiming that America is being threatened by foreign imports and immigration. His Call to raise the barriers against both alien Peoples and their products has been heard often before in american history. Despite its Appeal with some voters it is unoriginal and it is unconvincing As a solution to the economic and social Challenge of the late 20th Century. International Trade is bolstering the american Economy not hurting it. The concept of a homogeneous people if not racist is at least unrealistic. Even if we closed the doors to All new immigrants we would face a huge task in educating and integrating the multicultural population we already have. And Buchanan offers no ideas for doing that. As a californian a who governed the most Trade dependent and diverse of All states a Brown knows the Folly of Buchanan a proposals. But he is preaching his own Brand of phony salvation while denouncing rival politicians for doing the same things he did throughout his political career. Over the last two decades Brown raised millions of dollars for two gubernatorial races two presidential races and a Senate Campaign. I done to know which is More laughable a Mercedes driving Pat Buchanan parading his compassion before the jobless support groups or Jerry Brown railing against big Money contributors. Browne a economic views Are As simplistic As Buchanan a. Brown says a we can put everybody Back to work on Energy conservation projects that would Quot pay for themselves by cutting the nations fuel Bills. We can have a fixed Cost government run National health system a without rationing medical care. We can scrap All our taxes and have a simple 13 percent Levy on incomes a with special deductions for renters. And of yes we can revive the american shipbuilding Industry and merchant Marine at least while campaigning in Maine. A certain amount of guff and Claptrap is inevitable in a political Campaign. But the voters this year Are telling us that they want a serious discussion of their substantive concerns by candidates who Are capable of doing what they Promise. In such an environment the a a therapy Buchanan and Brown provide As vehicles for pure protest is an expensive indulgence. For All the fireworks they explode Buchanan and Brown arc essentially distractions. The real work of the Campaign is being done by the candidates who arc attracting More than protest votes. C Washington Post writers group Andrew Rosentha signs Point to a Nasty Campaign by Bush for weeks White House strategists put out bullying talk about a going negative on Patrick j. Buchanan. After new Hampshire president Bush a strategists concluded they had talked too hard and hit too softly. This week they say they really mean it. They Are ready to spend whatever they have to on commercials including attack ads and to accuse Buchanan of a a cheating and question his patriotism to show How Tough they can be. The first blast against the conservative commentator came from a fellow fire eater rep. Newt Gingrich of Georgia the state singled out by the Bush team As their killing ground. Working on Bush a behalf Gingrich denounced Buchanan for running a Campaign commercial accusing Bush of abandoning a promised tax break. The advertisement was a a dishonest and a hit below the Belt a said Gingrich whose sudden affection for a presi Dent he has derided for three years As a sellout on taxes is one sign of How tops Turvy the Republican Campaign has become. Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas has undertaken the task of portraying the Tough talking Buchanan As a wimp by reminding southerners that the commentator opposed the War against Iraq. A let him drop by fort Benning and explain to the people there Why when they were in the desert he was opposing the president a Gramm said monday. And Charles Black senior adviser to the Bush Campaign said that after holding its fire in new Hampshire the Campaign is almost certain to run commercials criticizing Buchanan in the South. The motivation for this sudden toughness is simple the stakes Are High in the South. By March 10, eight Southern or Border states will have Field nominating primaries or caucuses beginning with Georgia and Maryland next tuesday and the Bush Campaign Hopes to accomplish no less than eliminating Buchanan As a candidate. Southern poll takers political scientists and politicians say the ingredients Are there for Bush to do that. The Region has Well heeled and Well organized republicans who have been a minority so Long that they cling loyally to a Republican White House and it has a better Economy than in the Northeast. And Bush has millions to spend on advertising. A if the president does not do substantially better in the South than in new Hampshire he better buy him a real House in Texas because he a going to need it a said Claiborne Darden a poll taker in Atlanta. Bush a supporters who frantically tried to play Down the importance of new Hampshire acknowledge that the next two weeks Are a Clear test of the presidents ability to drag his Campaign out of its current state of confusion reassert control Over his own party and prepare for the fall Campaign against the democratic nominee. So the Bush Camp is angry. Are the other Guys scared even though his decision to pull his punches in new Hampshire clearly Cost Bush votes no one doubts his ability to get Nasty. He did that in 1988 against Michael s. Dukakis. But Dukakis did not fight Back. This time Bush is calling a proven Street fighter outside. C the now York times the opinions expressed in the columns and cartoons on this Page represent those of the authors and Are in no Way to be considered As representing the views of the stars and stripes or the United states government