European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 6, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Election �?T92bush s fall continued from Page 14 begin spending More Money to spark economic growth Bush visited a . Penney store in a suburban Maryland shopping mall. With to cameras rolling he purchased four pairs of tube socks and a toddler s sweat suit for a total of $28. The Penny pinching Yankee style shopping spree touched off ridicule from commentators and underlined the Bush administration s hesitation to actively counter the economic slowdown. Bush s approval rating 52 percent. Jan. 8,1992 after postponing his trip to Japan citing the need to keep an Eye on Congress the president travelled to Tokyo promising to focus on boosting the . Economy. He took along with him More than a dozen cos of major corporations seeking to pressure Japan into opening its markets. Instead the trip focused attention on the exorbitant salaries the american corporation chiefs earned compared to their japanese counterparts. But the journey was most memorable for the formal dinner at which Bush became nauseated and threw up on his dining partner prime minister Kiichi Miyazawa of Japan. Bush s approval rating 46 percent. Jan. 15,1992 amid voter unhappiness in new Hampshire site of the first presidential primary Bush took an apology Laden trip to the regression struck state. Inside a partially heated air plane hangar he sat at a discussion table with business and government leaders from throughout the state. Quot this Economy is in free fall Quot he acknowledged. Quot maybe i Haven t conveyed it As Well As i should have but i do understand  the Effort did not Stop conservative to commentator Patrick Buchanan from launching a Challenge in the new Hampshire primary and embarrassing Bush by taking More than one third of the vote Bush a approval rating 46 percent. Jan. 28,1992 after weeks of a sustained drum Roll for r a a a a is. A speech that would finally unveil his plan for reviving the Economy the president delivered a state of Union address proposing a modest Short Range plan of tax incentives for Home buyers and investors. The outline received a lukewarm Welcome and democrats eventually rejected almost All of it. Bush s approval rating 47 percent july 29,1992 in the aftermath of an upbeat democratic National convention nominee Bill Clinton suddenly took off in the polls. Amid signs of disarray in the Republican Campaign the Arkansas governor found a graphic Way to remind the Public of Bush s broken Quot no new taxes Quot Promise. Clinton made a pilgrimage to the super dome in new Orleans where Bush had issued his Quot read my lips Quot pledge four years earlier. Quot what he meant to say was no new taxes for the Rich Quot charged Clinton. Bush s approval rating 29 percent the lowest of his presidency and the lowest for any president since president Carter dropped to 28 percent. Aug. 19,1992 with the democrats surging ahead in the polls the president delivered what was billed As the Centrepiece speech at the Republican National convention in Houston. At its conclusion the Astrodome erupted with a spectacular indoors fireworks display and George Bush a approval ratings Sank 60  retake the Middle class by William m. Welch the associated press Bill Clinton a Victory has shaken the foundations of the Republican coalition that president Reagan built he Drew the Middle class Back to the democratic party and also welcomed new voters. With a Victory that Cut across most demographic and geographical boundaries Clinton scored important gains among suburban and Middle income voters that had abandoned democrats for Reagan a dozen years ago and had stuck with president Bush in 1988, according to surveys of voters As they left their polling places. Running As a More moderate Democrat than his recent predecessors Clinton paid a Price by faring worse among liberals than Michael Dukakis did our years before him but clearly it was a Trade Worth making Clinton benefited by leading Bush among both the Well educated and the uneducated the Young and the old and among All bul the wealthiest of americans. Quot what you read out of the exit polls is that Bill Clinton Learned the lesson of the 1980s a that in order to we you have to be Able to speak to the mainstream of  said democratic pollster Geoffrey Garin Quot he did much better with Middle class  against Bush in 1988, Michael Dukakis won heavy among the poorest americans but won u8 a f the we among those earning Between $12,500 and $25,000 a year. He lost substantially among americans earning More than that. This time the income fault line was much More favourable for the Democrat. Not Only did Clinton win among americans earning up to $50,000, he held his own among those earning Between $50,000 and $75,000. It was Only at the highest income Levels those earning above $75,000, that Clinton fell far behind he won just better than one third of those voters. But again it was a Trade Worth making for Clinton. Only 13 percent of voters said they made More than $75,000. Two thirds of All voters said they earned $50,000 or less. And looking at education Levels Clinton s improvements were equally impressive. Even with a three Man race Clinton won a larger share of the vote among College graduates and those with postgraduate degrees than Dukakis did four years ago in a two Man race. Such gains made democrats thoughts turn to the possibility they have both broken the so called Republican electoral lock on the White House and Laid the foundations for a new coalition of their own. While talk of an enduring realignment is premature a Republican pollster Vincent Breglio acknowledged that Clinton May have asserted a fundamental shift among one category of voters a the Young. The unleashing of huge balloons. But both the hoopla and the president s own words were overshadowed by Buchanan who earlier in the week used the prime time television Slot awarded him by the Bush team to Tell the convention Quot there is a religious War going on in this country for the soul of America. The tones of extremism and intolerance lingered Long after the convention disturbing Many voters. Bush s approval rating 40 percent. Oct. 11-19,1992 still trailing badly in the polls the president had one final Chance to make his breakthrough the debates. But his negotiators made two miscalculations. They invited Independent Ross Perot and they concluded that Bush would not perform Well with a single Moderator and so insisted on a combination of formats. Ironically Bush a shining moments came during the last debate when there was a single Moderator. And perhaps his least effective performance came during the  second debate As questioners from the audience sternly gave notice they did no to want to hear the candidates attack one another. And the president later said he regretted including Perot who not Only stole the limelight but pelted Bush with accusations. In a furious last minute Rush of travel television appearances and advertising spots the president made gains in the race against Clinton. But he was unable to shake off economic concerns that had within the Span of 20 months taken him from the highest Peak of popularity to the ranks of the unemployed. His Campaign chairman and pollster Robert m. Teeter acknowledged near the end Quot what you really see is a referendum on the  and it became obvious the voters did t like what they had seen. Oct. 30,1992 after weeks of hammering on the theme of Quot Trust Quot and Quot character Quot the presidents Campaign appears to make some gains As Clinton a unfavourable ratings Rise. But a new indictment in the almost forgotten Iran Contra scandal suddenly re emerges. All of the television networks feature the Story which raised anew questions about Bush s own truthfulness in the 7-year-old affair. Campaign chairman Teeter conceded that the Issue Cost a Day of time with Only four left to catch up on the democrats. Bush a final approval rating 36 percent. Nov. 3,1992 the voters go to the polls and Bush s fall is completed. Final results give him 38 percent of the votes cast compared to 43 for Clinton and 19 to Perot. Throughout the 1980s, the youth vote belonged to republicans a a trend built on admiration for Reagan and the economic Prosperity of his tenure. But to those who entered the work Force during Bush s term the Economy offered a much bleaker future a a fact Breglio said propelled the newest group of Young voters toward Clinton. Quot they re saying a it Hasni to worked for me and we have to do something about it Quot Breglio said. In fact exit polling for the television networks by voter research amp surveys showed better than one voter in 10 was casting a ballot for the first time. Fewer than one third of those chose Bush. At the same time Clinton was getting new voters democratic defectors were returning. More than half the democrats who said they voted for Reagan in the past voted for Clinton. Fewer than one in four Reagan democrats voted for the Republican this time. A Clinton brought the Middle class Back to the democratic party and he brought the moderates Back Quot Garin said. A that s what you have to do to win  whether the trend proves ephemeral or lasting for the democrats depends on their Success with the Economy now that the party is in control of both Congress and the White House. No one knows that More than Clinton and his team. We did t find the key to the electoral lock Here Quot said Cunt on strategist James Carville. Quot we just picked  Page 16 a the stars and stripes Friday november 6, 1992