rpk@mit-vax.UUCP (Robert Krajewski) (01/13/84)
At first glace, Mr. Anderson is a very attractive third-party candidate,
since he has maverick stances that he doesn't hold to please the electorate.
Unfortunately, most the the people who support him aren't really help the
cause of a third party at all. That is because Mr. Anderson's views are
still within a two-party, non-ideological frameowrk, just like the
platforms (if you can call their positions ``platforms'') of the
Republicans and the Democrats.
I suspect that Anderson is supported by those who think that since he is so
willing to tell his views to those who do not agree with him, or propose
things that many people would never like at first impression (like a 25%
energy tax in 1980), he must strongly believe in what he says. Therefore,
he must be sincere, and his platform actually IS good for this country.
Certainly, his reputation as an eclectic politican does not hurt him either.
But look at the stances, and all you will see is the tired mishmosh of over
a century of mainstream American statism from both sides, sprinkled in with
his personal appeal (I saw him in a debate a few years ago, and I was
impressed by the way he carried himself). What are the views of his new
party ? Or is it just a John Anderson, gosh-anythings-better-than-the-
Demo-GOP-mess-we-have-now party ?
Well, not anything is better than what we have now. A real third party
would definitely not endorse government as usual (clearly Mr. Anderson
does). And a real third party would make some definite stands that would
either affirm or deny the priciples on which this country was founded, or
perhaps some related vision of what America should be like. In other words,
a certain clarity of ideas is required.
Now, I'm not going to tell you to vote for the Citizen's party, 'cos they're
probably just as bad as the other clowns. But at least they're sincere and
idealistic, even if they are impure by socialist standard. I don't care for
the socialists, or the communists either. Personally, I will vote for
whomever the Libertarians put on the ballot. Not because I'm a Randroid or
a mindless zombie for the almighty dollar, or a right-wing survivalist
hippie from California. But because I read enough about their views, and
their adherence to them, that I feel that the particular person for whom I
vote will be sympathetic to my intentions. Can you say that about the
Democrats or the Republicans ?
``Bob''--
``Bob'' Robert P. Krajewski ARPA: RpK@MC
MIT Local: RpK@OZ
UUCP: ...!genradbo!mit-eddie!mitvax!rpk