Approved-By:  Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <LIBPACS@UHUPVM1.BITNET>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.pacs-l
Date:         Thu, 27 Aug 1992 16:47:05 CDT
From:         "Gregory B. Newby" <gbnewby@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu>
Subject:      Access to Pres. Candidates on the Nets

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Appended is a note from CRTNET (via the CLINTON mailing list) about
electronic access to presidential candidates during the election
season.

I feel the world shaking, just a bit, as I read this type of
notice and others.  For example, Clinton (and possibly Bush)
is accessible via Compu$erve.  In addition, speeches by
the candidates and the president (among others) are finding
their way to anonymous FTP sites and mailing lists.

For this year, the net offers some increased access to political
candidates, and a public-accessible store of important information.
For years to come, I see increasing equality of access to
candidates, and a more empowered population -- not only will
we be able to expect direct access to our representatives, we
will have an electronic record of what they have to say on
various issues (plus, I suppose, access to their actual performance
records).  As public access to the net grows, through such
efforts as Freenet and the work of public libraries and
schools, we will become more empowered and less dependent on
others for screening information.

'Nuff said...  The note follows.
  -- Greg Newby, U of Illinois, gbnewby@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu

Date:         Thu, 27 Aug 1992 11:52:50 -0400
From: Revised List Processor (1.7c) <LISTSERV@PSUVM.PSU.EDU>
Subject:      File: "CRTNET 92-00219" being sent to you

Date:         Thu, 27 Aug 1992 08:27:00 EDT
Reply-To:     Tom Benson 814-865-4201 <T3B@PSUVM.BITNET>
From:         Tom Benson 814-865-4201 <T3B@PSUVM.BITNET>
Subject:      CRTNET 618

[stuff deleted....gbn]

    --  Bush & Clinton on Prodigy  (Maria Rodriguez)

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

[ CRTNET 618 illustrates the rapidly
growing use of e-mail in the American presidential campaign]

Date:         Wed, 26 Aug 1992 23:32:33 PDT
[sender]      Discussion of campaigning for President by Bill Clinton
              <CLINTON@MARIST.BITNET>
[from]        "Maria Rodriguez, Medicine Bx 0120" <CALBEAR@UCSFVM.BITNET>
Subject:      Bush & Clinton on Prodigy

Great news from Prodigy: (See below) [PRODIGY is a
commercial email and bulletin board service]

"President Bush and Gov. Clinton will address PRODIGY
members and answer selected questions on the Close-Up Board
over the next two months.

You can post public questions to Bush at Prodigy ID BUSH99B
starting August 26 under the topic Ask the Candidate.
Clinton at Prodigy ID CLIN99B will answer members' questions
under the same topic the week of Sept. 7.  Both candidates
were offered equal access.  Their participation on the
Close-Up Board reflects their campaign schedules.

Bush will post position statements on 4 issues Aug. 26,
Sept. 9, Sept. 23, and Oct. 14.  Following each statement
his press staff will select 5 questions for the president to
answer.  Those answers will be approved by Bush and posted
the following week.  His answers will be typed and submitted
by a campaign staff member.

Clinton will post 1 position statement on the Close-up board
and answer 10 questions a day for 5 days Sept. 7-11.  His
press staff will select the questions.  Answers will be
personally approved by the governor and posted by a campaign
staff member the next day.

Each of President Bush's position statements will focus on
one national issue.  Because of the limited number of
questions answered by the presidient it will help if you
direct your questions to the substance of that issue.

Governor Clinton's statement will summarize his campaign
positions.

The text of the candidates' responses will be available for
the duration of the campaign in the Speeches/Interviews
section in POLITICS news."

    -----------------------------

This is not an endorsement of Prodigy by me, but I thought
you all may want to know about this in case some of you are
members.  I will download the statements and some of the
replies/questions that I think may be of interest.  I will
also download from Prodigy and post their final answers.  If
any of you would like me to post a question for you, let me
know (please don't make it too lengthy) and I will enter it,
but I can't guarantee that it will be specifically answered.

      Maria Rodriguez CALBEAR@UCSFVM.BITNET
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU