From: power@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: alt.politics.clinton
Subject: Re: RHETORIC VS. REALITY -- THE FIRST DEBATE
Date: 11 Oct 92 23:22:08 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

> 
>  RHETORIC: "I think it's wrong to demonstrate against your own
>  country. I just find it impossible to understand how an American can
>  demonstrate against his own country"

  Clinton should have said what 

>  Bush said, "Democracy brings the undeniable value of thoughtful
>  dissent, and we've heard some dissenting voices here at home...But
>  the fact that all voices have the right to speak out is one of the
>  reasons we've been united in purpose and principle for 200 years."
>  [New York Times, 1/30/91]
> 
>                         CLINTON TAX PACKAGE
> 
>  RHETORIC: George Bush said: "Taxing people over $200,000 will not
>  raise $150 billion."

Clinton should have said
 
>  REALITY: This charge is based on the false assumption that the only
>  increase in revenue comes from raising the individual income tax
>  rate. In fact, the Clinton plan raises billions from other sources,
>  including $58 billion from closing corporate tax loopholes. [Putting
>  People First, pp.31- 33]  When this charge was made in a Bush
>  advertisement, the Wall Street Journal said, "The problem is that Mr.
>  Clinton has proposed to cut taxes for the sort of workers featured in
>  the ad." [WSJ, 10/2/92] The Los Angeles Times has said that the Bush
>  campaign has offered a "questionable analyses of Clinton's tax
>  proposals that come dangerously close to misrepresentation, as well
>  as hypothetical assumptions.." [LA Times, 10/2/92]
> 
>                            TAX AND SPEND
> 
>  RHETORIC: George Bush said: "I agree with what he's [Perot] talking
>  about in trying to get this spending down....I disagree with the tax
>  and spend philosophy..."

Clinton should have said
 
>  REALITY: On taxes. George "Read My Lips" Bush gave us the second
>  biggest tax increase in American history. He has consistently raised
>  taxes on the middle class.   The conservative Cato Institute called
>  Bush "the largest spender to sit in the White House in the past 30
>  years" and noted that Bush "increased the domestic budget more in
>  four years than Carter and Reagan combined did in 12 years." [Cato
>  Institute, 6/19/92] Bush actually requested more spending than
>  Congress has appropriated. Through 1991, Bush requested 1.1 billion
>  more than Congress appropriated, and Reagan-Bush requested $17.3
>  billion more than Congress appropriated. [House Committee on
>  Appropriations]
> 

      I have watched the debates twice tonight.  How can we get Bill
to be more spontaneous and to listen and respond to what Perot and Bush are
saying????  He should have agreed with Perot on some points and seemed more
involved in the "debate".  He was over rehearsed.  Let Bill be BILL!!!!!

I am even more of a Clinton supporter now, but I'm concerned that Bush will
slide in because of the Perot vote.  We don't need a President who has received
only 40% of the popular vote!!!

Bill Clinton can win.  It is unlikely that Perot can win... a snow balls chance
in hell....Clinton could have agreed with Perot on Clarence Thomas and then
gone on to say that he didn't want votes from people who hate other people
either... Give Perot credit when he makes a good point.   

BILL is intelligent and thoughtful.  Stop programming him.  He can win!

Daniel Power
Newsgroups: alt.politics.clinton,alt.politics.elections