Newsgroups: alt.politics.elections
Subject: The Democratic Candidates: New Yorkers' Opinions
From: f67709317@violet.ccit.arizona.edu (Greg Franklin)
Date: 6 Apr 92 20:12:07 MST
Distribution: usa,local
Organization: University of Arizona
Nntp-Posting-User: f67709317

On the eve of the NY primary, the NY Times ran a little comparison
chart on how New Yorkers thought of the candidates.  Virtually
every pro and con opinion was recorded.  I have reproduced the chart
here for info and discussion.  (My favorite was the "bogosity question"
with respect to Bill Clinton [aka Slick Willie, Mr. Bill, Elvis].)
-----

                       WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT THE CANDIDATES

       In conversations with about 250 Democratic voters in New York City and
  its suburbs, strong support for Bill Clinton and Edmund G. Brown Jr. came
  through.  But many people lamented that their choice had come down to the
  lesser of two evils.  Here's a summary of New Yorkers' views:


  WHY THEY'RE FOR CLINTON...             ...WHY THEY'RE NOT
                                         
  * He is a good governor                * Arkansas is too small for his ex-
  * Like his economic policy                   perience to matter
  * Admire his wife, Hillary             * Hate his wife, Hillary
  * Reminds people of John F. Kennedy    * Allegations of extramarital affair
  * He's committed to the middle class   * He's too slick
  * He's young                           * He'll bring no change. He's just
  * He's good-looking                         another politician
  * He's a wheeler-dealer, which will    * His line about not inhaling mari-
       make him effective as President         juana was ridiculous
  * He speaks his mind                   * He's unelectable
  * He's the lesser of two evils         * Has no foreign-affairs experience
                                         * He's from the South
                                         * He's more a Republican than a
                                              Democrat
                                         * His smile is bogus, as is much else
                                              about him
                                         
                                         
  WHY THEY'RE FOR BROWN...               ...WHY THEY'RE NOT
                                         
  * He was a good governor               * He's flakey
  * He'll really shake up government     * Flat tax would be a disaster
  * He tells it like it is               * He's unelectable
  * He picked Jesse Jackson for Vice     * He picked Jesse Jackson for Vice
       President                              President
  * He's a strong advocate for blacks,   * He's too concerned about blacks and
       gay people, and other minorities       other minorities
  * Proposed flat income-tax rate        * He preys on people's unhappiness
  * He truly cares about people               and despair
  * A vote for him will stop Clinton     * He's been too mean-spirited with
       and force a brokered convention        Clinton
  * He's the lesser of two evils         * He's too liberal
                                         
                                         
  WHY THEY'RE FOR TSONGAS...             ...WHY THEY'RE NOT
                                         
  * He's not Brown or Clinton            * He's unelectable
  * His economic policy is the soundest  * His economic policy is too pro-
  * His bout with cancer strengthened         business
       his character                     * He's not politically shrewd enough
  * A vote for him would help force a    * He pulled out of the race and
       brokered convention                    doesn't deserve any votes


  WHY THEY'RE FOR NONE OF THE ABOVE...

  * None of the candidates will lead to true reform
  * All of the candidates have character deficits, be it scandal or flakiness
       or not enough gumption to take command

-- 
Greg Franklin                             "Death is everywhere,
f67709317@ccit.arizona.edu          there are fries on the windscreen."
Newsgroups: alt.politics.elections