Cast Your Ballot
This has not been an ordinary election
year, and if the polls are at all correct, this
coming Tuesday may not be an ordinary
Election Day. Record voter registration
around the country indicates that Ameri-
cans see this election as a watershed event
that may well change the direction of the
country. And yet, pollsters and pols have
been saying for weeks that each can-
didate's support is "soft": Voters may be
leaning toward a certain candidate, but
many are not committed to him.
Apparently, this is a campaign in which
many truly want to be engaged. Yet, for-
reasons of personality or policy or that
elusive catch-all word, "character," many
are still ambivalent about whose lever they
will pull on Tuesday.
This is far from a perfect world, politics is
far from a perfect craft, and the major can-
didates who want to move to the White
House are far from a perfect threesome.
And yet, like it or not — and like them or
not — one of them will have his name on
the Oval Office starting Jan. 20.
Tuesday is every voter's High Noon.
Undecided as some of us may be and as
"soft" as some of us may be, it is not a day
to avoid. In the last presidential election,
only half of eligible Americans voted. This
was the lowest voter turnout in the world's
19 major industrial nations. Tuesday will
give Americans a chance to prove that they
truly believe in their right to shape their
own government and to determine who will
lead their nation. Exercise your right to
vote. On Nov. 3, vote for who you think
offers the country the best leadership over
the next four years.
More About Voting
Federation political lobbyist Dennis
Muchmore was speaking innocently
enough to a Monday night class recently at
Temple Emanu-El. But what he said was
far from quiet and should be heard by all of
us.
"If you don't take care of politics, politics
will take care of you," he told the small
class.
Mr. Muchmore was saying that while na-
tional politics are important, and no one
can deny the intensity of the presidential
campaigns, the real empowerment to the
citizen comes from local politics.
When we go into the voting booth on
Tuesday, we need to understand that there
is more at stake than Bush, Clinton and
Perot. Make sure you understand where
the Congressional candidates stand on
issues important to you, be it secular
issues, "Jewish" issues, or the candidates'
stands concerning the security of Israel.
Make it a point to do your homework.
Libraries have back issues of local
periodicals with this information. Make
sure you understand the difference and in-
tent of the ballot proposals. Know where
you stand on term limitations, property tax
cuts and insurance laws. In Michigan,
these issues and races could have just as
important an impact on our lives and our
checkbooks as the person in the Oval Of-
fice.
The Jewish Community Council has
worked deep into the campaign to get out
the vote. But their work and the work of
others in the community should result in
responsible selections on Tuesday. We urge
you to do at least a minimum of reading
ahead of time and make thoughtful deci-
sions. You should not make decisions that
could influence your future, income and
lifestyle any other way.
Ignoring The Rest
Of The World
GARY ROSENBLATT EDITOR
One of the
Most disturbing,
though not sur-
prising, ele-
ments of the cur-
rent presidential
campaign is the
fact that foreign
policy matters have been
almost completely ignored.
True, with the recession
still deep and nearly 10 mill-
ion Americans out of work, it
is only natural that the main
topic of discussion is improv-
ing the economy here at
home. But only a year and a
half after the Persian Gulf
War, which underscored the
danger to the free world of
even one demonic dictator, it
is strange that George Bush,
Bill Clinton, Ross Perot and
the American public have
focused so much attention on
domestic issues that one
could forget that the U.S.
remains the world's only
superpower, with a critical
role to play on the interna-
tional scene.
For American Jews who
support the State of Israel, it
is especially worrisome that
foreign policy has received
so little attention. First, it
reminds us that foreign aid,
which even in better econ-
omic times is a dose of cod
liver oil for American tax-
payers, is in jeopardy — and
Israel needs U.S. foreign aiA
Second, what will happen ri
to the Mideast peace talks
after the election are of-=-,
critical concern to many of
us, but to date there have
been few remarks from the
candidates. Ross Perot, wh6- N,
has lost his charm with his
refusal to engage in the give-
and-take of the political pro-c--)
cess, has only said that he
would solve the Mideast
crisis by locking up a group
of Arab and Israeli diplo-1
mats in a room and not let
them out until they had C.
reached a solution. He's,2
probably serious.
No doubt Mr. Perot would
seek to solve all complex
world problems with such;—_-_'
simplistic solutions.
Bill Clinton has said that
he is supportive of America's -1
effort and involvement in—
achieving the Mideast talks,
but he has criticized the
Bush administration for put-c-
ting excessive pressure on —i
Israel. He has said that he
would oppose the creation of 1
an independent Palestinian (=-
state and would give no sup-
port to "dangerous, despotic
regimes," such as those in
Iraq and Syria.
If Mr. Clinton is elected, it
is safe to assume that he will (-1
focus his attention on do-
IGNORING page 8