4 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, February 22, 2000 (Tbe £rbic% nT g a Outrage in S. Carolina: The Boy who beat The Man 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109 daily. Jetters@umich.edu Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan MIKE SPAHN Editor in Chief EMILY ACHENBAUM Editorial Page Editor Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of the Daily s editorial board. All other articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily. G;o vote! Saturday. February 19. Today is a sad day. I have watched my prediction come true - George W. Bush has won the South Carolina Presidential Primary. Several implications of "Junior's" victory are now clear. First, South Carolina has shifted the Boy Who Would. Be President from a b umliating defeat in New Hampshire backs to the position of Republican frontrun- ner. Second, such a shift reshapes, yet again, the race for the presidency - not just in the primary, but the general election as well. Finally, these Josh developments have Cowen placed South Carolina, into the position of Ern phaSI kingmaker. Each of Mi e. these implications hor- rify me, and should alarm you, casual reader, as you sit through class today reading yours truly. Let's deal with each of the three repercus- sions from today's vote separately. Junior has enjoyed the status of frontrunner for over a year now. His win in Iowa - another state that does not accurately represent the country - was a foregone conclusion. Poor Junior was a bit out of his league when faced with real competition in New Hampshire, and it showed. The Boy lost to The Man, John McCain, by almost twenty percentage points. This humiliation in New England made a win in South Carolina imperative. The backward state, its confederate flag and its history of recalcitrance have been propelled from swamphole to primary site of critical impor- tance. The Man actually won South Carolina among Republicans who considered them- selves moderate, and among Democrats and independents, who voted in record numbers. This means that Bush's victory is a direct result of the powerful turnout of Christians and strong Republican conservatives. A full third of the state's electorate consider themselves members of the religious right. So as Junior becomes the frontrunner yet again, I shudder, and I fear. This man will lead us? South Carolina has inflicted this upon us. It is a state built upon racism and ignorance. Once CNN and the other news channels declared John McCain The Man of the Moment. I agreed then. I still do. John McCain is the antidote to his Republican ideology. This is a party that has grown old, tired and senile- detached from the reality of public life. I dis- agree with McCain on almost every issue. But I cannot deny that through the man's blood flows honor, duty and patriotism. He believes for the sake of believing American democracy is a good thing - he knows, and has given his all to it. So South Carolina has rejected The Man of the Moment, deciding instead to elect The Boy with an archaic ideology. This state, so central to every conflict of race and ethnicity since our nation's inception, has decided that McCain does not deserve to lead. And because of the structure of our primary system, South Carolina's voice is heard. It will effect Michigan, New York and California. It will impact the entire election. National issues crucial to 'U' Why have we put our trust in this state? That South Carolina should hold such a criti- cal position in election the 2000 President is wrong. That we believe it makes a difference is ignorant. That John McCain should lose, and perhaps lose again and again, is a failure on our part to tear through the veneer of conserv- ative ideology and reach for a man whose character dwells above it all. South Carolina will be recorded as a huge victory for Baby Bush. For reasons I cannot comprehend, people will hop on the bandwag- on now. So Michigan, a state whose diverse constituency is made for men like McCain, will likely bend to the pressure of GWB's inevitability. And why? Because he has been ordained by the South Carolina electorate. I do not vote Republican. But I wish that once - just once - the candidates of both parties would inspire me, if even a little. John McCain represents this to me. He is an incred- ible man, someone I truly admire even as I disagree with his ideas. If the Democrats lost to him, I would still know that my country is in good hands. McCain gives us this gift of security, and his candidacy is built upon it. Yet he will lose, most likely, before he has the chance to offer it. And we have South Carolina to thank for that. If he is elected, George W Bush will be among our country's worst mistakes. As it did on crises like nullification, civil war, segrega- tion and massive resistance, South Carolina will leave its fingerprints on this error. We should, by now, know better. Something has to change in our elective processes. South Carolina - and any other state like it - is not America. It is not reality. - Josh Cowen can be reached via e-mail GRINDING THE NI oting is the basic means of civic engagement and political participa- tion in this country. It is also the method by which our society attempts to maintain a democratic political system. This year, many University students are eligible to vote in a presidential election for the first time. Now it is time for their voices to resonate in political matters. They should do so early and often starting with this today's Republican primary or the March 11th Democratic caucus. This campus openly embraces high levels of political participation. Many of the issues that are shaping this year's election are also hot topics on this cam- pus. Abortion, affirmative action and higher education spending will always be .pertinent to University students. The fact that the issues are important to the stu- dent population increases the need for ,student involvement in the election. Michigan has also been a swing state. Because it is a pivotal state for the nomi- nees, as well as a state where there is no clear party identity, all voters have the ability to influence the election. The more people are able to hit the polls for the pri- maries, the greater chance there will be the the president-elect represents the interests of all people. A current lack of familiarity with the candidates should not prevent students from voting in the primaries. Deciding to vote in the primary or caucus is a good way to begin a continuing interest in the political scene. Furthermore, taking an interest in the issues now will allow stu- dents to determine whether candidates have remained constant in their positions come the presidential election. Because many students are now of legal age to vote, they have an opportuni- ty to get involved. The fact that voters can only vote in either the Republican prima- ry or the Democratic caucus should not a CHIP CULLEN rr"1 , curb participation. Students choose a candidate who closely their interests and beliefs. And today, students should vote. should reflects starting THFltMICHIGAN RP~~A ~~AI We Today 7 a.m. to P,107 s ),here Michiga'n Union AliceLw e si&~dnce AN BurslvResdencell EastQuad Residene Hall South Quad Residence Hlldi Arizona Ja: hM MCaifl THEIMGcm DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS.