-=> Quoting Mike Angwin to Roy J. Tellason <=-
 MA> it comes to a question of character vs. character between the
 MA> Republican and Democratic nominees, even though I voted for Harry
 MA> Brown who was the nominee of my own party, Dole would have won the
 MA> character contest between the two major contenders  hands down. 
I have mixed feelings regarding Bob Dole.  I agree with you,
Mike, that in a character contest Dole would easily beat
Clinton.  I even believe that Dole resigned his Senate seat
(at least in part) to send a signal to fellow Senators and
lobbyists that he was no longer part of that system, that any
political debts were cancelled.
But the fact remains that Bob Dole spent a long time learning
the congressional system, and he played it well when he was
in the Senate -- more honorably than some of his colleagues,
perhaps, but he played it nonetheless.  And on a few occasions
(most notably turning his back on the NRA in an effort to
seem more centrist), he disappointed me greatly.
While I certainly would have preferred Bob Dole to Bill
Clinton, the fact remains that he had become a career
politician.  Political power affects some people the way
catnip affects some cats -- they do silly things while under
its influence and will do even sillier things to get more.
While I'm sure Bob Dole had every intention of acting only in
the country's best interests if he had been elected President,
he clearly enjoyed political power.  I have a hard time
trusting _anyone_ who enjoys that power so much he/she would
campaign time after time to stay in Washington.
(I might see things a little differently if our capital were
in a city like Seattle, or San Antonio, or Nashville -- but
Washington, D.C. isn't exactly the most desirable place to
live.  Of course, one could easily argue that Washington's
current sad state is largely the result of all the government
employees who live and work there.  Perhaps it's best that
the seat of government is where it is, and other American
cities are relatively unscathed.)
Walter, Forked Deer River Ilks
wluffman@usit.net
... The President of the United States is our employee. - PJ O'Rourke
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