EDITOR
Erin Gibson
OPINION ?
EDITOR
Cliff Hicks
EDITORIAL
BOARD
Nancy Christensen
Brad Davis
Sam McKewon
Jeff Randall
Bret Schulte
Our
VIEW
Betting
on BiU
Hoppner best choice
for Nebraska governor
No knight-on-a-white-horse gubernatori
al candidate will ride roughshod over polling
boxes this Election Day. ^
Both Republican candidate Mike
Johanns and Democratic candidate Bill
Hoppner have their highlights and low
points. Election returns could reflect that.
Both candidates are dynamic and could
enact some positive change for the state - but
we think one candidate could better lead the
state into the next century.
Since 1991, Johanns has impressed many
Lincolnites with his down-to-earth, introvert
ed charm and intense work ethic. He gets
credit for taking the risks that kicked off seri
ous downtown revitalization.
He s canvassed this state. He loves
Nebraska and America. He’s real and sincere.
But he lacks a certain dynamism and
hard-line decisiveness we think Nebraska’s
next leader must possess, especially when the
state, is looking down the double barrel of a
continuing fann crisis and popular pressure
to slow funding of higher education.
Hoppner has this decisiveness, as well as
a catchy idealism and personal energy remi
niscent of some of the most popular politi
cians in recent history. He sets his mind on an
ideal or a political action - helping farmers or
defeating Initiative 413, for example - and he
doesn’t waver.
He lacks practice as a politician - the 48
year-old has never held an elected political
1 ri bfflfeb^fttl^s^^brkedbehindthe^eenesfbr
Nelfrtod Jblftjfel heavyweights, former
U.S. Sens. JJ. Exon and Bob Kerrey.
He now enjoys the endorsements of
Exon, Kerrey, former Gov. Frank Morrison
and current Gov. Ben Nelson, whose job in
office we commend. He also has garnered
support from the Nebraska Fraternal Order
of Police.
Johanns lacks the backing of local police,
who disapprove of his condoning concealed
> . weapons bijls. He’s gpt the State Troopers
! t Association^ though. Troopers got mad when
3 ; Hoppner suggested he would appoirit Bamey
Kfe to lead the State Patrol. (We college folk
still appreciate humor.)
We also admire Hoppner’s endearing
compassion for the downtrodden - for the lit
tle guy with no voice in big-money politick
ing - and his respect for First Amendment
rights.
We don’t like that Johanns approved a
Christian evangelic parade but didn’t approve
a gay rights parade. First Amendment free
doms are serious matters that should be
applied unilaterally, not according to one
political stance or personal opinion.
Most importantly, we believe Hoppner
will best protect higher education in the state,
as pressures build to slash taxes and to halt or
reverse university funding increases.
Hoppner is the students’, farmers’ and
academicians’ best candidate for Nebraska’s
future.
uuuiw ruiicy
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the Spity 1998 Daily Nebraskan. They
do not necessarily reflect the views of 1he
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, jb .
employees, its student body or the
University of Nebraska Board of Regents.
A column is solely tfie opinion of its author.
The Board of Regents serves as publisher
of the Daily Nebraskan; policy is set by
the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. The
UNL Publications Board, established by
the regents, supervises the production
of the paper. According to policy set by
the regents, responsibility for the editorial
content of the newspaper lies solely in
the hands of its student employees.
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- Mook’s
VIEW (
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FOR 6WERH0R, BOT tw 4ETIK I
m FOR BEST HER ET11ET J
Adding to apathy
Political advertisements part of the problem
People who vote often are led by
these ads. Most people who vote say
they are voting against a candidate,
not for one.
No one stands on their ideas any
more. They stand on platforms con
demning their opponents.
And America is sick of it
Look at the voter turnout Look at
the polls. Look at how people feel
about politics. ' 4;. -
T We’re sjick of it We don’t want to
see the ads any more. We dori’t want
to hear them sling mud anymore. We
don’t want a lot of things in politics.
What’s wrong with us?
What the hell do we want?
We want noble politicians who
represent us.
We want rights protected and our
wrongs righted.
We want lower taxes and more
safety.
We want America to be a great
place again.
We want a heck of a lot
And we don’t want to give a damn
thing.
Politicians can’t have our time. We
can’t give them a few minutes out of
our day to think about what we want
and how to get it
People are so dissatisfied with pol
itics, the advertising is only making
things worse.
Nebraska’s turnout this year will
be one of its highest in an off-year;
mainly because of Initiatives 413 and
414.
you want to.
If the smallest candidate with no
chance of winning is your choice, vote
for him or her.
Maybe more people will start to
agree with you.
Two political parties don’t cut it
We need another solution.
Maybe it’s time for another party
or two. Or more. .
:c vL
, possibility. It pounds malicious, Jnutif
you honestly think your ideas can
stand on their own merits, then let
them do so.
The sad part is that the yelling
works. Abusive ad campaigns work.
Smear tactics weak.
We hate to hear diem, but they
stick with us.
And if they were to stop, so would ^
the votes.
People vote out of spite these days.
They want the bad guys out of office,
so they find the lesser of the two evils.
But there shouldn’t be evil at all.
It’s our government We’re supposed
to be the greatest country in the world.
I used to think we were, when I
was younger. '
Now I’mdisillusianed like die rest
of the nation. There’s no one in
Congress representing me, and I feel
powerless - like die rest of America.
If we cut political ads off!, activity
will fall for a while. Maybe it’ll rise
again. Maybe not
But I’m starting to think we owe it
to ourselves to trf.
CLIFF HICKS is a senior
new-editorial and English
,mpjpr'. and the Daily,.
Nebraskan opinion editor,
I never thought I’d voluntarily go
against the Constitution, but, hell, here
lam.
America is broken.
The American lifestyle has been
fractured by money, greed, corruption,
industry and self-centered power.
Here’s the part where I go against
the Constitution: Maybe politics
shouldn’t include advertising.
I know that is inherently wrong
because money is free speech. That’s
what the courts determined and my
political science class dictated.
Consider this: What would politics
be like without the power of the
almighty dollar?
No more badmouthing your oppo
nent because you have more money
than he does. Simply because you
think your opponent’s ideas are bad,
you can’t spend your entire budget to
complain about him, just like you
can’t pitch your own ideas on paid
bulletin boards across the nation.
Think of it like this - advertising
is a vicious beast Any way advertisers
can get your attention, they will.
Whether it’s constant repetition or
sharp, biting slogans, advertisers want
something horn you. They want you
to listen and remember.
Ad campaigns can be subtle or
they can beat you over the head with f
constant repetition. For example, take
a long look at the recent ads the
Republicans have run.
“Our president lied to us. Vote
Republican.”
Oh yeah, those Republicans are
upholding the moral high ground in
this nation.
Now, don’t get me wrong and
think I’m with the Democrats either. - -
While I prefer the Democrats over
Republicans, I’m starting to believe
I’m Libertarian. You can do what you
want as long as it doesn’t harm me.
Party-line politics aren’t the
biggest problem with the country,
though.
The biggest problem is that
America is comprised of idiots.
And it’s still not even going to be
75 percent of the registered voters, not
to mention the many people .
who aren’t registered to
vote. /
We’re bitter.__
We’re angry. _
We’re timid We
feel powerless. ^
The problem
is that we should
n’t be powerless.
It’s a govern
ment for the
people, by d
people, oft!
MattHaney/DN
way that you’re trained to, but the way
