POLITICS & COMMUNITY
The Other Primary:
Democrats Choose Their President
February 29, 1996
Pat Buchanan offers the public nostalgic visions of early-morning round-ups, cattle cars and hot ovens. Lamar Alexander does the grunge thing, wearing the same shirt for months on end without washing, and 30-year Capitol Hill veteran and Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole offers himself up as an insurgent outsider. And then there's Steve Forbes, who has successfully proven that no matter how much money you spend, you can't buy the presidency if you're both ugly and stupid.
No doubt about it, the Republican primaries are a hell of a sideshow.
But what about the Democrats?
Most Americans may not have noticed, but there is a Democratic primary this year. It's true. Ignored by the media feeding-frenzy surrounding an increasingly bloody GOP contest, members of the nation's incumbent party are quietly meeting, dissecting the issues and scrupulously deliberating how to cast their ballots in their own second-fiddle but just-as-exciting primaries.
You might think that Democrats would feel a little left out. But in fact, voters freed of the blinding glare of camera lights are finding that democracy works best when it's left alone in the dark.
This past weekend I met with a group of such left-of-center citizens, the 18th Street Andrew Jackson Democratic Coven. Throwing back microbrewed beer and tossing out random thoughts at a local watering hole, these grassroots strategists carefully considered the importance of this year's Democratic primaries, beginning with this insightful exchange:
The Candidates
"I'm thinking of voting for President Clinton," ventured Marjorie Tucker, a 46-year-old Brooklyn schoolteacher. "He's got the experience for the job."
Ken Tischler, a 46-year-old stockbroker, was quick to jump in. "Clinton? After the way he alienated labor on NAFTA and GATT? Buchanan'll eat him alive!"
"Oh, Ken. We can't be certain yet that Buchanan will be the Republican nominee," Ms. Tucker pointed out. "Lamar Alexander could still make a comeback. Anyway, for whom are you voting?"
Ken confessed that he was actually thinking of staying home on primary night to catch the U. Penn game.
Ms. Tucker was visibly aghast. "This is the kind of apathy that's ruining the country."
"It's not like it matters," replied Mr. Tischler. "Clinton's the only guy on the ballot!"
"Just because there's no choices doesn't mean it's not important to vote," Ms. Tucker reasoned.
"It doesn't?"
"Believe me," said Ms. Tucker, "it makes a big difference whether Clinton gets 100 percent of a good turnout or 100 percent of a bad turnout."
"Wow. I never thought about it that way." Mr. Tischler was impressed.
The Strategies
Next on the agenda was the topic of choosing a presidential candidate who would be best equipped to defeat the Republican nominee.
"How about Bill Clinton?" Ms. Tucker suggested.
But a 46-year-old real estate agent, Jane Bailey, hesitated. "I don't know," said Bailey. "He's not exactly Mr. Charisma, is he? Plus I think that whole thing with Hillary really hurt him, whatever it was."
"Yeah, but he's the only Democrat running this year, remember?" stockbroker Tischler noted.
Ms. Bailey pondered this fact for a moment. "I guess Clinton's not so bad."
Support was quickly coalescing around Clinton. Next up: a discussion of the issues.
The Issues
After the fifth pitcher arrived, it didn't take long for social issues to take center stage in the discussion. Josie Gallagher, a 46-year-old city sanitation worker spoke up:
"I feel that it's very important for a president to defend a woman's right to choose, no matter what. My mother couldn't get an abortion back before Roe v. Wade, and here we are. You know what I'm saying?"
"I think so," said Stanley Bello, a 46-year-old pipe welder from Queens.
"Well, Clinton's pro-choice," observed Ms. Tucker.
"Are any other candidates pro-choice?" Ms. Gallagher asked.
"There aren't any other candidates," said Ms. Tucker.
"Well, that pretty much settles it. Clinton's the right guy for me."
"What about foreign policy?" asked Yuri Stolkowski, a 46-year-old architect who immigrated from the Soviet Union in 1984. "I favor strong trade sanctions against China until they improve their human rights record."
Mr. Tischler agreed, but noted, "None of the candidates are against coddling China."
Silence fell upon the group.
"Uh-" Mr. Bello said, but then stopped.
This was followed by more silence, then some quiet.
"I've got it!" Ms. Tucker said excitedly. "Since none of the candidates favor sanctions against China, let's take a neutral stance on that issue."
"So that leaves Clinton, huh?" said Tischler after a few quick calculations on a cardboard coaster.
"Clinton it is!" they shouted in unison.
Mugs were raised. The group celebrated their hard-won concurrence. "To Bill Clinton, the once and future President of the United States!" Mugs clinked. Beer was swilled. It wasn't Bunker Hill, but it was every bit as much a victory for representative democracy.
After the meeting was adjourned, Mr. Stolkowski and Ms. Tucker expressed their satisfaction with the evening's discussions.
"I've been a Democrat all my life, but I've never seen such consensus," she said.
Mr. Stolkowski smiled nostalgically.
"I have," he said.
Ted Rall, 32, is a syndicated cartoonist and freelance writer living in New York.
© 1996 Ted Rall, All Rights Reserved.
