|
PAUL
RANDOLPH
The
issue in the current political campaign, and in today's
vote, is not that one candidate for governor is honest,
the other dishonest, one is competent, the other incompetent,
one has experience, the other is a novice.
I
must say candidly that neither candidate has dealt adequately
with the current budget crisis in our state although I believe
our Democratic candidate Ben Chandler has come closer to
a responsible handling of this issue.
The
issue is not a status quo candidate and party versus a candidate
and party who advocate change. Nor is it a question of who
can promise the most, or who can pay for the largest number
of TV advertisements. The issue is which candidate and which
party can hlp us deal with our problems and move Kentucky
forward during the next four years.
And
let's not forget that the Democratic Party has a distinguished
record of service to all Americans. Our party provided leadership
in funding the Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid programs
on which we depend today. Our party played the key role
in passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights
Act which helped us move closer to the achievement of our
democratic ideals. Many of our gains and achievements were
opposed by Republicans and the Republican party.
Also,
let me point out that Ernie Fletcher is tied into the National
Republican Party. Despite the fact that Fletcher promised
he would not undermine our Kentucky public schools by supporting
school vouchers, when the vote in the U.S. House of Representatives
(of which he is a member) was tied, he gave in to the pressure
of the Washington Republican leaders and changed his position
to break the tie vote. I believe Fletcher sacrificed the
interest of our Kentucky children to gain favor with the
leaders of the Republican Party in Washington. In contrast,
Ben Chandler puts Kentucky first.
All
of us know that any organization, group, or individual that
gives large sums of money to a candidate or a party, expects
something in return. Why did special interests (e.g., pharmaceutical
companies) make the huge contributions to the Republican
Governors' Association that allowed them to inundate us
with negative, misleading ads (ads which some Republican
leaders reprimanded them for airing?) Why do you suppose
they gave all this money?
Our
opponents often assert that Ben Chandler is a representative
of the status quo and try to make him responsible for whatever
problems we have today. Those who make this charge need
to review his record as Attorney General of Kentucky. He
has been idenpendent and aggressive in enforcing the law
and has taken on special interests, even leaders of his
own party.
The
issue is not status quo versus change. The issue is what
specific changes are needed. We believe that Ben Chandler
and the Democratic Party will work to bring the changes
we need: bring back the 64,000 jobs we have lost in Kentucky;
protect Social Security, Medicare, and make better mediacal
care and affordable prescription drugs available to more
Kentucky families.
May
I close by urging each listener to do your duty to our democratic
ideals by going to the polls to vote today!
Don't
let anyone tell you that the opinion polls have already
registered the outcome of the election so that your vote
won't matter. Remember that one newspaper in 1948 gave the
presidency of the United States to Thomas E. Dewey, rather
than Harry S. Truman -- even the day after the election.
We Kentucky Democrats are the heirs of Harry Truman, and
we urge you to help us elect Ben Chandler governor of Kentucky.
Dr.
Paul G. Randolph
PRofessor
Emeritus of History
Chair,
Calloway County Democratic Party
|
