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| IMPEACHMENT POLITICS | |
 October 4, 1998 
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Washington politics have been dominated by the impeachment story. The
Friday release of more documents collected by the independent counsel
continued the focus on how the House of Representatives will handle the
charges against the president. Following a background
report, political analysts and voters in Denver weigh in on the issue.
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JIM LEHRER: Now to those people on the other side of the political equations - the voters. Elizabeth Farnsworth is with a group of Denver, Colorado, citizens the NewsHour regularly gathers to consider issues of the day. They met last Thursday night in the Western Reading Room of the Denver Public Library, a room designed to reflect the Old Erickson Windmills that shaped the West. ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: Thank you all very much for being with us. Dennis Coughlin, should this election be a referendum on whether President Clinton should stay or go? |
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A referendum on President Clinton? |
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ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: Eric Duran, what do you think? ERIC DURAN, Financial Analyst: I agree with that. I think that you have to look at the individual candidates that are running out there and evaluate them by the issues. And I hope that that won't play a role. And I think the one area that it might affect the country is that people are going to be dissatisfied and disgruntled, and they're going to be like, oh, gosh, there go those politicians again; I don't like what they're doing in Washington. So I think a lot of folks are going to stay at home, and they're not going to be involved. Again, we're going to have that vast majority who choose not to vote, because they're dissatisfied with what's going on in the political process. ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: Brent Neiser, shouldn't this - a big event in Washington - play some role in these elections? BRENT NEISER, Foundation Executive: I think it can, Elizabeth. To me, it could be a new lens that America can look at their local candidates, the lens of character. We need to bring it back. It's just not the economy, stupid. ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: So you don't want it to be ignored, the fact that - what's happened? BRENT NEISER: No. Let's make this a benefit out of this scandal and reincorporate that into the way we look at candidates. ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: Is this is so powerful - I noticed in the segment with Margaret - somebody said it overlays everything. Is that the way -- Linda Houston - is it overlaying --
ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: Well, I want to know from some of you whether it energizes or discourages you. Chris Goodwin.. CHRIS GOODWIN, Stockroom Clerk: A little bit of both. I think it can poison the whole atmosphere of the elections, but I want to hear about real issues; I want to hear about campaign finance reform and how they're going to clean that up in Washington. I want to hear what they're going to do about 40 million people who don't have health insurance. I want to hear about raising the minimum wage and economic issues like that. Character is important, but I don't think it should be overriding. I don't think Bill Clinton's character should be the overriding issue. I think we've had elections on him twice. I didn't vote for him one of those times. ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: But just you personally, you're an independent. Are you going to vote Democratic because you're mad at the Republicans about this, or are you going to vote independent? CHRIS GOODWIN: Well, I'm not going to vote Republican; I never have. I'm either going to vote for a Democratic candidate, or I'm going to sit home. So I need to hear some real serious straight talk from the Democratic candidates about the issues like the ones I just mentioned if they expect me to get out there and vote. ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: All right. Dee Cisneros, are you energized? DEE CISNEROS, Retired School Teacher: Yes, very much. Please don't stay home. And , I personally, I'm not going to abandon my Democrat Party - the party, itself, has the values that I like, and I know if it was not for the Democrats, we would not have Social Security. But - just like your religion - just because one priest or one minister has faltered doesn't mean you're going to change religions. ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: Go ahead. DENNIS COUGHLIN: Whether you have a Democratic candidate or Republican candidate does not mean that one is more moral or has a higher character than the other. Democrats certainly don't have a corner on the market for character, nor do Republicans. And that's what I don't think it should be part of the issue. I do think that character, be it Democratic or Republican, is important. We've talked about that before. And if you have a person such as President Clinton that is obviously immoral, it ruins his leadership ability and, therefore, it affects his policies. ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: Sam Arnold.
ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: Bob Jornayvaz, let me ask you something. The way that you hear the political consultants talk about this, you're the protagonist of this. All of these candidates are trying to appeal to the voters. And what the consultants say is, whether you want it or not, if a lot of Republicans get in, it may be seen as a vote for impeachment, if more Democrats get in, it may be seen as a vote against impeachment. Do you - are you sitting and thinking about these elections recognizing that you may be helping make that decision? |
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The big issues. |
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| BOB JORNAYVAZ, Oil and Gas Executive: Well, I think that's
part of the process, but as a parent of three kids, I'm very angry with
the President. It certainly by no means isn't the only issue. But he's
created such a bad problem as a parent. I'm sick of the guys in Washington
that seem to miss the big issues -sit around the dinner table at night
trying to explain it to your kids -- the difference between right and
wrong and lying and not lying, and the position that he's put the whole
country in. It's so complicated.
ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: So you're willing to see yourself as the protagonist in this election, that you're willing to help make this decision? BOB JORNAYVAZ: Yes, well, the voters. I mean, that's our job and our duty in every election. ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: But what I'm partly getting at is, are you thinking about that, or are you thinking about the county commissioner's vote, the things close to you?
ERIC DURAN: I just wanted to say that this whole thing - it's interesting that in this conversation character keeps coming up, and character seems to be the overriding issue, and I'm wondering if we're all going to go out to the polls and there's going to be this over-emphasis on character and not enough emphasis on the issues. ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: Okay. Actually, we're going to stop there. Thank you. We'll be back. |
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DENNIS
COUGHLIN, Investment Banker: Absolutely not. President Clinton's immorality
in the White House should not affect the morality or the character of
any candidate running, whether it be Democratic or Republican. So I
don't think that this should be an issue on whether to elect John or
elect Joe. It absolutely should be on the issues. 
LINDA
HOUSTON, Insurance Agency Manager: Well, I do believe that it does do
that. I think - you know, as Eric said - I think it's going to affect
the fact that people don't go out and vote. They're spent; they're angry.
They're tired of the whole thing, and I think they've become very apathetic
about whether or not whoever they vote for is going to make a difference.
SAM
ARNOLD, Restaurant Owner: As the Republicans go forward with an impeachment
process, and they keep it on the front pages of the paper, I think that
moderate Republicans and independents like I am are going to look elsewhere
for another party, because this political crucifixion is just beyond
all the pale here. 
TOM
LAURIDSON, Farmer: I don't want this election to be a referendum for
impeachment. That's Congress's job. They're charged with that. I still
think that local elections need to be local elections. In my county
there's a couple of races that are important to me that I'm going to
vote how I'm going to vote, the party notwithstanding, because of the
people involved. That's comes back to the character thing, clearly.
And character should be an issue in every election. It's not supposed
to be an issue in one election out of the many that we've had.