Editor's Note: Liberals Should Seek Consensus In the months since Ben Fritz and I founded The L-Word, we have worked to build it into the forum for liberal opinion at Swarthmore. It was our hope that the debate we foster here would parallel that occurring all over the country as liberals, and the Democratic Party, search for a new consensus. In this issue, our debate takes on national scope in an interview with Michael Dukakis in which Ben and he discuss some of the pressing issues facing liberals. As for the rest of the country, Democrats continue to jockey for ideological position in anticipation of the 2000 presidential race. Al Gore's refusal to take on the AFL-CIO over the fast track legislation was interpreted by many as a move to cover his left flank from a primary challenge by House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, who recently led the successful liberal fight against fast track. Time reports that this hesitation has worried Clinton, still stinging from his fast track defeat, who sees Gore as the heir to his New Democrat legacy. However, rapidly increasing Republican financial advantages have forced compromise, including a reconciliation between Gephardt and the White House. President Clinton has even agreed to campaign for Democratic candidates in the 1998 elections. As we go to press, the Party is huddling to work out the details of the unified Democratic agenda. The possibility of unity at the national level suggests the same is possible here at Swarthmore. Our role, then, is to further debate in the hope that we may find common ground. This issue marks the last time that Ben Fritz and I will seek that common ground in this publication. He will spend next semester in Ireland. I wish him the best and thank him for his efforts; without him, this publication would not exist. In our next issue, I will be joined by a newly elected editor-in-chief, although Ben will remain editor emeritus. I would also like to thank Tom Tomorrow, aka Dan Perkins, for allowing us to reprint "This Modern World", his brilliant nationally syndicated political cartoon. To see more of his work, or find out how to order any of his fantastic books, check out http://www.well.com/user/tomorrow. |
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