Dearth of U.S. Issues Defines Races

Talking-heads christened it the "Seinfeld election," and many voters thought yesterday's contests were about nothing.

But the lack of a single national issue did not prevent a Democrat from winning the gubernatorial race in the nation's largest state and a number of other close contests across the country.

Lt. Gov. Gray Davis, a Democrat, defeated the Republican candidate for governor in California, State Attorney General Dan Lungren. In the state's Senate race, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) beat another GOP hopeful, State Treasurer Matt Fong.

Democrats also won tight Senate contests in Wisconsin and New York, and the party had captured House seats in Pennsylvania, Mississippi and New Mexico at press time.

Elsewhere in the country, Republicans did not fare as badly, with Massachusetts Acting Governor A. Paul Cellucci beating out his Democratic challenger, State Attorney General L. Scott Harshbarger '64, and a Republican defeating incumbent Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun in Illinois.

With such mixed results, both Republicans and Democrats were quick to declare victory, and partisan spin efforts will likely determine general opinion about the overall meaning of the results.

Former White House press secretary Michael D. McCurry called yesterday's race "a national Rorschach test," predicting "people will make of it whatever they want."

Even before the polls closed last night, representatives from the Democratic and Republican National Committees were claiming success for their parties.

Democrats celebrated some unexpected victories in the nation's gubernatorial contests. Challengers who enjoyed the overwhelming support of black voters ousted Republican governors in South Carolina and Alabama.

Democrats also emphasized that their strong showing in the congressional contest defied a historical trend. Since 1862, the president's party has fared poorly in mid-term elections.

Republicans stressed last night that the results should be judged in light of over-whelming GOP gains in the House and

Senate in 1994. As holders of the majority, they had fewer seats to capture.

Despite losses in a few close races, Republicans managed to retain their dominance of the nation's state houses.

The Issues

GOP spokespeople said that although gubernatorial success is often overlooked inside the Beltway, the party takes pride in the fact that its governors consistently marshal local support.

But the news for Republicans at the local level was not all good last night. Several tight legislative races won by Democrats were decided over statewide, rather than national, issues.

In fact, many said this election cycle was characterized by a dearth of overriding, nationwide concerns.

"There is no national driving issue," said Kurt Victor, a congressional correspondent for the National Journal magazine.

By effectively appealing to local priorities, Democrats were able to defeat Republicans in several hotly contested races. Particularly in the South and the West, candidates with education and HMO reform platforms won the day.

"The Democrats fought with moderate politics and mainstream message against right-wing Republicans," said Joseph N. Sanberg '01, vice president of the Massachusetts College Democrats.

"The issues that dominated--like Social Security and the environment--were ones on which voters identify with Democrats," Sanberg added.

While Republicans were counting on anger at scandal surrounding the president to mobilize conservative voters across the country, the American people declined to punish Democratic candidates for President Clinton's relationship with former White House intern Monica S. Lewinsky.

The Tactics

Pundits on both sides of the aisle said Republican attempts to highlight the president's sexual misconduct in the course of local and statewide campaigns backfired.

Rather than convince GOP supporters to head to the polls, the anti-Clinton message became a weapon for Democrats, who accused Republicans of lacking concrete programs to offer the public.

"There were more likely to be negative reactions to Republican anti-Clinton ads than positive ones, "McCurry said.

Poll results indicated that the Lewinsky affair would not resonate with voters in most of the country, but Republicans attempted to use it in select regions, where they believed it would encourage right-wing constituents to vote.

Democrats seized these targeted Republican ads and promoted them nationally, seeking to impress the electorate at-large with GOP pettiness.

"The American people focused on what the Republicans have tried to do--to make this election about investigating the president--and what the Democrats have done--to make it about issues," said Tony Wyche, a Democratic National Committee spokesperson.

Playing the Race Card?

Democrats may also have benefited from stumping by Vice President Al Gore '69 and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, who barnstormed in districts where races were tight.

The vice president appeared with Rep. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), who defeated incumbent Sen. Alfonse M. D'Amato (R-N.Y.) after months of intense campaigning.

The First Lady addressed crowds in her home state of Illinois on behalf on incumbent Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun (D-Ill.), who nonetheless lost to her Republican challenger, 38-year-old Peter G. Fitzgerald--now the youngest senator.

The most effective support that Democratic candidates received from the White House, however, had less to do with personal endorsements than with tactical political maneuvering.

The Democrats, led by the president, devoted a substantial part of their campaign efforts to promoting voter participation in the inner-city.

In the last few weeks of campaigning, Democrats concentrated resources on urging urban minority voters to go to the polls.

This strategy served them well, as many Democratic winners last night received more than 70 percent of the black vote.

Victor suggested one reason black Americans stood so solidly behind Democrats.

"There is no group more angered...on the Lewinsky scandal front than African Americans," he said, explaining that many inner city residents believe the president is the victim of a political witch-hunt.

But Democrats did not rely on anti-scandal sentiment alone to bring black voters to the polls.

In a move some Republicans called blatant race-baiting, President Clinton announced last weekend that Attorney General Janet Reno would be sending out election monitors to New York, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and California to protect minorities from intimidation.

"There were several documented instances of attempts by Republican county, local and state organizations to intimidate...African Americans and Latinos," Wyche alleged.

Mike J. Donohue of the National Republican Congressional Committee responded by calling the Reno announcement a "rather cynical attempt to manipulate certain minority voters, particularly African American voters."

The success of the Democrats' last minute maneuvering to woo black voters stands in stark contrast to the failure of Republicans to launch final-stretch campaign efforts.

Alan Simpson, director of the Institute of Politics and a former Republican senator from Wyoming, chastised Republicans for not being vocal enough in responding to criticism from their Democratic opponents.

"An attack unanswered is an attack believed and, worse, an attack believed in," Simpson said

Senate in 1994. As holders of the majority, they had fewer seats to capture.

Despite losses in a few close races, Republicans managed to retain their dominance of the nation's state houses.

The Issues

GOP spokespeople said that although gubernatorial success is often overlooked inside the Beltway, the party takes pride in the fact that its governors consistently marshal local support.

But the news for Republicans at the local level was not all good last night. Several tight legislative races won by Democrats were decided over statewide, rather than national, issues.

In fact, many said this election cycle was characterized by a dearth of overriding, nationwide concerns.

"There is no national driving issue," said Kurt Victor, a congressional correspondent for the National Journal magazine.

By effectively appealing to local priorities, Democrats were able to defeat Republicans in several hotly contested races. Particularly in the South and the West, candidates with education and HMO reform platforms won the day.

"The Democrats fought with moderate politics and mainstream message against right-wing Republicans," said Joseph N. Sanberg '01, vice president of the Massachusetts College Democrats.

"The issues that dominated--like Social Security and the environment--were ones on which voters identify with Democrats," Sanberg added.

While Republicans were counting on anger at scandal surrounding the president to mobilize conservative voters across the country, the American people declined to punish Democratic candidates for President Clinton's relationship with former White House intern Monica S. Lewinsky.

The Tactics

Pundits on both sides of the aisle said Republican attempts to highlight the president's sexual misconduct in the course of local and statewide campaigns backfired.

Rather than convince GOP supporters to head to the polls, the anti-Clinton message became a weapon for Democrats, who accused Republicans of lacking concrete programs to offer the public.

"There were more likely to be negative reactions to Republican anti-Clinton ads than positive ones, "McCurry said.

Poll results indicated that the Lewinsky affair would not resonate with voters in most of the country, but Republicans attempted to use it in select regions, where they believed it would encourage right-wing constituents to vote.

Democrats seized these targeted Republican ads and promoted them nationally, seeking to impress the electorate at-large with GOP pettiness.

"The American people focused on what the Republicans have tried to do--to make this election about investigating the president--and what the Democrats have done--to make it about issues," said Tony Wyche, a Democratic National Committee spokesperson.

Playing the Race Card?

Democrats may also have benefited from stumping by Vice President Al Gore '69 and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, who barnstormed in districts where races were tight.

The vice president appeared with Rep. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), who defeated incumbent Sen. Alfonse M. D'Amato (R-N.Y.) after months of intense campaigning.

The First Lady addressed crowds in her home state of Illinois on behalf on incumbent Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun (D-Ill.), who nonetheless lost to her Republican challenger, 38-year-old Peter G. Fitzgerald--now the youngest senator.

The most effective support that Democratic candidates received from the White House, however, had less to do with personal endorsements than with tactical political maneuvering.

The Democrats, led by the president, devoted a substantial part of their campaign efforts to promoting voter participation in the inner-city.

In the last few weeks of campaigning, Democrats concentrated resources on urging urban minority voters to go to the polls.

This strategy served them well, as many Democratic winners last night received more than 70 percent of the black vote.

Victor suggested one reason black Americans stood so solidly behind Democrats.

"There is no group more angered...on the Lewinsky scandal front than African Americans," he said, explaining that many inner city residents believe the president is the victim of a political witch-hunt.

But Democrats did not rely on anti-scandal sentiment alone to bring black voters to the polls.

In a move some Republicans called blatant race-baiting, President Clinton announced last weekend that Attorney General Janet Reno would be sending out election monitors to New York, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and California to protect minorities from intimidation.

"There were several documented instances of attempts by Republican county, local and state organizations to intimidate...African Americans and Latinos," Wyche alleged.

Mike J. Donohue of the National Republican Congressional Committee responded by calling the Reno announcement a "rather cynical attempt to manipulate certain minority voters, particularly African American voters."

The success of the Democrats' last minute maneuvering to woo black voters stands in stark contrast to the failure of Republicans to launch final-stretch campaign efforts.

Alan Simpson, director of the Institute of Politics and a former Republican senator from Wyoming, chastised Republicans for not being vocal enough in responding to criticism from their Democratic opponents.

"An attack unanswered is an attack believed and, worse, an attack believed in," Simpson said