KINDER'S COMMENTARY: POLLSTER ADVISES CANDIDATES TO HEED PUBLIC, VOTE TO IMPEACH

Voting to impeach?

According to a new poll conducted by New York pollster John Zogby, congressional candidates in close races should vote to impeach President Clinton when the issue comes before them this week. With his survey showing that by a 2-1 margin voters are less inclined for a candidate who strongly defends Clinton or campaigns with Clinton, Zogby advises House hopefuls "to vote for an impeachment inquiry but take 48 hours beforehand to explain it." The Zogby poll found that 51.8 percent of voters "are ashamed to have Clinton as their president."

In 1996, Zogby was the most accurate pollster in predicting the presidential race between President Clinton and Bob Dole. While other polls predicted a double-digit Clinton lead over the hapless Dole, Zogby consistently had it at the single-digit margin it turned out to be. Further, a recent CBS poll showed 43 percent of Americans want Mr. Clinton impeached -- and this before hearings have started.

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Demo gloom in Land of Lincoln

I first met nationally syndicated columnist Robert Novak in June 1976 at the Republican State Convention in Springfield, where as a college student I was a Ronald Reagan delegate from the old 10th District in the Gipper's contest against President Gerald Ford. I have long regarded Bob Novak as one of the keenest observers and best shoe-leather reporters in the business. Although Novak is a committed conservative, he doesn't spare Republicans from criticism when they deserve it -- which is frequently. Here is an excerpt from the latest Novak column, dated Oct. 1:

"Veteran Democratic leaders in Illinois fear one of the great Republican sweeps in recent state history, capped by the election of Illinois' first conservative U.S. senator since the death of Everett McKinley Dirksen in 1969, because of an unpleasant political reality: The party is heavily dependent on African-American voters, who may not show up on Nov. 3.

"... Three months ago, it was Republicans who were despondent. A moderate downstate Democratic congressman, Glenn Poshard, was favored to win the governorship held by the GOP for 20 years against a Republican organization stalwart, Secretary of State George Ryan."

No more, says Novak. Citing internal contradictions in the party of Clinton, Novak concludes:

"The day when a doctrinaire conservative is elected to the U.S. Senate and a colorless Republican regular is elected governor of Illinois may be a few weeks away. Clinton would be blamed, but in truth, the makeup of today's Democratic Party lends itself to defeat."

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Team repentance to the rescue

"President Clinton insists that corrupting interns and telling a grand jury lies about it is private mischief and nobody's business but his own, but he wants us to applaud while a platoon of preachers tries to rebuild his character. ...

"The president's cynical use of Scripture and the rituals of worship make Christians cringe in fear on the president's behalf, in the sure and certain knowledge that God actually meant it when He said He wouldn't be mocked. Mr. Clinton seems to have no fear, so he's an equal-opportunity mocker. ...

"With Bill Clinton everything is exploitable. Nothing is too sacred to profane in the name of politics. Once upon a time in America even the town atheist felt enough shame to respect the church and its mission. Bill Clinton, as he has demonstrated over and over, has no shame at all. Anything goes." -- Columnist Wesley Pruden

~Peter Kinder is assistant to the president of Rust Communications and a state senator from Cape Girardeau.