PUBLIC TELLS POLITICIANS: IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE

Has the old image of the Democratic Party been changed? They claim that they "want to be fiscally responsible, but caring for people who need help (Gov. Ann Richards of Texas)". Well ... the people have voted and said that they're willing to give them a chance. That's what democracy is all about.

The candidates file, run their campaigns, and the voters decide. The losers generally concede and the public accepts the verdict of the majority. Unfortunately ... President-Elect Clinton is being returned (with a number of re-elected incumbents) to a liberal Senate. He will have a challenge to carry out his "mandate" and I wish him well. He certainly overwhelmingly carried the electoral votes and many other Democrat candidates with him.

Incidentally ... the highly volatile U.S. public will closely observe Clinton's presidency (Bush holds about 50% of the popular vote as this column is being written and had a 80% popularity rating last fall). They'll be watching to see if Clinton's performance will match his rhetoric. Even with an outstanding campaign by Clinton, and a poor campaign by Bush ... the race had closed before Bush's momentum reversed over the weekend. Almost all of the close states went to Clinton, but the winners normally win the close ones.

---

My compliments to the winners. My sympathies to the losing candidates and their supporters. It's a lot more fun winning.

---

"What effect will the election have on the economy next year?

Very little. It will keep inching upward no matter who wins. Business scraped bottom in April `91 and has been recovering since then. Even if he wanted to, Clinton couldn't go all-out to stimulate growth ... deficit is too large. That would send interest rates through the roof. Financial markets have already signaled disapproval of big spending.

How about unemployment? Probably staying over 7% well into `93.

Inflation? Close to 3 1/2%, the CPI about the same as this year.

Interest rates? No big changes until demand for money increases.

How does it look for housing from now through next year?

Gradual improvement in sales of both new and used homes. Building permits ... an indicator of future activity ... are up a little. After three weak years in a row, there is pent-up demand for housing.

And auto sales? Same story ... slowly picking up in the next year. Minivans, sport-utility rigs and light trucks will sell better than cars. Total vehicle sales this year, 13 million. Next year, about 13 1/2 million.

U.S.-made cars will keep gaining market share on Japanese models. Low dollar helps. Prices of foreign cars have been going up much faster.

Are consumer-confidence surveys reliable predictors of business?

No. They often point downward as the economy is heading upward. Soemtimes they lag. Other times, lead. Lately, they just bounce around.

A lot of people answer the surveys negatively ... then go shopping." ... FROM A PRIVATE NEWSLETTER.

---

"There's an old saying that victory has 100 fathers and defeat is an orphan."

John F. Kennedy referring to the Bay of Pigs disaster,

press conference 1961.

---

Up the fields of friendly strife

Are sown the seeds

That, upon other fields, on other days

Will bear the fruits of victory.

General Douglas MacArthur

"Reminiscenses" 1964

---

What is Class?

Class never runs scared. It is sure-footed and confident in the knowledge that you can meet life head-on and handle whatever comes along.

Jacob had it. Esau didn't. Symbolically, we can look to Jacob's wrestling match with the angel. Those who have class have wrestled with their own personal "angel" and won a victory that marks them thereafter.

Class never makes excuses. It takes its lumps and learns from past mistakes.

Class is considerate of others. It knows that good manners are nothing more than a series of petty sacrifices.

Class bespeaks an aristocracy that has nothing to do with ancestors or money. The most affluent blueblood can be totally without class while the descendant of a Welsh miner may ooze class from every pore.

Class never tries to build itself up by tearing others down.

Class is already up and need not strive to look better by making others look worse.

Class can "walk with kings and keep its virtue, and talk with crowds and keep the common touch." Everyone is comfortable with the person who has class because he is comfortable with himself.

If you have class, you don't need much of anything else. If you don't have it, no matter what else you have it doesn't make much difference.

Author Unknown