The Christian Science Monitor
RAN 2/16
Monitor Staff
UNDER the lash of Pat Buchanan, the Republican hopefuls are diving into 
economic populism. For some, it's an icy plunge, chilled by the skepticism of 
New Hampshire's voters.
But it's invigorating for the campaign. This presidential election year, like 
past ones, will likely turn on economic matters. And the problems on which Mr. 
Buchanan is training his rhetorical blunderbuss are key: drooping income among 
the American middle class, widespread corporate layoffs, and trade.
His populist fire veers wide of the mark, however, when it comes to solutions. 
Buchanan's calls to exit international trade agreements and bar the borders 
harks back to 1930s Fortress America thinking. Backing out of today's global 
economy wouldn't save the jobs of American workers. It would shrivel long-term 
job prospects by shrinking the market for US goods.
The other Republicans, notably Bob Dole and Lamar Alexander, have the 
responsibility of presenting saner options. Mr. Dole has recently started 
echoing Buchanan's broadsides at a corporate sector that cheers climbing stock 
prices as it lops off workers. This is dicey ground for a mainstream Republican 
with strong ties to some of the corporate giants that underwrite GOP campaigns. 
But Dole can help his cause by giving voters a clear statement of the 
interrelation of long-term job outlooks and vigorous trade.
He, and Mr. Alexander, can also throw in their versions of what government ­ 
yes, that object of GOP scorn ­ can do to help workers prepare for future 
employment opportunities and to help companies take a hand in that. Tax 
incentives are a big part of that discussion, which should give the 
mainstreamers a chance to counter flat-tax zealotry.
While they're at it, they have to fit deficit reduction into their vision of a 
brighter economic future ­ not as a fanatical goal that eclipses everything 
else, but as a crucial element.
If the Republican moderates ­ not a bad label, despite everyone's effort to 
grab the "conservative" tag ­ don't stake out this ground, someone else will. 
He's sitting in the White House now ­ smiling, no doubt.
(Copyright 1996, The Christian Science Publishing Society. Used by permission.)