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Time - Man of the Year
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Time_Man_of_the_Year_Compact_Publishing_3YX-Disc-1_Compact_Publishing_1993.iso
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1992-09-22
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THE WEEK, Page 20NATIONAnother Revolt Against Politics as Usual
Women break through in California, while Clinton goes over the
top
By all rights Bill Clinton should have felt on top of the
world last week after sweeping the last coast-to-coast crazy
quilt of six state primaries. The Arkansas Governor eliminated
Jerry Brown by winning 48% to 40% in his home state of
California, and consequently clinched the Democratic nomination
with 366 delegates to spare. Then why was this ordinarily almost
cockeyed optimist forcing his victory smile as lamely as a
first-time sushi eater? In crucial California, at least, the
reason was a climactic revolt against politics as usual that
rewarded not Clinton so much as outsider Ross Perot and, to a
historic extent, a surging team of women candidates led by
Democratic U.S. Senate nominees Dianne Feinstein and Barbara
Boxer.
Perot, the world's most announced "unannounced" candidate,
won the exit polling hands down. Democratic voters indicated
that if he had been on the ballot, Perot would have won 43% to
Clinton's 29% and Brown's 23%. With even more anti-Establishment
enthusiasm, Republicans gave Perot 52% to President Bush's 38%
and Pat Buchanan's 9%. Reaching out to Perot supporters, Clinton
in Los Angeles almost plaintively declared, "Listen, if you want
an outsider, if you want someone who's passed a program, taken
on interest groups, got a plan for the future, that's my
campaign. Give us a listen." Brown, for his part, vowed to turn
his own Savonarolan campaign into a permanent 800-number
"movement" after raising the rafters at what he promised was
going to be a "very yeasty" Democratic Convention.
The gender victories raised the unprecedented prospect of
two women Senators elected from California next fall. Moderate
Democrat Feinstein, a former mayor of San Francisco, roundly
defeated state controller Gray Davis 58% to 33% and will face
appointed incumbent John Seymour, a moderate Republican, in
November. Liberal Democratic Congresswoman Boxer, with 44%,
overcame both Lieutenant Governor Leo McCarthy and Congressman
Mel Levine and will take on conser vative Republican Bruce
Herschensohn for the Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Alan
Cranston.
In addition, 16 new women candidates, 14 Democrats and two
Republicans, won nomination for California's 52 congressional
races. All of them clearly benefited from the anti-incumbent
mood in general -- and Anita Hill's coattails in particular.
"We're seeing the shattering of the political glass ceiling for
women in California," said University of Southern California
election expert Eric Schockman. Moaned defeated Congressman
Levine: "I got hit by a tidal wave known as the year of the
woman."
The sobering effect of the Los Angeles riots also made
itself felt in the primary with the overwhelming 67%-to-33%
passage of a local ballot initiative, Charter Amendment F, which
will impose greater civilian authority over the Los Angeles
police chief. Lame-duck chief Daryl Gates, clearly the target
of many of the yes voters, complained that they had been "sold
a bill of goods." But Los Angeles' Urban League president John
Mack called it "a home run for justice."