Perot volunteer encourages campus support

Former Republican campaign strategist Don McCoy spoke to a crowd of about 25 yesterday afternoon at a Penn for Perot meeting. Many attending the meeting, including McCoy, the guest speaker, had been supporters of Bush or Clinton at the start of the campaign, but now have thrown their support into Perot's camp. McCoy, who had met with President George Bush personally in the past as a Republican, is now a member of the steering committee of the Pennsylvania chapter of United We Stand, the group backing Perot. "Bush is in damage control mode. He is too far behind in the race." McCoy said. "With Ross Perot, what you hear is what you get. He speaks the truth." McCoy explained Perot's economic plan is fair, moderate and will cut the deficit. He believes that people are ready to accept Perot's "shared sacrifice" plan. University Medical Center employee Gordon Parker, a former night receptionist for Democratic headquaters in Philadelphia, agrees. "There are two parts to government spending -- how do we spend and how much do we spend?" Parker said. "I agree with both Clinton and Perot on how the government spends our money, but I only agree with Perot on how much we spend. Clinton never convinced me that he will reduce the debt." Kal Vadasz, a Wharton freshman, who attended the meeting, also had a change of heart. "I am registered as a Republican," Vadasz said. "But Perot is the only one who offers a legitimate solution [to the deficit problem]." Perot has even piqued the interest of Democratic loyalists like College sophomore Lisa Neuberger, who has helped organize campus Clinton campaign rallies in the past. "I wanted to see how other campaign groups were running their meetings," Neuberger said. "I think it is important for voters to find out about all the issues." McCoy said Perot has a legitimate chance to win the election. He said 50 percent of registered voters in the United States are still undecided. According to McCoy, this percentage has never been higher than 20 percent after October 1. Perot supporters are optimistic that they will receive many votes from the undecided catagory. And McCoy hopes to get the anti-Bush and the anti-incumbent vote as well. But the meeting was not without skeptics. Some in attendence questioned McCoy about Perot's earlier exit from the race, whether Perot is being motivated by his ego and some challenged his policies about the inner cities and drugs. Wharton graduate student Jonathan Yellon questioned Perot's commitment. "He left General Motors when he could not handle the beauracracy of the board of directors," Yellen said. "How is he going to handle the government's bureaucracy?" Wharton senior and President of Penn for Perot Marc Ladin believes that Perot does in fact have the answers to the countries problems. "I must find a job in an economy without an expanding job base," Ladin said. "Ross Perot can make it better for me and my children. Other candidates play the political game, but Perot is a true representative of the people."

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