The Woodstock Theological Center sponsored a forum entitled “Election 2000: The Values Behind the Issues” Monday evening in Gaston Hall which featured several prominent speakers. The purpose of the forum was to offer attendees the opportunity to discuss the values underlying the political choices that must be made by American voters in the 2000 presidential election.

Panelist E.J. Dionne, Jr., author of a bi-weekly syndicated column for the editorial page of The Washington Post, said that it is worth noting the importance of the Catholic vote. Dionne also said that the 2000 election, although seemingly unimportant, involves a variety of topics including President Clinton, large tax cuts, Vice President Al Gore’s personality and Texas Governor George W. Bush’s political experience.

According to Dionne, the really pivotal question, though, concerns what the populace wants its government to do. “Do we want surplus to go to private consumption or are there social needs that won’t be met?” he asked the audience.

Panelist Peter M. Robinson, Hoover Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, spoke briefly about ideological changes the Democratic and Republican parties have undergone throughout history. He also spoke about the final days of the 2000 presidential campaign, noting that its dynamics resemble those of campaigns in the past three decades.

“One candidate feels comfortable with the government, won’t give tax cuts, will increase spending and is a liberal,” Robinson said, referring to Gore. “Another is opposed to the government and will apply free market solutions to public problems,” he said about Bush.

The third panelist, Mary McGrory, a syndicated columnist for the Post since 1960, also spoke about the importance of character and public appearance to the election.

“I see this race as a contest between Al Gore and Al Gore,” she said.

Yet to McGrory, it is incredible that Gore is struggling so much with his likeability in spite of all that he has going for him in regards to the issues. McGrory showed that although she believes in Gore’s potential over that of Bush, it all comes down to how Gore will ultimately present himself to the American people.

“If we decide on the issues, Gore will win. If we decide on who we’d rather go bowling with, Bush will win,” cGrory said.

The panelists generally agreed that the 2000 presidential election, is in fact a potential turning point for the federal government.

“All three branches of the federal government are up in a way that they are only a few times in a century,” Robinson said. According to Robinson, power in the House of Representatives and the Senate can potentially be swayed with the election’s outcome.

The program began with introductory remarks by director of the center, James L. Connor, S.J. Connor, acting as the moderator, introduced the three guest panelists, who spoke about their respective ideas and opinions on the election.

Following the discussion of the issues by the panelists, questions from the audience were addressed.

One question was posed regarding presidential candidate Ralph Nader’s importance in the election.

“I admire Nader for going to colleges. Students are the forgotten constituency in this race and I think it’s disgraceful,” McGrory said.

Both McGrory and Dionne concurred that the present generation of students is a generation that willingly volunteers and that has the potential to make the world a better place. Despite the groups’ high level of interest in service, however, the panelists said that there isn’t a strong enough connection between service and politics.

“I think this generation could be one of the greatest reforming generations,” Dionne said. Unlike Gore and Bush, she said, Nader has taken the initiative to encourage this generation to be involved in politics. “This new generation can change the country,” Dionne concluded.

The Woodstock Theological Center, a non-profit research institute, was established in 1974 by the Maryland and New York Provinces of the Society of Jesus. Its purpose is to address topics of social, economic and political perspective from a theological and ethical standpoint.

In addition to doing research, organizing conferences and seminars and publishing books, the center is presently working on several projects. The program areas currently being explored include the cultural impact of the globalized economy and a church leadership program.

The center is funded primarily through gifts from individual donors, foundations and corporations. Returned Jesuit salaries as well as Jesuit provinces and funds also contribute to the center’s funds.