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Editorial w 'Republican Romp features Reagan in leading role It had all the characteristics of a Hollywood movie. A tight tense drama that exploded in a surprise ending. It was filled with irony, foreshadowing and had a classic "success story" plot. And as in so many other dramas, Ronald Reagan was the star, but this time he played himself and the show wasn't made for box office profits but for America's future. Tuesday night, only about an hour and a half after the polls closed in the East, it was evident Reagan would become the 40th president of the United States. The magnitude of his victory was awesome and totally unpredicted. The results of the election left pollsters floundering and eatine surh words as "the closest election ever." Everyone was prepared for a neck-and-neek battle. Morning newspapers were tense and horrified at the thought they might have to publish on Wednesday without naming a winner. All thoughts of a tight race quickly faded as Reagan swiftly knocked down state after state, as if the domino principle had been put into effect. THE LANDSLIDE BEGAN in the South as Carter's home base crumbled, then the Northeastern states began to fall to Reagan and finally Reagan victories spread West like an prvi Hpmin Poorfon V tv>? ? -A - 4 ? ? * -^, x v nv,uf,iui o must sui idin^; wnib were in siaies sucn as Massachusets, North Carolina, Tennessee and other traditionally Democratic states. In the wake of this Reagan sweep, Democratic senators succumbed to Republican challengers, giving Republicans control of the Senate for the first time in a quarter century. The 1980 election bears some similarity to the 1976 election in that an incumbent was forced out of office. But the similarity ends there. Jimmy Carter has gotten what he gave Gerald Ford in 1976 only in a much larger dose. Not since Herbert Hoover was turned out of office by Franklin Delano Roosevelt has an incumbent been so overwhelmingly defeated. What caused American voters to oust an incumbent Democratic president in no uncertain terms in favor of a Republican? A wave of conservatism? Maybe. But more likplv frustration ITnu'tmHn^ ??> 1 1 * ? j m. i uonanuii wmi liic ^ruiungcu nosiage crisis, the sagging economy and the lack of international respect for the United States. DEMOCRATS CROSSING PARTY lines was also a major cause of Carter's defeat, which proved the extent of the disapproval of Carter. It seems Americans have reached the point where they aren't bound by party ties, voting blindly for whoever labels himself a certain way. Rather, they are casting their votes for the man and the issues. The margin of Reagan's victory ? 489 electoral votes to Carter's 49 ? is extremely significant. Not only did it totally repudiate Carter's policies of the last four years, but it also gives Reagan the support of the people ? the mandate for action ? that Carter never enjoyed. Policy-making and negotiations with other countries will be facilitated with Reagan's landslide victory backing him up. Reagan has another advantage ? one house of Congress on his side, something neither of his immediate Republican predecessors had to work with. A markedly more conservative House should also make it easier for Reagan to get his proposals passed. Reagan plans to waste no time in taking advantage of the new Congress. His first action as president, he says, will be to initiate the three-year, 30 percent tax cut that he outlined during the campaign. UlTAflAM A L' A ?\A m A oui'jkio no i u? ?.Jiiiuiiy taner once was about keeping campaign promises. But time will tell if he too will be rudely awakened to the realities of the office that often make campaign promises unreachable. As in 1976, the president-elect has a lot to learn, and this learning phase may be plagued with the same type errors that haunted Carter during his bid for a second term. Reagan has a lot of people depending on him, hoping he can do a better job than his predecessor. Americans can only wait, with crossed fingers, as Reagan makes his plans to star in the election's sequel "Making America Great Again." 1 jUJI I IC3L-.LJLJK. Founded 1 908 Newsroom 7 77 7181 Advertising: 777 4249 Businoss OMico: 777 3888 . . Production: 777 2833 Stephen Rifldell Editor Brian Melton Copy Oesk dhipf Richard Meyers Asst. Sports Ed Mark Platte News Editor John Parnoll Graphicsfditor Kevin Johnson Asst News Editor Cylinda Calvert Wire Editor Jeanrtie Ralston. . Editorial P^?} Editor Jerry Brewer General Manager Leesa Bainbridge Ent Editor Anthony Gray Advertising Manager Ward Borden Asst Ent. Editor William Tinslev . Production Mananm Mike Chibbaro Sports Editor Jean Hatchell Business Manager Michelle Burchette . . Asst Sports Ed. Mark Ethndge Jr Adviser Letters & Columns Sole reproduction rights granted to the Associated Press All other material contained herein may not be reproduced without the permission of the editor Opinions expressed in the Gamecock are those, if signed, of the writer and, if unsigned, of the editor or the editorial page editor The Gamecock welcomes letters and columns All letters and columns must be typewritten, tnple-3paced on a 65 space line Letters should be no longer than 300words, and columns should be limited to one newsworthy subject no longer than four typed pages. Letters and columns must be signed with the writer's correct name, telephone number. ... mailing address, class standing or faculty position and major Pseudonyms are unacceptable, but the writer's name may be withheld on letters, upon request, if the circumstances warrant it. We reserve the right to edit columns and letters for space and style, and we reserve the right to reject any column for any reason Addrss letters and columns to: Editorial Page Editor, Gamecock, Drawer A, USC, Columbia, S C. 29208. / impact on the White House seen A 6 Journalist must neet To the Editor I do not appreciate fine journalistic qualities, that's why I do not read the Gamecock. But I heard that there was a good cartoon in it, so I decided to pick up the last edition of the Gamecock. I was amazed to see how many students wrote to the editor trying to be humorous ana witty. What's worse are all of these journalism majors that try to be funny. I was trying to determine the purpose of this. Do they just want to get something of theirs printed? Are they low enough to put a letter to the editor in their portfolio? Police igr To the Kditor: This is a letter concerning the valor and bravery of our Confederate should be de To the Editor: I address you today on a topi innumerable ways, chief amoi nmental integrity of this state black community. I will use th symbol which undermines botfr i lying 01 the l lag of the Confedei South Carolina Vvas.ifie first s States. It did so because of incr< the South's chief economic inst Subsequent to this, two Citadc States vessel to commence the the Republican Lincoln was < Washington after one of the mos The history of the Civil Wai America suffered through a fiv< her spirit and which culminat federacy and the destruction devoted servants, Abraham Lin That era is now one hundre* symbols of the splitting of the r destroyed. The night of my ar visited by a sensation that cau walked by the Capitol ? I needn For the increase in America beginning of a glorious new en you to appeal to the state re| thinking, compassionate men t the flag of a dissolved instituti threatened while we call this coi n LTlfi 1 / m wm *orMi _f*vj '"** iHBHl *wm> cpttltufe i fai Letters to m mninrc 11(11 tvt^v/l <7 2 clips Well, as a journalism major, maybe I am doing the same thing. As for Phil Ellis, I feel that he was wrong, however, I don't think we will be having any more trouble from him. Carolina needs him too badly to drop him At-!- * uiis year, as tor Horace, if he wants to eat the nameless dog, let him. As for Emma, she belongs in a sorority. As for Mark Platte's "File 13," that's the only thing he can write well, so don't subject yourself to his normal journalism by taking away his only friend, "File 13." Name withheld by request lore dams campus and city policemen } in their efforts of helping 1 damsels in distrpss hut w flag : 'stroked ; i c that relates to us strongly in J r?g which are two: the gover- ( and the respectability ot the is forum to attack a powerful i of the above ? the continued ! racy anove the capital. , tate.to secede from the United t casing agitation against one of ^ itutions ? slavery. il students fired upon a United s i war in 1861. Months before, p ilected to the presidency in [ it poor turnouts in history. t * needn't be recounted here, t e year period, which wrecked v ed in the defeat of the Con- v of one of Amerca's most i coin. i twenty years past, and all lation ought, indeed must, be \ i it!- r uvui in mis iair city, 1 was p sed me to look skyward as 1 c 't relate what I saw. v n unity, for a true, peaceful t i in American history, I urge a presentatives as a group of r o provide for the removal of r ion. Freedom shall never be v intry America. e Name withheld by request r I gj*^J * f OKAY, fiXHIt j, I l?Tt m IT I N I\^fT" IM p*" vXlSrk L* the Editoi You'r* great, < To the Editor : I would like to comment o that we lost. Yes, it is sad. A tnings people are saying to t lost the game. BULL!! I w wonderfully. Rogers was tir at the wrong time. Please i didate for the Heisman or no George Rogers fumbles a ba 1 would also like to com enough to admit he made a tired Rogers back in. No one should take the bla game. Georgia was tough team. There also was a lot of There is a next year, Geoi lick the Cocks two years in a And George, I'll watch you You're still the one! ,el in di?ti /ou really need help ? call a riend. Recently, I left my car lights on and ran my battery iown. I was not aware of this jntil later that afternoon >vhen I got into my car to go to work. I got into the car turned the key, but it would 1. T ' 1 * * iui cirtim. i uiu noi Know ?vhat to do. My husband was jut of town, and 1 was by myself. I did not know anyone who could help me, ind I did not have enough money to have someone :ome crank it for me. So, I bought of the campus ) o 1 i c e. Earlier this emester, one of the campus >olicemen had talked to my Jmversity 101 class about he campus police. He said hat the campus policemen vould be willing to help tudents in any way; all we lad to do was to call them. Well, I didn't have to call > e c a u s e a c a m d u s x>liceman drove up in front >f Cliff Apartments just as I vas coming out of the door. I old him about my car and isked him if he would help ne push it off. We got the car oiling in the parking lot, but ve could not push it fast inough to crank it. So he told ne to guide the car out into lA*. -A/ Air tbllutlon Control || . e still George n the Georgia game Saturday mother thing that is sad is the he effect that George Rogers 'as there. Rogers performed ed and hurt, and we used him remember, number one cant. RflPPrS is fiHIl hlin-.an Pt'on -f ? ivmiUll. <Li Wll II. mend Carlen for being man mistake by putting the very me for the loss of the football and a number four-ranked pressure. gia, so watch out! You can't row. on T V. in the pros next year. Rene Clayton Fashion Merchandising ress the street and down the hill on Whaley Street. I did this, but the car still wouldn't crank. 1 looked behind me for the campus policemen OXnOf'tintf him f/illmi; nr?o in his car, but he was nowhere in sight. I could not leave the car in the middle of the road, so I began trying to push the car out of the road. I am not very strong, so I was making little progress. As I was trying to push the car out of the road by myself in the rain, a city policeman pulled up directly behind me and sat there until I had the car out of the road enough so he could pass. 1 guess he was afraid of getting his uniform wet in the rain. The same policeman passed back by twice more while I was pushing the car. 1 think that it takes a sorry man to watch a young girl pushing a car in the rain and not stop and try to help. Finally a girl stopped and then a man, and they helped me push the car out of the road. So damsels beware! If you are in trouble and need help, I don't expect any from the campus or city policemen. Cynthia Crowley Winburn