Stephanopoulos speaks at UB

By JENNIFER LEWANDOWSKI
Reporter Contributor

George Stephanopoulos threw his political analysis into high gear on March 29, as he took members of the audience of UB's Distinguished Speakers Series on a whirlwind tour of mainstream politics, speaking candidly about President Clinton, the current presidential campaign and the need for "an America that's not just better off, but better."

Greeted by a nearly full house in the Mainstage Theatre in the Center for the Arts, the former White House advisor to Clinton and current political analyst for ABC television paid homage to his religious beliefs and how they have shaped his political convictions.

"My political beliefs are rooted in my religious principles," said Stephanopoulos, who is Greek Orthodox. "I think we have a duty to love one another as we love ourselves, to take responsibility for ourselves and our communities to the limits of our ability. And to never forget that we all also have responsibility to help care for those, who through no fault of their own, cannot care for themselves."

Stephanopoulos joked that his decision not to pursue the family occupation of the priesthood has been a cause of consternation, "as someone said something went terribly wrong because I spent the bulk of my career so far in politics."

But politics, he admitted, is in his blood.

"I am Greek, and we Greeks like to think we invented politics, we invented democracy," said Stephanopoulos, who is a visiting professor in the School of Public and International Affairs at Columbia University. "In fact, the very word politics is Greek. It comes from the Greek root 'poly,' which means many, and 'tics,' which are blood-sucking insects."

Stephanopoulos, whose humor was evident throughout the evening, turned serious when speaking of the true definition of politics. He recalled the words spoken by the first elected democratic president of the new Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel, who said, "Politics can't just be the art of the possible; it must also be the art of the impossible, trying to change people's lives for the better."

Stephanopoulos said he believes most individuals are involved in the public life for the greater good.

"After spending the first 15 years of my career in politics and public life, I still believe that most people most of the time-Democrats, Republicans and Independents alike-who get involved inŠpublic service, do so out of that same fundamental desire" to change things for the better, he said.

The Clinton years have produced such change for the better, Stephanopoulos said, acknowledging that most of what has transpired was unexpected.

"I never could have dreamedŠthat eight years after the bulk of the Bill Clinton presidency, the country would be doing so well," he said. "Not only could I not have foreseen that Bill Clinton would get elected not once but twice; not only could I not have foreseen that the country would be doing so well under his stewardship; but I could have never dreamed in a million years that he would be the first elected American president to be impeached."

Clinton's "recklessness" will always cast a shadow over his achievements as president, he said, but expressed no doubt Clinton will "never stop working for the job he was elected for eight years ago."

Switching gears to the current battle between candidates for the presidency, Stephanopoulos emphasized the importance of the first presidential election of the millennium.

"I think this is shaping up to be one of the biggest and most important presidential elections of our lifetime," he said, pointing out that not only will the next president likely carry both the House of Representatives and the Senate, but also will have the opportunity to fill as many as three seats on the Supreme Court.

"Whoever picks the next two or three choices will shift the ideological balance of the court for a generation," he said, noting the "very close 5-4 moderate-conservative majority in the court." The future court, he said, will determine the fate of such landmark cases as Roe vs. Wade, as well as such issues as affirmative action and prayer in schools.