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Inside Iowa State
October 6, 2000

What advice would you give the presidential candidates at this point in the campaign?

Dianne Bystrom, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center
I would advise them to focus on issues that voters, particularly women, care about this election year — education, health care and Social Security — and to intelligently communicate their positions and plans on these issues through the debates, television ads and media statements. Women voters comprise three-fourths of the undecided electorate in the presidential election and will ultimately be the deciding factor in this close race.
Ray Dearin, professor of political science and English
I think the candidates need to be very specific and speak in plain English. They need to say what they believe in and what their goals are. They shouldn’t do things that are clever or hard to explain to the voters. They need to speak plainly and succinctly to the voters.
Steffen Schmidt, University Professor of political science
I think what Americans are looking for, at least those who have not made up their minds yet, is authenticity. I’d tell the candidates to remove their media spin masters and campaign professionals and just tell us who you are and what you really believe. I think voters prefer that to the essentially contrived person your campaign professional wants you to be.

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