IN THESE TIMES - MAY 27,1888 Lock the up few nhappy with critical press cover- Uage, some New York Republicans his have found an innovative way to fight action was justified because the back against the liberal media: arrest reporter, John Marzulli, had criticized the reporters. In late April, Wayne Bar- him in print, quoting another police rett of the Village Voice and Andrea official who called him a "lightweight" Bernstein of the New York Observer were arrested at a state Republican party fundraiser. Hotel security, at the ometimes, newspapers' correc- request of GOP officials, arrested the Stions boxes provide the test guide lender gap revisited reporters as they toitered around the to the news. In its May § issue, The j t first glance, one of the most Waldorf Astoria, trying to determine Hill—a Capitol Hill weekly—apolo- 1 intriguing new developments in which wealthy GOP donors were gized for misquoting John Feerhery, the presidential race seems to be the inside currying favor with the adminis- gander gap. Recent front-page stories tration. (In a Times story about the in the New York Times and the Los episode, Gov. Geos^s Pataki's have read, 'Over the next couple of Angeles Times heralded poll results spokesperson, Zenia Muchia, justified months, you're going to see Republi- showing that the vast majority of the arrests by attacking the Voice and cans pulling on the rope a lot harder women prefer President Bill Clinton the Observer. "1 wou'd hardly call them to bs more on the offensive/ not 'to over Senate Majority Leader Bob bastions of journalism," she said.) be more offensive.'" Presumably Gin- Dole. Soon afterward, nearly every grich's Congress would bs hard- other major newspaper—including cracking down on reporters, however. pressed to think of ways to bs more the Chicago Tribune and the Washing- Two weeks ago, htew York City's newly offensive. ton Post—joined in, publishing fea- tures and op-eds on Dole's woeful TOMORROW'S NEWS TONIGHT By Steve Brodner levels of support among women vot- ers. Even USA Today has weighed in, with a survey asking teens: "Is there a gander gap?" A better question might have teen, "Why does a gender gap still ©dst?" Exactly eight years ago, sever- al major newspapers ran surprisingly Similar stories on their front pages— even quoting the same sources. These stories, too, appeared after poll iresults revealed that women preferred Democrat Michael Dukakis over George Bush by a whopping 28 points. The 1988 stories also arrived at many of the same conclusions as the more recent gender gap stories: In ©rcler to win, the GOP candidate will lhave to project a more women- ffoiendly image in the media and tailor Ihis message to female voters. Perhaps 5? reporters wrote on the root causes of the gender gap more than every four to eight years, their analysis would be more creative, and female voters would not have to wait for a For Convention finale Dole's presidential election to have their concerns addressed. LICENSED TO UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED IN THESE TIMES • MAY 27,1996 That puts us in the same do business in Burma. Local divest- position as other compa- ment laws have passed in San Francis- z nies whose products are co, Oakland, Berkeley and Ann Arbor, ^ available in the country." Mich. Bills are pending in New York 5 But is this real divest- City and Massachusetts. Congress will v. ment? The Burma bot- soon debate a Burma sanctions bill. c tling plant's operation Pepsico's withdrawal from * will remain virtually Burma—however sincere—is likely to - unchanged. Critics say have a more symbolic than economic that this is nothing more impact. Companies involved in multi- than a public relations million-dollar development deals with stunt to fool the student the Burmese government, such as oil boycotters whose cam- giants Unocal and Texaco, will prove paign has recently started more intractable. And campus protest- to cost Pepsico money in ers are unlikely to change that. lost contracts at college —Rob Nixon campuses. At Harvard Universi- ty, Pepsi lost out to Coke on a five-year $1 million POLL SHARKS contract after student ith less than a month to go before protests against Pepsi. At Russians hit the polls to elect a Stanford University, W new president, supposedly scien- 2,000 students signed tific opinion surveys differ drastically petitions to keep Taco over who is ahead, leading some Bell, a Pepsico subsidiary, outside their observers to wonder whether the pub- borders. On May 3, students at Col- lic is being systematically misinformed. THE PEPSI gate University got the student food Last winter, surveys showed Com- service, run by the Marriott Co., to munist Party leader Gennady CHALLENGE switch from Pepsi to Coke. Zyuganov well ahead of President ayne Galloway, the retiring Pepsi- "We're in for the long struggle," Boris Yeltsin, with enormous strength co chairman, had heard enough. says Zar Ni, organizer of the Free in Russia's economically blighted W At the May 1 shareholders meet- Burma Coalition, which is now active industrial hinterland. But recent opin- ing, Galloway—who, along with other on 120 high school and college cam- ion polls, widely hyped by the Russian company executives, thought they had puses. "As long as they make a penny, media, show Yeltsin overtaking and finessed the Burma situation—decided we'll fight." Plans include a three-day surpassing his opponent. he'd taken enough heat from angry hunger strike starting October 4. A late April survey done by the investors and human rights advocates On campus, Pepsi has become an RAMIR agency, part of the Gallup about the snack food giant's invest- easy target. "Pepsi is really vulnera- group, found Yeltsin on top with 29 ment in the out-of-the-way Southeast ble," Zar Ni admits. "They do such a percent of committed voters, compared Asian country ruled by a brutal mili- good job of marketing on campus— with Zyuganov's 27 percent. Another tary junta. and that backfires." poll, taken by the Public Opinion A week before the stockholders For example, boycott organizers Foundation and presented by Russian meeting at the company's Westchester, have made sporting use of the compa- state TV in early May, had Yeltsin N.Y., compound, Pepsico officials let ny's "Pepsi Stuff" campaign, which ahead with 26.5 to Zyuganov's 25.2 the word out that the company was offers goodies like black leather jack- percent. Yet another, released May 6 selling its stake in a Burma bottling ets, mountain bikes, beach chairs and by the authoritative All-Russia Center plant to U Thein Thun, a Burmese CD cases. For their part, boycotters for Public Opinion Research businessman with strong ties to the have touted their own unofficial prizes, (VTsIOM), showed Zyuganov hanging junta. Instead, Pepsico created a five- offering lucky Pepsi consumers their on to a marginal lead, with 27 to year franchise agreement with Thein own death squad, air force or enslaved Yeltsin's 21 percent. Most polls have a Thun—which still allows Pepsi to sell population. margin of error of 3 or 4 percent, its syrup and corporate logo in Burma. The boycott movement has made which would put the contenders— "We care about public opinion," headway off campus as well. State and according to these surveys, at least— Galloway announced. "We have decid- local governments are breaking ties running neck-and-neck. ed to divest our stake in that business. with Pepsico and odier companies that These results paint a useful portrait LICENSED TO UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED IN THESE TIMES • MAY 27,1996 Moscow, where Yeltsin's support is Fed finks concentrated. Third, samples are often too small, or not sufficiently representa- THE FEDERAL RESERVE REFORM ACT OF 1977 INSTRUCTS THE FED 'TO PRO- tive of Russia's far-flung regions and mote effectively the goals of maximum employment, stable prices and moderate turbulent social milieu. long-term interest rates." But last fall, Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole co-spon- Valery Mansurov, a scholar at the sored legislation introduced by Sen. Connie Mack (R-FL) that would abolish the Russian Academy of Science's Insti- Fad's obligation to promote employment. Mack, who has the support of Fed tute of Sociology, offers still another Chair Alan Greenspan, argues that the current obligation to take jobs into account theory. Most pollsters, he says, have "is based upon a fundamentally flawed premise—that government is the source conflicts of interest that Russian law doesn't require them to disclose. of prosperity." With his support of this bill, COP presidential hopeful Dole seems "Our institute doesn't do polls, to have handed Bill Clinton a potent campaign issue. Whether (the president is because we can't afford it. Hardly enough of a Democrat to use it is another matter. —J.i. anyone can. All these agencies are being paid by somebody to conduct for the Kremlin, one that shows to reflect population distribution. these surveys," he says. Yeltsin gradually pulling his disorderly Betaneli offers several theories to "I'm not saying their findings are regime together, earning grudging pop- account for the variance between his false," he adds. "But we have had to ular approval and moving aggressively results and other pollsters. First, most turn down every commission offered to counter the Communist threat. The surveys in Russia are conducted by to us—and there have been many—= Moscow media, which is pugnaciously phone, a fundamentally misleading because they all want us to cook the pro-Yeltsin, has given saturation cov- exercise in a country where barely half results.