Nobody mentioned it, but I wonder if I made a mistake in posing a recent Question of the Month. I asked what advice you have for the Democratic and Republican parties as they prepare for their national conventions.

What I didn't ask is what advice you might have for the Reform Party, which is also holding a convention this month and will give Ross Perot some national attention. After all, in 1992 nearly 17 percent of Illinois voters (832,044) did not cast a ballot for either George Bush or Bill Clinton. (Clinton crushed Bush in Illinois by getting 48 percent of the vote, far more than Bush's 35 percent.)

Nonetheless, of those who responded to the June Question of the Month, most had advice for both the Democrats and Republicans, not just one party. My sense from these responses is that the kind of disenchantment that caused Perot to enjoy 19 percent of the presidential vote nationally four years ago has not gone away.

"Really balance the federal budget instead of all of the continuing flimflam," a Roseville reader wrote. A Lake Forest reader suggested that neither party has the country's best interests at heart, while still another reader implored both parties to unify themselves in order to address the nation's problems more seriously. "Avoid smear campaigning," that reader said. "Stop the false accusations" that are spread just to get some headlines. And one cynical reader wrote, "Who cares? There is so little connection between pre-election promises and post-election performance that I have no interest in what either [party] says now."

On a more positive note, a few readers did have some specific suggestions for each party. One wanted Gov. Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey to become the GOP vice presidential candidate, while another reader advised finding "a charismatic vice presidential candidate who can revitalize the party. Show why women, middle-class folks and independents should vote Republican, or kiss 1996 good-bye." And two readers advised the GOP to soften its stand on abortion. "Stop following the agenda of the Christian Coalition," a Rantoul reader wrote. "Your attacks on civil liberties are tilting my vote to the Democrats."

I am delighted to report that an additional 5,000 copies of this edition of Illinois Issues will be made available to media covering the Democratic National Convention. I hope others will find it in the United Center as well. To those of you who don't usually see our magazine, we welcome you to our pages. We are grateful to Chicago '96 for making this possible.

Illinois Issues August 1996 ¦ 3