University of Virginia Library

VPP's 'Smashing Success'
Calls For Compromise

By Robert Rosen

—Direll

The Virginia Progressive Party must have set
a new record for new parties by its showing in
the recent election: four of the five College
seats were handily won and the fifth was won
by a gentleman of the persuasion hardly
different, I believe, from that of the VPP.

The "New Party" impressed the voters with
its clarity on the issues, its determination to
take a stand, and its call to the conservatives to
do the same. Given the new votes on the
Council from the College, from the Graduate
School of Arts and Sciences, and given the
expected results in other schools, the Liberals
can expect bigger and better things from a
rejuvenated student democracy.

Further, the Liberals must come to terms
with the "super-alienated" who could be
brought into the fold. The danger to marginal
VPP candidates in the future from such
candidacies as the Liquifactionists and the
Freinbergs is very real. Needless to say, the VPP
must prove itself, but the "alienated" ought to
try to rise above their egocentric cynicism just
once and see the reality of University politics.

Finally, there has been a start this week in
bridging the gap between the "fratty" types
and the Independents and the "long hairs."
Social differences, which are at the root of the
political differences, have been contended with
constructively. This, to me, has been the most
significant part of the campaign. Al Sinesky
running with Charlie Murdock is a symbolic
success story in itself.

The "different worlds" of the University
have got to get together to know each other if
"tradition is to be preserved," if racism is to be
abolished, if, in short, anything constructive is
to be had from all of our "sound and fury."
Whit Clement has an obligation to reach out
and bring in the 35% that is dissatisfied.
Similarly, the VPP and the Liberals have an
obligation to give to the University reasonable,
constructive, but definite change.

There was a clear mandate for change in this
election, and change can be expected from the
liberal majority. The fact that Charlie Murdock
led in the number of votes indicates that his
strong stand is popular. Equally fascinating is
the election of a former SSOC national
President, Tom Gardner who stood fourth. The
voters have proven too sophisticated to be
aroused by childish slurs against Mr. Gardner,
one to the effect that he was a "Communist."
In short, this was not a particularly good
election for equivocators. It was an election on
issues and the voters expect results.

What the new Councilmen ought to be
concerned with now is strengthening their
solidarity for the struggle for legitimate student
power next year. Work on concrete proposals in
regard to fundamental structural change ought
to be begun before the year is out.

Informal committees should be established
now to study such proposals as a Faculty-Student
Senate, a body which may have better
luck at resolving differences than the present
bodies are having. The "fervor" is present for
important change next year, but the Councilmen
are obliged to demonstrate their expertise
in legislating if results are to be had.

"Emotionalism" has had its place in "the
movement" this year, and will continue to have
its place. But nothing can be resolved if
concrete plans are not behind the plentiful
liberal rhetoric.

Equally important, the new political alignment
wrought by this election should not be
lost. The VPP is now obliged to organize itself
into a democratic party capable of continuing
"relevance." The Caucuses (which are now
properly "carcasses") ought to devolve in
recognition of their deaths, and the conservatives
- both in and out of fraternities -
ought to follow the lead of the VPP by
organizing a party that stands for something.
Thus, the Fraternity-Independent split is buried
forever, as it ought to be, and we can all -
liberals and conservatives - continue to divide
over issues.

Above all, what is needed next year in the
liberal camp is solidarity. The Liberals must
continue to work together because despite the
real differences between a Tom Gardner and a
Steve Hayes, positive results can only be had by
their pooling resources rather than bickering
over details and ideology.

A working accord, a sense of give and take
on the part of the entire "Liberal spectrum" is
crucial. This means compromise, for a splinter,
after the smashing success of the VPP coalition
would be tragic.