The 1998 U.S. Senate Race

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the 1998 Senate race between the Republican, Alfonse D'Amato and the Democrat Charles Schumer. In particular it discusses how D'Amato and Schumer both employed similar strategies in their political campaigns: selling their credentials on being tough on crime and undercutting their opponents for their "weakness". While D'Amato proposed the use of tougher penalties to reduce crime, Schumer provided a comprehensive approach that encompasses preventive and deterrent approaches. It also evaluates how because of his unpopular anti-gun control stance, D'Amato relied heavily on his ammunition for counterattacking Schumer on his votes against stricter mandatory sentencing and how apart from attacking his opponent, Schumer was able to use his formidable track record of writing crime bills and relatives of shooting victims in news conferences to project himself as a representative of the people.

From the Paper:

"In contrast, Schumer had a broader perspective about the issue of crime and had proposed an integrated set of solutions for resolving the problem. He was the creator of the 1994 crime bill that included a wide range of policies: 1) mandated life sentences with parole for three-time criminals; 2) increased the number of crimes punishable by capital punishment; 3) provided funding for police officers, prisons, along with drug treatment and youth programs; 4) classified stalking and domestic abuse as Federal crimes; 5) banned specific assault weapons; and 6) made the import of child pornography illegal (Dao, "Schumer and D'Amato," 1998, p. B5). Therefore, Schumer had always adopted a comprehensive approach towards crime control. "

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