Jason Hymel, Student, Bellevue

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"I don't know too much about it. But I would've supported him if he'd decided to run because I thought he brought a fresh perspective and I liked what he had to say... I liked his military background and the leadership that he would've brought to the presidency... I'm a little bit disappointed because he has the same excuses -- family time, media -- and I don't think it would've been that much of a problem. On Dateline, they said he would've beaten Clinton by a 50 to 38 percent margin. I guess he had the support of a lot of the American people."

Orville Cleavinger, Farmer, Spring Lake, Texas

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"It doesn't matter to me. I don't think he'd have that much influence on the political situation. I didn't like the military background -- I don't think Eisenhower was a very strong leader."

Prentina Stabolepszy-Mutlu, Ethno-musicologist, Bellevue

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"I agree with his decision because he's the only one who can make it. I think he made an essentially important step by moving African Americans into the important arena of the presidency, and I admire his intelligence as to why he made the decision -- he's a very intelligent man... I was very interested to see how he'd play out his ideas. I think that, through his book, he's already made a huge impact on American minds that may have been closed due to race. He may not have been ready for the presidency, but he's well on his way, and knows it. Not being a party person, I look at each candidate and how they would handle the problems of the times. I'd consider him, definitely, because of his intelligence and awareness of the issues."

Keith Luxner, Fish loader, Bellevue

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"No. I think he should've run. I like to have a lot of people running."

Daren Baker, Restaurant general manager, Everett

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"I do. I believe he made a smart decision by bowing out gracefully. He wouldn't have made it -- too many strikes against him, too many controversies... I saw the military experience as a negative. Believe it or not, I think Bill Clinton has a chance to do another term -- he'd probably get my vote even though his health reform didn't make it."

Kathryn Sharp, Ship's purser, Monroe

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"Actually, I do. It kind of surprised me, but he's got a family to think about, and he's been in the public eye to a certain extent, so he's made a decision based on what was important to him and his family. I don't really know a lot about him -- I've been working on a factory trawler in Alaska, so we don't really get a lot of news up there... I knew who he was, and that he was running, but I don't really know his stand on any of the issues."

Copyright © 1995 by the Bellevue, WA-based Journal American newspaper.

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