Former Senator (R-Kansas) Robert Dole passed away at the age of ninety six. I voted for him in the 1996 Presidential election. I also wrote two published letters to the now defunct Hellenic Chronicle (Boston) and Greek American (New York) pointing out why Dole would have been good for Greece and Cyprus.
Among the reasons for supporting Dole were the times he sponsored Resolutions in the Senate recognizing the Armenian Genocide. During the Second World War, an Armenian Doctor saved the life of the future Senator. Dole became close to the Armenian community which raised money for his campaign in 1996.
The Dole campaign at the time made a real effort to win over the Greeks on the matters of the Patriarchate and Cyprus. The Greeks voted for the Democrats. This was the year incidentally in which the Clinton administration forced Greece to capitulate when Turkey claimed the Islet of Imia. In August of that year, the Turks murdered four Greek Cypriots within a one month period.
The Clinton administration did nothing. It is possible that if Dole had won the US would have still been pro Turkish. But we did know that after one term in office Clinton had done nothing for Greece and Cyprus.
The thing about Dole that was impressive was the personal connection he had to the Armenians which was described in an article in the Boston Globe. If there had ever been a Presidential Candidate who might have changed policies toward Turkey, it might have been Dole.
Furthermore, Dole had integrity. As we were later to discover the incumbent Democrat had no class or integrity.
One reply on “Robert Dole Rest In Peace”
Robert Dole was a good man and that’s rare to find in Washington DC. He would have made a good President, instead we got the moral reprobate Bill Clinton-whose personality was entirely in his foreskin. He’s so reprehensible an individual that Dems today avoid even mentioning his name, he shames even them-and that’s hard to do. RIP Robert Dole, you served your nation well in war and in peace.