Emanation agrees that more money should go tothe poor, but he is more concerned with reformingthe structure of state government. "There arethings you can do and advocate, but the realproblems cannot be solved unless the whole thingfrom top to bottom is changed," he says.

The real surprise comes from Umina, the formerRepublican and current supporter of the CLT taxrollback. He also believes that more money shouldbe channeled to the poor in order to build up theeconomy--in direct contrast to the "trickle-down"theory propounded by former President RonaldReagan.

"We must institute a program that will rebuildour economy from the bottom up," says Umina."Trickle-down did not work. That sort ofconcentration of wealth has never happened beforein our history.

"Someone forgot to turn on the faucet. Therewas no trickle down."

OF COURSE, ALL THE NEW ideas in theworld won't necessarily help a candidate getelected. Lose in the general election, and anindependent candidate has no way to implement newprograms and, until the next election, no platformon which to stand.

Emanation, the socialist candidate, readilyacknowledges the fact that his party doesn't haveany hope of snagging the corner office--at least,not this year.

"We don't think we'll get elected," he says."We're serious about running, and we're seriousabout campaigning. We're not just in this as apurely propaganda thing. We know though,realistically, that we don't have a chance."

But the other two candidates refuse to give upthe ghost so easily. Stevens says there is agroundswell of support which she fully anticipateswill carry her through the day.

"We expect to win," Stevens says. "This is notjust a symbolic campaign, because our children arenot symbolically dying in the streets. They arereally dying in the streets."

Umina is similarly confident. He thinks thatthe people are disgusted enough with Weld andSilber to put him--as the only other candidatewhose name appears on the ballot--over the top.

"We really think we can win, because themajority of voters in Massachusetts are eitherdisenfranchised or independent," says Umina,adding that his only real competition comes fromSilber.

As evidence of his potential success onelection day, Umina cites a recent unscientificpoll conducted by Jeanine Graf of WEZE radiostation in Quincy. According to Graf, Uminareceived 70 percent of the vote, Silber 20percent, and Weld 10 percent.

Needless to say, Umina has fared considerablyless well in more widely publicized polls.

"I have ultimate faith in the voters, that theywill make the correct decision on November 6," thehigh-tech visionary says. "And we will have thebiggest upset Massachusetts has ever seen."

This confidence against the odds is admirable,but even voters who may have sympathy for theviews of one of the independent candidates mayhesitate before casting their ballots for one ofthem. Voters generally are reluctant to throw awaytheir vote on a candidate they think will lose.

But the independents have a response to thisalso. They suggest that voters should act on theirpreferences rather than try to predict what thefinal outcome will be.

"If they vote for anyone else they will bewasting their vote," Umina says. "If they vote foreither of the other candidates they will wishMichael Dukakis was back in the State House."

"It's better to vote for something that youwant than something you don't want," agreesEmanation. "For the past 50 years we've beenvoting for the lesser evil. We need to startvoting for ourselves.