,.;.. I - -I ; V b - p- - .~ -~ ail Is ?", r, -7-41mw Vwwwt-w 4 p w Page Twenty THE MICHIGAN DAILY Sunday, November 12, 1972 Sunday, November 12, 1972 THE MICHIGAN DAILY U U 9-6 :,ADp1a4S-AoDpuow sunfoH 484 4 4 4L4floS ELZ 9 L 8 t 9L ; I a ,I 'aS lot all 40 1pup { u u « 2Avq4 - T 9 vW 1 , hPd '44 Small meetings, then great victories and last Tuesday . . defeat. Whatever happened to baby h 0) N 3 YE-E ~,t By ARTHUR LERNER THE HUMAN Rights Party got blitzed last Tues- day. Favored to win in two county commissioner races and given an even chance in the state repre- sentative contest, its candidates were buried in an avalanche of Democratic votes. Reasons for the slaughter abound, ranging from George McGovern's coattails, low voter interest in local contests, lack of HRP roots with labor or in the black community, and the sparsity of HRP candi- dates on the ballot to a lack of HRP hustle. All of these have some validity, but none hit the mark. Among those who desire radical social change (HRP's stamping ground) too many believe that it can be achieved. within the two party system-or more accurately, that it can be achieved as success- fully in the two party system as through the Human Rights Party. Party literature during the fall campaign boasted: "The Democrats can't figure out why we continue to grow. We have proven irrelevant cries of 'can't win' . . ." Now HRP must again field "can't win" ac- cusations - if it hopes to grow, both in membership and in its ability to disseminate political information. As the party maps strategy for the April City Coun- cil elections and for long range expansion, it must face, a little earlier than expected, the traditional troubles of third partyism. * * *T.p The core of the Human Rights party was drawn from students and former students of the Univer- sity who had been deeply involved in radical campus politics for years. And the party had to overcome those in the community who initially insisted that any participation in the electoral system was ex- traneous and doomed to exasperating failure. (While in town for the Free John Sinclair rally last March, Dave Dellinger argued that effort within third par- ties, as well as the two major parties, was wasted.) * * * After suffering some expected drubbings at the polls in a couple of city elections, the party affiliated with a statewide organization in July, 1971 and changed its name from the Radical Independent Party to the Human Rights Party. And then last April in one exhilarating swoop, HRP captured two seats on City Council and watched the city's Democrats, caught in the squeeze, lose out in every ward. Faced with liberal-radical Democratic opponents in both the county commissioner and state repre- sentative races this fall, HRP went to the attack. 'The Democratic Party has come under the domi- nance of interests that want to keep America much the way it is . . . The two parties reflect the interests of the wealthy, not only because they receive large contributions from them, but because the Democratic and Republican politicians and party organizations share the same basic values and ideology. Both par- ties accept business' basic viewpoint-private cor- porate profits are seen as vital to America's economy and society." City voters, however, broad slams at the Dem the Democratic county co 15th district, and State I Bullard did not seem to I dustrial complex. Moreov orientations were almost charged with little effec mimicked HRP's platfor: So HRP attacked the attempting to co-opt rad student-ish candidates. T had both run in the Au machine there is in Anr was not persuasive. (Tli Democrats have not no running campus-oriented pus.) Charges that Bullard v would be ineffectual bec could not be stressed ope spokespeople, for that imj Democrat could be found -and HRP insists that it Attacking along a dii sized the difference bet Democrats. A Democrat blasted, but might not d soul to the devilish gree HRP stressed that its car (continue (0