Page Four
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Tuesday, May 18, 1 976
Page Four THE MICHIGAN DAILY Tuesday, May 18, 1976
'Mo' Udall: Warm,
effusive contender
This sn/sr isi isis condu/csed iby Dil( s/aff
Sri/sr Phiis, 11/sipB(kri o.
DAIlY: YOU SEEM TO BE CONCENTRAT-
ING ALL YOUR EFFORTS HERE IN MICHI-
GAN. WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN
WIN HERE?
Udall: I've been waiting for a long time to
get ('arter one-on-one. Ile's never yet won any
state by .5o per cent against major opposition.
We inst bad too many candidates in Pennsyl-
vania. Jackson had 25 (per cent) and I had 18
(per cent) and he (Carter) had 37 (per cent).
Jackson's vote and mine were more than his.
Michigan isn't an ideal state for me, but it's
the first one where there isn't the distraction
of a lot of other candidates. Where you really
have a two-man contest I've always felt I
could do well. In Connecticut, the governor was.
with Jackson who again siphoned off a pretty
good chtnk of the vote, and with any bit of luck
with that Jackson vote I would have been the
winner there. So you can't pick and choose your
places and Michigan isn't an ideal place because
of what some of the establishment in organized
labor are doing to me. But it's the best crack
I've got one-on-one at this closing phase of the
campaign so I'm going all out here and I think
my msessoge is beginning to get across.
DAILY: IF YOU LOSE IN MICHIGAN WILL
YOU QUIT THE RACE? IT SEEMS TO ME
YOU'LL BE COMPLETELY OUT OF FUNDS?
Udalt: No. No you're dead wrong. I'm going
to the ensd. The end is 25 days from now. It's
one thing to end a campaign when there are
fsur other candidates articulating your point of
view. It's one thing for Birch Bayh to drop out
when we still had five liberal candidates (in the
race). It's quite another thing to say to millions
of Democrats, progressive Democrats in Ohio,
New Jersey, C'aliornia, 'you don't count. There
isn't anybody you can vote for who's carrying
the banner' and I feel an obligation to do that
(carry the banner). I've come this far in two
years, I'm not about to quit with twenty days
to go, which is where I'll be Wednesday. I feel
a real obligations to keep Carter's feet to the
fire. If he's going to be the nominee, and I
don't think he is yet, we ought to find out who
he is and where he comes from and what he
stands for and I'm going to force him to take
stands on issues. So, there's something very con-
structive here. I expect to be at the convention
with the second highest number of delegates.
I've passed Scoop Jackson. Now, anything can
happen in sixty days. It's been a crazy year and
I'm going to see this through to the end. Michi-
gan is a proportional representation state. There
isn't any outcome you imagine that's not going
to give me a big chunk of delegates. So I can
get delegates in Ohio, I can get them in New
Jersey, I can get delegates in California. I'm
going to be in all those places.
DAILY: WHY DO YOU THINK THIS IS THE
YEAR FOR ANTI-WASHINGTON CANDIDATES
LIKE JIMMY CARTER AND RONALD REA-
GAN?
Udall: This is all very superficial. If you ask
people if they hate Washington, they'll say yes.
It turns out most of it is anti-Nixon (anti-) Ag-
new disillusionment. People are not against their
own government. They're against the govern-
ment that's crooked and unresponsive and waste-
ful and these kinds of things. You ask people if
they'll support a government headed by some-
one they can believe, (someone) that's going to
break up oil companies, guarantee people jobs,
give them health insurance, (and) do something
about conglomerates that export American jobs
(and) they'll say yes. I think my campaign is
not to dismantle government, but to make it
work. I think there's a majority out there for
still think is a majority of the party.
DAILY: DO YOU THINK THE PROGRES-
SIVE WING OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
IS LOSING POWER? WILL THEY SUPPORT
CARTER IF HE IS THE NOMINEE OR WILL
THEY DEFECT TO GENE McCARTHY?
Udall: I don't see major defections. I think
the thing you might see is a lack of enthusiasm,
which can sometimes be as bad. I'm beginning
to see cynicism among the liberals in the party.
That's why I think it's important that I stay in
and provide a voice and an outlet for what I
still hink is a majority of the party.
DAILY: SO YOU DON'T SEE THE PRO-
GRESSIVES LOSING POWER WITHIN THE
PARTY?
Udall: No, I think they're still a majority and
I think I can still get the nomination if we can
See UDALL, Page 5
Cross-over voting:
A different view
By TIM SCHICK
The candidates in the Michigan primary have been
busily telling us the strategic importance of this election.
Unlike 1972, when the fledgling Michigan primary had little
significance, this year it could determine the nominations
of both parties later this summer.
Because of the importance placed on today's election
it is vital that the public cast its vote in a way which
will have the greatest impact on the conventions and the
election - by voting for Ronald Reagan.
On the Democratic side it seems clear that despite
the number of candidates competing, Jimmy Carter and
Hubert Humphrey have the best chance of capturing the
nomination. With over half the delegates already selected,
a vote for anyone but front-runner Carter is a vote for
Hubert Humphrey. Carter is surely a better choice than
Humphrey. It must be remembered that the Minnesota
Senator had his chance in 1968 and lost. Carter, while
less than candid on some issues, appears to be a worthy
alternative to other Democrats.
Casting ones vote today for Ronald Reagan could do
considerable damage to the Republican party. President
Ford is running scared. If he loses his home state, or
wins by only a narrow margin, the Republican conven-
tion could be transformed into a messier battleground
than the Democratic fiasco four years ago
Regardless of te winner, the Republican party could
be sufficiently weakened to the point that the Democrats
could breeze to victory in Nosember. If Ford survives the
convention it would be clear that he lacks the full nup-
port of his own party, making it even more difficult for
him to find the votes needed to be elected. On the other
hand a Reagan nomination will saddle the Republicans with
an extreme candidate, of the Harry Goldwater brand,
Political purists might be repulsed by the cross-over
strategy. However, it offers an opportunity to seat a Demo-
cratic president. Regardless of the candidate, there are
some basic differences betsween the Democrats and the
Republicans which stunt be remembered. The Democrats
will offer a far better economic and human services pro-
gram than any Republican will suggest.
Hy voting for Reagan, a weak Republican party and
a strong Democratic party is possible. And while we may
not see ar first choice win the nomination, eight years
of Republican obstruction in the White House is long
enough.
Tim Sihick is the Summer Co-editor-in-chief of the
Daily.
Letters to The Daily
T/I (e/r Of ise('1d iMsnt experience. A Udall administra-
for rtri IU:da?? ias prepsti I stion would not be content with
for (151 252. Ih5eIs:ricl Wr ii tibusiness as usual," with let-
tng things ride, with coasting
-ri of 'iWa/sh/e na ts/og on charisma and vague
-good-will: it would be an activ-
ist administration, concerned
with putting people to work,
To The Daily: and with extending the legal
'heMichigantsrimisarytrillh sand economic benefits enjoyed
a crucial test for the candidacy my'thenmore fortn.te ssoevery
of Morris Udall and for the senser if society.
cause of liberalism in general.
Face it: the two are indissolubly le rsulnp do this by the in-
linked ts.gether st this stage of tssediaite inceptinsoif federal
kthe g ee; no chansce of a new works projects, by fighting for
fice stampeding itnsfruoit lef the repeal of "right to work"
field. Unless eery liberal-mied- laws, by the creation of a Con-
ed person in she state lines up ss1mer Protection Agency, by
behind Udall, it will mean that enacting a program of national
the victory, and perhaps the health insurance. Right now,
Democratic nomination, will go America lags behind the rest
to Timmy Carter, who has re- of the sorld in the enjoyment
fused to say in plain English of thesemand other measures.
what he would do as President 'ingressman Udall believes that
and who has tried to idealize or me ought to lead the way in
ensver sip his own conservative iuman rights issues, and that
record. It osld mean that ev- we should mold our own future
erv left-of-center voter will be rather than "reacting" blindly
virtually disenfranchised in the to every act of God or man that
November election - a possibili- might befall us. In this sense
ty with tragic consequences. his program is an optimistic,
Congressman Udall stands on ggressive onetthat is diametri-
his record. He has been the con- ceptance of "a world he never
sistent advocate of every pro- made" of President Ford or the
gressive policy in his fifteen folksy evasions of Governor Car-
years u >Congress, regardlessof ter.
its popularity at the timae. He
offers a program for America So much in this presidential
that is based on that record and campaign depends upon keeping
one's judgment clear. The Mich
igan primary, if it is lost at
all, will be lost through the
acts of people who may know
better, who believe that Udall
is preferable to Carter, but who
will nevertheless find them-
selves voting for "Jimmy"
against their judgment, almost
against their will. They have
been lulled or seduced into the
belief that Carter's election will
bring about another "era of
good feeling," a combination of
Camelot and a revivalist camp-
meeting. This is infantile think-
ing. We live in a world that
forces decisions upon us, and
one of these decisions will be
whether we elect as President
a man who offers a smile and
a security blanket-"homespun"
on Madison Avenue - or a man
with the mental eqtuipment,
background and honesty this
country so badly needs. Carter
or Udall.
For once we voters of Michi-
gan have the chance to make
a real choice, to assert our free-
dom against the cynical dictates
of media men and clever poli-
ticians. Wewill have only our-
selves to blame if, one cold day
in November, we wake up to
find that our only choice for
President is between two fatu-
ous grins. So pull that voting
lever for Udall.
Ted Mackenne