The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, November 7, 1984 -Page 7
Democrats debate party's future
By SEAN JACKSON
and KERY MURAKAMI
Special to the Daily
DETROIT - Faced with a debacle in the presiden-
tial but optimistic that their candidate would hold his
U.S. Senate seat, state Democratic leaders were split
last night on where the party should go, or if it should
even change its ways at all.
"The American electorate wants us to go back to
the drawing board," said Donald Riegle, Michigan's
2nd term Senator. "We need a break from the old
politics, which in a sense Walter Mondale represen-
ted.
"WE'VE GOT a job in the next four years to put
forward a fresh message that is more in step with the
people . . . I think we are going to see some fresh
faces, young fresh faces - someone like Bill Bradley,
Mario Cuomo, or Gary Hart," he said.
Joining Riegle in pushing the Democrats toward a
new look, and perhaps more toward political center
was Sander Levin, a U.S. representitive from
Michigan's 17th District.
"There will be a lot of re-assessing because the
people demand a fresh look," Levin said. "The
problems are sufficiently serious that you can't
predict the solution or the leaders who will come out
of the solution."
SEVERAL. OTHER party leaders, however, said
the Reagan landslide told more about the president's
personal appeal than party politics.
They said that the close race between Michigan
Sen. Carl Levin, one of the Senate's most liberal
members, and ultra-conservative Jack Lousma
showed that voters are still willing to support
Democrats.
"I don't think this is a great repudiation of the
Democratic party.
"WHAT THIS represents is a lot of popularity for
an incumbent president," said Ellen Globokar, state
director for the Mondale-Ferraro campaign. "The
voters disagree with (Reagan's) politicies, but they
like the man, they like the image, and they like the so-
called economic prosperity. I think the future looks
brighter for us. All you have to do is contrast the two
conventions to see what kinds of leaders we have.
Most of the Democrats gave electrifying speeches,
while most of the people I know fell asleep watching
the Republican convention."
Most of Levin's camp seemed to agree.
"IT'S NOT a reflection on the party as much as a
reflection on the popularity of Reagan, said Cal
Smyth, campaign field manager for Levin's bid.
"Carl Levin was able to sell his message to the
public. Reagan did basically the same thing ... we
are still a strong and viable party, especially within
the state. But we have to take a long look on where we
are going. We have to look at what Reagan's policies
are buying and we have to see how we can fit our
policies into what the people want."
Detroit Mayor Coleman Young attributed much of
the Reagan landslide to the recent upturn in the
economy, which he said is the result of only a small
party of Republican policies if at all.
He said voters backed Reagan because they were
better off financially.
"People generally vote their pocketbooks," he.
said. "I don't think we will do anything different (in
the next election)."
Regents await election results
Daily.Photo by CAROL L. FRANCAVILLA
Regent Robert Nederlander (D-Birmingham) isn't worrying about the out-
-ome of his campaign to be re-elected a second time to the University's top
governing body, but says "anything is possible, nobody knows."
Sche bil holds lead
county sherif race
By LAURIE DELATER
They referred to voting trends and
watched the major political races
closely, but candidates for two seats on
the University's Board of Regents
resigned themselves last niight to
waiting until this morning for the final
tallies.
"I was just going to go to bed," said
Republican candidate Veronica Latta
Smith from her Grosse Ile home at 11
p.m.
DEMOCRATIC incumbent Robert
Nederlander of Birmingham and his
running mate, Marjorie Lansing of Ann
Arbor, took the lead in Washtenaw
County last night. With 40 percent of the
precincts reporting, Nederlander had
20,767 and Lansing had 19,662. Smith
trailed with 17,133 while Republican
Neal Nielsen had 16,284. Libertarian
candidates Better Erwin captured 824
votes and her running mate William
Krebaum won 532.
But Lansing said last night at a
gathering at Regent Sarah Power's
home in Ann Arbor that she wasn't cer-
tain statewide tallies would mirror
local results.
The Eastern Michigan University
professor said it's possible one
Democrat and one Republican could be
elected to the board. Indeed, many of
the major newspapers throughout the
state endorsed Nederlander and his
Republican opponent Smith.
LANSING recalled the 1980 regental
elections during which the earliest
results predicted the re-election of
Republicans Deane Baker and David
Laro. By the following morning,
however, the final tallies had flip-
flopped to make Baker and Democrat
Nellie Varner the winners.
"I could go from nothing to a non-
regent," she said, resting her chin in
her hand, fighting to keep her drowsy
eyes open.
"As far as I am concerned, I've gone
out and beat the bushes trying to bring
in that vote," Lansing said, calling the
long wait for election results a
"nothingburger."
SMITH WAS optimistic last night
about her chances of being elected. "It
wouldn't surprise me if people voted a
split ticket," she said.
"I don't feel like I'm losing, or I'm
winning. I'm just waiting," she added.
Nielsen could not be reached for
comment.
Nederlander, first elected to the
board in 1968, declined to comment on
his chances of being re-elected for a
third term. But he said many people
who voted in the regental elections
probably selected their candidate
based on name recognition. He was,
however, confident, saying:
"We think we are going to win."
By DOV COHEN
and JERRY MARKON
"Incumbent Washtenaw County
Speriff Ronald Schebil held a slim lead
over challenger James Douglas last
right with 40 percent of the ballots
counted, but unreported rural returns
were expected to favor Schebil.
At a local restaurant last night during
a Democratic volunteers party,
Douglas predicted that he would lose
tie outlying areas of the county, which
are predominantly Republican, but was
confident about winning votes in the
county's urban areas.
Douglas said he was "happy because
tie campaign produced two qualified
candidates."
:"We didn't resort to mudslinging,"
the Saline police chief said. "The cam-
paign was based on issues. This speaks
well for law enforcement in this coun-
ty."
Before learning of the final results,
Douglas seemed prepared to deal with
the possibility of a loss. "If I don't win,
I look forward to working with
(Schebil) during the next four years."
Awaiting the returns at the Ann Ar-
bor Inn, incumbent Sheriff Ronald
Schebel said "one of the biggest things
we hope to accomplish is to continue the
level of services in the face of shrinking
resources. We've done it so far."
"We've been given the same budget
as far as number of dollars as three
years ago," he said. "It's a challenge."
"We've got to continue our focus on
youth," he added. So far we've done a
good job in that area."
BLOOM COUNTY
N r
T. Watch for it in
Deihey ahead in close
race for prosecutor
} By DOV COHEN
'Awaiting the returns from the
Nyashtenaw County Prosecuting Attor-
ney race last night, Republican incum-
bent William Delhey said, "I went out
and met the people and talked to ser-
Vice clubs. I'm confident. The record
Fve established speaks for itself and is
a very good record."
Delhey said he thought he could win
even if President Reagan had not been
reelected. "Our county is great on
ticket splitting," he said. "I've won
Olections in the past when the county
has supported Carter and McGovern.
I'm not convinced the county will go for
leagan. This county has always gone
Democratic."
"The voters approve of the way I
uphold the criminal code," said the
five-term incumbent.
"Everything I've heard (opponent
George Sallade) say, we've already ac-
complished," he said, listing his
assistance in establishing the adult
crisis center and career crime unit, and
his "vigorous" crackdown on white
collar crime.
"I don't think he has had the ex-
perience and capability in criminal
law," he said.
Calling this campaign "very similar"
to his others, Delhey said, "I've run on
my record, proven leadership, and
recognized ability. I've run that way all
these years."
Democratic candidate George
Sallade said last night the prosecuting
attorney's office "will never be the
same if I win."
Promising to "revise the office from
top to bottom," Sallade waited for the
results as he and Delhey ran very close
into the morning.
"I'll be very pleased with the results
win or lose," Sallade said.
Daily Photo by DOUG McMAHON
University students line up to vote yesterday at the Union. Some waited as long as two hours.
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(Continued from Page 1)
hours, did not discourage student voters.
One of the longest lines built up at the
UNION. "It's ben about an hour-and-a-
lialf wait since one o'clock," said Paul
McCoy, chairperson of the polls there.
MCCOY SAID the long lines were not
a product of voter inexperience or in-
'decisiveness, but that of length of the
,ballot. "There is a legal two-minute
limit, but we haven't timed anyone,"
McCoy said. "No one has taken an inor-
dinate amount of time. We have a very
&intelligent constituency here."
Many students saw it as their duty to
vote, regardless of lost hours at the
library or the bar.
"My ancestors died for this right and
'I'm not taking it for granted," said a
black student who waited an hour and a
half at the Union to cast her votes.
Students showed litle creativity in
making the time pass quickly. Some
studied, some listened to Walkmans,
but most just twiddled their thumbs and
waited.
"I WOULD study, but you have to
move every two seconds, said LSA
senior Erica Danos, who got stuck in
the long lines at the Union. "Crossword
puzzles would have been a good idea,"
Danos said, disappointed that she
hadn't thought of it sooner.
At South Quad, the lines moved
more quickly this year than in 1980 due
to "well-defined procedures that
minimized the time needed to get
students through the line," said South
Quad poll chairperson Mary Ann Roth.
Roth said that this year a worker
stood at the front of the line and ex-
plained the voting procedures to groups
Doily Photo by DOUG McMAHON
U.S. Senator Don Riegle (D-Michigan) talks with young members of his constituency last night at Cobo Hall.
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