Abortion Backing

REN EW TODAY \PRlL 1, 1976 VOL. XII, No. 7 50 CENTS AMERICAN POLYRHYTHMS COMMEITABY: CABTER by Dick Behn It is no longer as simple as ABC. Jimmy Carter has no such problems. He wants to be 'Carter seems no longer vulnerable to an Anybody President, he's not ashamed of it, and he But-Carter Movement. That tells a lot about has an unwavering faith in his ability to Jimmy Carter and a lot about the polyrhythms win election. that govern American politics. Furthermore. Carter has amazing good Jimmy Carter has combined his ambition luck in his opportunity cycle, which has stead opportunity and press relations cycles in a ily climbed upward in ways which would have unique way. He's done so without bothering seemed improbable a year ago. First, the to tell. the public what he expects to do as failure of any liberal Democrat to emerge as President. It seems enough to know that the hero of the McGovern wing of the party left Jimmy Carter has a pleasant smile, a sincere a large opening for Carter. Second, the con disposition, and a Horatio Alger background; tinued stubborn presence of George Wallace on, it seems too much to ask about the specifics the party's right provided Carter with a con-: of Carter's planned reorganization of the fed venient straw man to knock down and thus cul eral.government. For that, the nation must tivate a dragon-slayer image. Not only was wait for Carter's planned inaugural and be. defeating Wallace a good deed for the party yond. Columnist William Raspberry, usually which earned Carter a lot of brownie points, a thoughtful observer, suggested recently that but such dragon-slaying bolstered Carter's such specifics w~re unnecessary and uncalled electabiiity quotient. George Wallace, his im for. Somehow it seems that less stringent age fuzzied by critiques of his' administration ,criteria are being used to select Presidents of Alabama, his vigor slowed by confinement to than are used to select members of local school a wheelchair, and his appeal dul-led by the sub boards~ It is hard to imagine electing a sidence of the busing issue outside Massachus school board candidate who proposed to reor etts, was the perfect Carter foil. Third, the ganize 20 schools into five institutions with~ mood of the electorate fed Carter's candidacy- out inquiring how such a feat might be accom ~--the·absence of burning issues, public dis plished. enchantment with Washington, disillusionment with the politics of promising, apathy about Still, Jimmy Carter has taken his sin "tired" political names; and the ascendancy cerity a long way. When Carter began his pres of electability over ideology in the voting idential q~est, he had only the benefit of a booth. Fourth, Carter seems aided by a slight steady ambition cycle. There is no question ly lesser dragon (one which Henry Jackson fos about what Jimmy Carter wants. His references ters when he talks about the importance of to the content of his inaugural address make northern industrial states)---anti-southern that perfectly clear. Carter, however, has bias. Again, Carter has used this bias and his ambition cycle under control---unlike Establishment bias at his lack of Washington. some 'other would-be Presidents like Ronald Rea connections to his own advantage. Carter has gan, who has been ambivalent about how much used his primary victories to dispel the prob he wants to be President and what he is will lem the same way John F •. Kennedy used his lQ60 ing to do to win that' office; Walter Mondale, prima~y victory in West Virginia ,to dispel-the who decided he didn't have the ambition it handicap of his Catholic religion. took-to gruel it out in the primaries; Nelson Rockefeller, who has always been questioned Finally, Carter has had good luck with about "the ambition" even when he wasn't wear his press relations cycle ••• which turned slow'" it' on his lapel; and Hubert Humphrey, whose ly upward last October with the publication of best strategy these days requires that qe poll results from an Iowa political dinner' hide his ambition until opportunity knocks. whic~~ve Carter something close to instant politicai credibility. His opportunity and press relations cycles fed each other for the POliTICS: The GOP, next two months as Carter took full advantage I of the absence of strong opponents to demon strate his appeal to wide segments of the elec Massachusetts: Reagan bruised a few feel torate. The glowing accounts about Carter con- ings when Diane Brosdon was appointed to head tinued to dominate media coverage until mid the Massachusetts campaign rathrr than former January when the media, having perceived that GOP State Chairmad William Barnstead, who had it had perhaps created a gian, reverted to its headed Reagan's primary effort. Barnstead, an role as giant-killer with critiques of Carter's outspoken and sometimes unpredictable conserva~ stands, non-stands, gubernatorial performance, tive, said-he was "crushed" by the move. and gubernatorial non-performance. Columnists Rowland Evans and Robert Novak and writer Steve Nebraska: The support ,o'f Senators Carl Brill in Harper's Magazine were particularly Curtis and Roman Hruska helps make Ford the sol deadly. So, to a lesser extent, were journal id favorite to win the GOP primary. 'Reagan's ists like the Washington Post's David Broder, campaign is headed by former top GOP officials who turned up a five-year-old letter to the in the state, but rumors of dissension have not National Right to Work Committee guaranteed improved the image of the Reagan effort. to get Carter in ~mu~le with the AFL-CIO. This sudden downturn fu media acceptability was Nevada: Sen. Paul Laxalt(R), national reversed only by Carter's victory in the New chairman for Reagan, ha,s activated his person-. Hampshire primary, which generated a new round al campaign organization in the state. That of favorable media coverage for Carter as the action alone may be enough to negate the Ford "frontrunner." effort being headed by former Las Vegas Mayor Oran Gragson. So Carter rides t~e crest of his ambi tion, opportunity, and public relations cycles New Jersey: The seven at-large members at the moment. Henry Jackson has'never been of tne state GOP delegation have been chosen able to get his press relations cycle to mOve by' Sen. Clifford Case, who usually disdains in upward. The ambition cycles of men like Sar volvement in party affairs. The State GOP Com gent Shriver and Milton Shapp always seemed mittee, though unhappy, acceded to Case's list, ~~rr~bly _~!smatched with their opporeunit~ which included State GOP Chairman Webster B. cycles. Carter cut George Wallace's opportun Todd, the state's three GOP congresspersons, ity cycle ~~ght 0~t frmm underneath him by former U.S.Rep. Charles Sandman, and Assembly competing- for,the same constituency. The Minority Leader Thomas H. Kean, who heads the long-awaited rise in Hqbert Humphrey's oppor state Ford campaign. tunity cycle maY'neve:t' come despite the steady character of his press relations cycle over ~: Despite talk of a favorable upturn the past few months. And even if Mo Udall for the President in Texas, it still seems like had a favorable opportunity cycle, it seems ly that Reagan will car~y the state in the May doubtful that he possesses an ambition cycle primary. As a result of'the,Bentsen.primary to complement it. That leaves only Jerry system, delegates will be chosen on a district Brown,.whose phenomenal coupling of ambition, basis; in many districts both slates are headed opportunity, and press relations cycles matches by prominent party and elected officials~ Al Carter's to the same degree that their guber though the competition thus far has been fairly natorial records seem marked by ambiguity' and muted, the possibility for more divisive con posturing. • flict in an already divided state party exists. Ripon Society, tmless they are explicitly so lab!tlled. THE RIPON SOCIETY. INC.~~~~==seare:=: SUBSCRIPTION RATES are $15 a year, $7.50 for students, serv IIHIDIbera ant YOUIl!J business, academic ani:l ~fessional men and Icemen, and for Peace Cbrps, Vista and other volunteers. Overseas wcmum.. It hem IKIIlonal l!eadquarters In DIstrlc:t of Columbia. air mail, $6 extra. Advertising rates on request. Please allow ~ In fifteen cities, NatioDal Associate IIHIDIbera throughout five weeks far adcireBB changes. the fi!ty states, and several afIDiated groups of subchapter status. The SOciety Is supported by chapter dues, IndlviduaI c:ontribu tioDs cmd _ &am its pubJlC:atioIIs and c:ontract work. Edlton, Dick Bahn is published semi-monthly by" the ,TH E RIPON FORUM RilXln Society, Inc., 1609 Conn., ~ve., Editorial BoCIrd: " N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009. Second class postage rates~d at Robert D. Behn, Chairman Tanya Mellch Washington, D.C. and other mallin' offices. Contents ar copy Cilliord Brown Robert G. Stewart righted @ 1976 by the Ripon Society, \'nc. Correspondence a dressed Rabert H. Donaldson Ralph Thayer ' 10 the editor is welcomed. (Ripon FORUM, Box 226, Charlestown, Mass. 02129.) , ' , Contributing Editors: CllHordBrown Glenn Gerstell, William A. ID ,1RJblfabtnCJ this ma~ the ~ ~ seeks to, provtde Koelsch, Daniel J. Swillinger, Josiah 'l..ee Auspltz, Richard W. RlIhn, a farmii far fresD Ideas, well-researc:hid P%O and for a spirit John A. Rehfuss, Thomas A. /?argent, Richard Cleveland, Matk at c:rItIcIs&n. fmIovatIon. -and independent tIiinldng withtn the If.e Frazier, Peler"Berg, Martin Sours.and William K. Woods. ~ Parly. Articles do DOt Dec:essarIly represent the oJ)lD!on if tile NaIIoDid GovemiDg Board or the Editorial Board of the Teclmical ECUtor: Brian J.

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