Debates - General” of the Ron Nessen Papers at the Gerald R
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The original documents are located in Box 36, folder “Debates - General” of the Ron Nessen Papers at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Copyright Notice The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Ron Nessen donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections. Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. .. Digitized from Box 36 of the Ron Nessen Papers at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library DOMESTIC POLICY Carl Leubsdorf Baltimore Sun Les Gapay Wall Street Journal William Wyant St. Louis Post Dispatch Nelson Benton CBS Al Cromley Daily Oklahoman Carl Rowan Field Enterprises Morton Mintz Washington Post Stuart Auerbach Washington Post Charles Bartlett Chicago Sun Times RobertS. Boyd Knight William Broom Ridder Haynes Johnson Washington Post William Raspberry Washington Post Hugh Sidey Time John Lindsay Newsweek Bernie Brenner (farm) UPI William Blair (farm) NY Times Bil~ Moyers CBS Frank VanderLinden Nashville Banner Margaret Mayer Dallas Times-Herald GENERAL Nick Thimmesch Los Angeles Times Syndicate Rudy Abramson Los Angeles Times Aldo Beckman Chicago T!'ibune Mo'rt Kondrake Chicago Sun Times Scotty Reston New York Times Pat Ferguson Baltimore Sun Andy Glass Cox Saul Kohler Newhouse Jim Dickinson Washington Star Jim Hartz NBC Howard K. Smith ABC ,. • POSSIBLE QUESTIONERS FOR DEBATES Defense Bill Beecher Boston Globe Fred Hoffman Associated Press Charles Corddry Baltimore Sun John Finney New York Times John Milne UPI Norman Kempster Los Angeles Times Lloyd Norman Newsweek Joe Kane Time Joseph Kraft Robert Novak Stan Carter New York Daily News Pat Sloyan Long Island Newsday Economics Art Pine Baltimore Sun John Berry Time Rich Thomas Newsweek Bart Rowan Washington Post Jim Rowe Washington Post Bill Neikirk Chicago Tribune Lee Cohn Washingtm Star Ed Dale New York Times Eileen Shanahan New York Times Al Hunt Wall Street Journal Fore.ign Policy Barry Schweid Associated Press Ted Koppel ABC Marvin Kalb CBS Richard Valeriani NBC Henry Bradsher Washington Star Henry Brandon (British) London Sun Times Nicholas Daniloff United Press International Bernie Gwertzman New York Times Leslie Gelb New York Times Murray Marder Washington Post Jerry Shecter Time C. L. Sulzberger New York Times THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON August 11, 1976 4:30 p.m. Ron: From Bill Weeks: further on our phone conversation of today, the league of women voters tells us it wants on August 23 to announce the petition signatures of those urging the debates. His office just called with this message. Carol '76 PRESIDENTIAL '76 Presidential Debates........................................... 1 Will success spoil the LWV? .................................... 6 The NIEO look in global economics......................... 8 DEBATESAn election campaign, by nature, often as a logical followup to its series of presi This land is your land . .. .... ....... ... .... ... .... ......... .. ... .. 13 invites comparison to a military campaign. dential forums held during the primary ERA: speak for yourself!........................................... 16 The candidates, like opposing generals, election season. Realizing that the candi On the bus or off the bus? . .. .. ... ... ... ..... ... ..... ... .... .. .. 18 map out strategies, deploy their party's dates wouldn't be easily persuaded, the Topic A-Energy Dilemmas...................................... 23 troops and fight for the hearts and League mounted an intensive campaign, A congressional primer . ....... .... .......... ........ .. .. ... ..... 24 minds-and votes-of the people on such including a nationwide petition drive which Leagues in action...................................................... 27 unlikely battlegrounds as shopping cen was called off when events overtook it. VOTER index............................................................ 29 ters, parade routes and even the air President Gerald Ford assented in a waves. This year, the League of Women surprise announcement during his ac Voters mobilized its own citizen-soldiers ceptance speech at the Republican Na Vol. XXVI No. 3 Fall1976 Publication No. 509 to bring off an unprecedented tour de tional Convention. Governor Jimmy Car force. Our goal: Issues not images in Elec ter accepted immediately thereafter. · President: Ruth C. Clusen. Editorial Board Member: Veta Winick. Exec tion '76. Thefruitsofvictory: '76 President Said LWVEF Chairman Ruth C. Clu utive Director: Peggy Lampl. Editorial Director: Madelyn Bonsignore. ial Debates! sen: "The public pressure we have Managing Editor: Susan Hayes Coughlin. Design and Production: Taw No doubt about it, the League of mounted created the needed atmosphere ney Hadley. Assistant Editor: Monica Sulfivan. Production Assistant: Heidi K. Sweitzer. Women Voters Education Fund has for Ford and Carter to agree." pulled off the biggest coup of Election '76, The LWVEF immediately entered nego or any election year for that matter. Al tiations with the candidates' repre The National VOTER is published 4 times a year by the League of Women Voters of the United States, 1730 M Street Northwest, though John Kennedy and Richard Nixon sentatives. Naturally, the Ford and Carter Washington, D.C. 20036. President: Ruth C. Clusen. Subscriptions: faced off before the TV cameras back in teams aimed to present their men in the $2.00 per year in the United States and U.S. territories and pos 1960, this year marks the first time that an best possible light. ·The League negoti sessions, Canada, Mexico. All other countries, $3.00 per year. incumbent president has debated his op ators wanted to ensure that neither got an Single copy 50¢, quantity prices on request. Second class postage paid Washington, D.C. o League of Women Voters of the United ponent. The scheduled contest between unfair advantage. States, 1976 the vice presidential contenders is also Such details as format, staging, topics The dues members pay include $1.00 for the cost of a subscription without precedent. Most noteworthy, the and dates were agreed upon at two ses to The National VOTER. '76 Presidential Debates are the first such sions on August 26 and September 1. forums ever sponsored by an organiza Chairman Clusen and Presidential De Publisher's statement tion, let alone a voluntary one like the bates Cochairs Rita Hauser, Charls Statement of ownership, management and circulation: The National LWV. Walker, Jr. and Newton Minow, along with VOTER is published four times a year by the League of Women Voters The skeptics, who said that presidential League Executive Director Peggy Lampl ofthe United States. President, Ruth C. Clusen; vice presidents, Ruth J. debates were a political impossibility, and Project Director James Karayn repre Hinerfeld, Nan F. Waterman; secretary, Kay Fields; treasurer, Yvonne have changed their tune. Now they've sented the LWVEF; former FCC chief G. Spies. concluded that no organization could Dean Burch, former Deputy Attorney The League is a corporation; there are no stockholders. The address have brought it off but the League, with its General William Ruckelshaus and White of the owner-publisher is 1730 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 56-year tradition of scrupulously impartial House advisor Mike Duval represented 20036. The following figures are averages for issues printed during the voters service. the President; and Press Secretary Jody preoeding 12 months: Printed-151,438; paid circulation: sales through The networks would have needed a Powell and media advisors Gerald Rafs dealers and carriers, street vendors and counter sales--none; paid special congressional waiver of the Fed hoon and Barry Jagoda represented circulation: mail subscriptions-144,896; total paid circulation- eral Communication Commission's equal Governor Carter. (Mondale advisor Dick 144,896; free distribution-1,939; total distribution-146,835; office time provision to· sponsor the debates Moe was there on behalf of the Demo use, leftover, unaccounted, spoiled after printing-4,603; total- themselves. Current FCC regulations cratic vice presidential nominee.) Com 151,438. Single issue nearest to filing date-Summer 1976. permit them to cover debates between pared to the wrangling that preceded the major party candidates-as a news Nixon-Kennedy debates during 12 sepa event-if another organization sponsors rate meetings, negotiations for the '76 them. That's where the LWVEF came in. forums proceeded smoothly. The Education Fund announced plans Word that TV coverage would be limited to sponsor presidential debates last May to shots of the debaters and questioners Photographs by John Neubauer touched off a flap with the networks, ton Post, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Once inside, tickets were checked and which wanted to film audience reactions Angeles Times and the Christian Science rechecked, purses and briefcases thor during the debates. Both the League and Monitor, as well as by direct mail. oughly searched and unauthorized the candidates rejected such visual inter Said Clusen: "It's not like the days of the cameras relinquished for the duration.