COMMENTARY: Coasentdive WHERE DO CONSERVATIVES GO from HERE?
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- ------------, SEPTEMBER 1, 1976 VOL XII, No. 17 50 CENTS COMMENTARY: Coasentdive WHERE DO CONSERVATIVES GO FROM HERE? If conservatives wanted to take over gants Kent County GOP Chairman Paul Henry ~b the Republican Party, 1976 should have been served,"The Reagan delegates came out of the their year. And if they wished to start a woodwork. They were yahoos who came 'out of new political movement, 1976 should have been nowhere." their year. Since conservatives of the Rea ganite variety explicitly failed to make In many states---Texas, Alabama, Ari ther option work, much of the conservatives' zona, and California, for example---the con wishful thinking is open to question. servatives took control of their delegations by repudiating their state's own conservative Conservatives had a lot going for them GOP leadership. The GOP's own rules aided this year. To begin with, an increasing nUm the conservatives in their quest. Without ber of Americans were beginning to think of California's winn~r-take-all primary, Ronald themselves as conservatives on either social Reagan would have been finished in June. With or economic issues. The bloom was off the gov out the disproportionate advantage given to ernment spending rose and every politician small, southern and mountain states by the in sight was making "fiscal integrity" noises. GOP's bonus delegate provisions, Reagan would Watergate and Wayne had so tarnished Washing have been further handicapped. ton's image that any liberal or bureaucratic connection with that city was suspect. The The conservatives also benefitted from incumbent Republican President had never been the standing logistical apparatus which they elected in his own right and had gambled his have developed to spearhead their political own political future with the pardon of his movement. Reagan's candidacy was a virtual disgraced predecessor. MOreover, the incum crusade for organizations like the Young Ameri bent was a poor campaigner and worse speaker cans for Freedom and the American Conservative who contrasted to his disadvantage with the Union which were able to pump money and volun conservatives' chosen one---an articulate, teers into Reagan's campaign. A dozen conser attractive campaigner whose spellbinding style vative columnists, moreover, could be counted of speaking was his one claim to presidential on to comment favorably on the former Califor potential. nia governor and somewhat counteract any "med ia bias." Other circumstances also aided the con servatives. The absence of a progressive Re In contrast, President Ford had no publican presidential candidate shifted the such movement on which to draw. It was ironic tone of the campaign and the complexion of the that the most favorable "op edIt commentaries delegates sharply to the right. By narrowing, were written by liberal columnists scared out ahd focusing the party's base, the conserva~ of their wits by Reagan. F~rd reenforced Rea tives were able to magnify their own influence gan's tactical organization advantages by _within the party. They were aided in this en competing with him for the same constituency deavor by the collapse of George Wallace's ---rather than seeking to create his own con presidential campaign on the Democratic side. stituency which would support him at the polls. In those key states which permitted crossover Ford thereby turned off moderate voters who voting, the conservatives were able to attract might otherwise have been attracted to the Wallace renegades to their cause. As Michi- GOP primaries. But the Reagan candidacy was only part of conservative stalwart Sen. James McClure of the cQnservative threat to the GOP. The (R-Idaho):"The potential for suicide within other half was the much-discussed third party the Republican Party is very great, but I with which conservatives have been blackmail don't agree it's dead yet. in a great many ing the GOP for two years. In essence, they states like mine, it's healthier than ever. have said: Either you let us have your party Trying to launch a third party effort founder or we'll make our own. Despite this year's for lack of party organization at the grass opportunities, the conservatives were unable roots. Nor do I see any colorful, articulate to turn their threat into reality. In the leadership around which to build a third par end, the Wallace descendants in the American ty." McClure's points are well taken. Conser Independent Party told the pointy-headed Eas vative officials---as opposed to operatives tern Establishment conservatives like William like Viguerie and Phillips---have been conspic Rusher, Richard Viguerie, and Howard Phillips ously unwilling to join the third party move that they weren't needed or appreciated. ment: The nomination of William Dyke, former GOP candidate for governor of Wisconsin, as In constructing their third party the AlP's vice presidential nominee is the threat, the conservatives benefitted from closest the conservatives have come to spark many of the same advantages they had in their ing a major defection. The list of big name internal struggle in the GOP. A potential Republicans unsuccessfully wooed by the Rusher constituency existed. In Ronald Reagan and group is a long one---Reagan, John Connally, George Wallace, they had leaders with demon New Hampshire Gov. Meldrim Thomson, North strated voter appeal. A conservative infra Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms, and Illinois U.S. structure separate from the GOP already ex Rep. Philip Crane. isted---Howard Phillips' Conservative Caucus, Richard Viguerie's fundraising operation, Helms, who on occasion has been as cri and William Rusher's Committee for the New tical of the GOP as Rusher, rejected the offer Majority. Rusher et al couldn't find a pres saying,"I respect what they are doing, but I idential candidate to their liking and the just see nothing to be gained by it." Simi candidate to the AlP's liking, Lester Maddox, lar views were voiced by conservative column was not their kind of respectable conserva ist James J. Kilpatrick, who called the Rush tive. er-Viguerie moves "bubbleheaded stuff" and "hogwash." "Rational conservatives---conser So despite all their brave talk of vatives whose heads are- screwed on straight- forming a new conservative party by merging could not hope to elect a ticket more conser the GOP's fiscal conservatives with blue col vative than Mr. Ford and Mr. Dole. They could lar conservatives from the Democratic Party, not sell a more conservative platform than Rusher and company failed. And in failing, platform adopted here last week," wrote Kilpa both Rusher and Reagan may have seriously trick. The Republican Party has been around jeopardized their own goals. for 120 years. It is in trouble now; obvious ly, it is in trouble now. But the GOP holds For one thing, this year's struggles a fourth of the governorships and a third of have split conservatives. It has split them the seats in the state legislatures. It re between supporters of Ronald Reagan and Ger mains a workable piece of machinery in state ald Ford. It has split them between those and local elections; it o=fers a salable ticke who want to stay in the Republic~n Party and for NOvember; it provides the only comfortable those who are unwilling to abandon it. And political home that, conservatives have. No it has split those who have abandoned it be leaderless band of rampant bull moosers is tween those with pragmatic political goals likery to pull it down." and those who are content to nominate a seg regationist symbol. A united conservative The goals of Kilpatrick and Viguerie movement might have a future. The current are obviously quite'different. To Viguerie, divided one does not. "The bottom line this year is the defeat of Gerald Ford. The only thing shoring up the Rusher, Viguerie, and Phillips would Republican Party is control of the White House. not shed any tears over the death of the Without the White House, the (Republican) GOP. They'd be delighted by a landslide de party would collapse like a house of cards." feat of President Ford---if it would clear This inability to agree on tactics will contin the way for a conservative party. But not ue to handicap conservatives. Because the AlP all conservatives have made the emotional will probably fall far short of the five per break with the GOP that .Viguerie has:"I know cent national showing needed for federal cam marketing arid I think it would be easier to paign financing aid, the conservative movement market Typhoid Mary or an Edsel than the Re will still be handicapped in any non-GOP ef publican Party in my lifetime." Viguerie's forts in 1980. comments contrast,with those, for example. Conservatives will also bear scars hadn't been for the antics of Mississippi State .rom this year's losing battle for Reagan. Republican Chairman Clarke Reed. Reed cooked me significant casualty may we~l be outgoing Reagan's goose from the beginning, first, by tlssissippi GOP Chairman Clarke Reed. For carelessly loading up the delegation---especial ~out a decade, Reed has been a spokesman, ly the alternates---with Ford people, even ·allying point, threat-maker, and all-round though Mississippi Republicans overwhelmingly ~ru for southern conservatives. He has been favor Reagan; secondly, when he suddenly leapt L vocal critic of any "liberal" moves· by the to the President's side when he saw Reagan lixon and Ford Administrations. He has been weakening. Indeed, it may not be too much to he most visible conservative organizer at say that, following some serious strategic er ~etings of the Republican National Committee. rors in Reagan campaign planning, Reed's be nd as spokesman for southern GOP chairman, trayal of the Reagan camp and his good friend ,e has loudly warned against the GOP wander David Keene, a key Reagan operative, delivered ng into the liberal wilderness.