, RIPON CONTENTS Politics 1-3 Commentary 4-7 Duly Noted 8 AUGUST 15, 1974 Vol. X, No. 16 50 CENTS Trubey, a young Republican speech pro­ fessor, is apparently using the campaign POLITICS: REPORTS as exposure for a possible future race. He has no experience, no organiza­ NEW MEXICO ginallY from among Spanish-surnamed tion, no issues. no money, and no voters since their party has won the chance. Other statewide GOP candidates are The New Mexico gubernatorial elec­ predominate proportion of that vote giving no better chance of upsetting tion will be an unusual contrast of since 1932. Republicans have never Democratic incumbents than they have styles and ideologies. A moderate con­ mounted a serious challenge in His­ had in the past 40 years of Democratic servative, affable, aggressive Republi­ panic areas of the state. control. And with little state party can - Joe Skeen - will face a suave, Neither candidate lacks for ade­ dedicated, low-key, liberal Democrat quate financing: Skeen has support s~pport for local candidates, Repub­ licans have little likelihood of im­ - Jerry Apodaca. from oil, agricultural and business in­ proving their share of lesser offices terests. Apodaca receives support from Skeen, who handles his own po­ - now only have about 25 percent. • litical reins, runs a highly personal, labor, professional, and mail solicita­ loosely-kni.t campaign. The result is a tions. Apodaca accuses Skeen of "spe­ sloppy and frantic organization search­ cial interests" representation because ing for a constructive direction. Skeen, of a Skeen stint as a legislative lobby­ FORD- KENNED·Y however, is his own strongest asset. ist. In return, vague allegations of His free-wheeling approach to voters Mafia money are leveled against Apo­ is impressive; his political ambition is daca by Skeen supporters. Both men have served as state party chairmen and Behind the impeachment headlines unyielding. of July, there was a lot of presidential In contrast, Apodaca has a detached, both claim Senate experience (Skeen, 1960-70; Apodaca, 1966-present). analysis. One curious aspect of the reserved style. He does- not project analysis was the concurrence of articles. Skeen looks strong personally and well in public appearances, appearing analyzing the presidential fitness of disinterested. He concentrates on one­ ideologically but very weak structural­ to-one campaigning, backed up by his ly. Apodaca has the organization but finely-tuned organization. Composed of lacks a strong public image. A series both former McGovemites and old of scheduled television could be cru­ pros, that organization is gearing to cial to both candidates. deliver traditional New Mexico mar­ In the races to the Potomac' from gins for the Democrats. Early rumors the Rio Grande this year, both in­ of severe party splits caused by a cumbents are heavily favored. In the rough and crowded primary seem to northern congressional district, U.S. have been spiked by recent "arrange­ Rep. Manuel Lujan (R) will face ments" by Apodaca. The new Demo­ Lt. Gov. Robert Mondragon (D). The cratic state chairman, for example, is lieutenant governor, whose principal a highly-regarded member of the old campaign tactic has been the singing guard. of Spanish ballads with his own guitar Apodaca is bidding to become the accompaniment, has been unusually first Spanish-American governor of quiet. Lujan's low-key style and un­ New Mexico in 54 years; over 40 per­ political ways will probably prevail cent of the state's population is over Mondragon'S singing. Spanish-surnamed. A subtle undercur­ In the state's southern district, U.S. rent of racism will cut Democratic Rep. Harold "Mud" Runnels, named margins in the Anglo, conservative one of the nation's ten dumbest con­ eastern counties of the state. The Dem­ gressmen by New Times magazine, ocrats, however, will gain only mar- has only token GOP opposition. Don Gerald Ford Vice President Gerald Ford and Sen. question straightforwardly at the time that some consensus on who does have Edward M. Kennedy. Though Ken­ with any chance of being believed." first class brains seems needed. In ar­ nedy moved ahead of Ford in recent In an analysis of Kennedy's presi­ ticles in Harpel's and the' Atlantic, Gallup polls, Ford was the clear win­ dential prospects, Knight Newspapers' three respected Washington reporters ner in the magazine and newspaper Loye Miller, Jr., observed, "He talks propose that Ford may have more stories which appeared. like he's running for President in 1976. presidential qualities than was general­ Kennedy's pres:dential aspirations He acts like he's running for President. ly assumed by the late Lyndon Johnson. were badly damaged by two articles. He insists that he has not finally de­ Writing in the August Atlantic, col­ Robert Sherrill's New York Times cided whether he will run for Presi­ umnists Rowland Evans and Robert Magazines' story, "Chappaquiddick dent." Miller points out that Chap­ Novak conclude, "For now at least, Plus Five," devastated even Kennedy paquiddick has not yet had an impact candor and decency are elevated above admirers, according to the W ashingtol1 in the polls, but deeply concerns Dem­ cleverness and glibness. What might Post's David Broder. He quoted for­ ocratic leaders. "Informal samplings have seemed weaknesses two years ago mer Democratic National Chairman of . , party chief tans show that a are political strengths today. 'Jerry Lawrence O'Brien as telling friends heavy percentage of them concede that doesn't really have a first-class mind,' that Sherrill's recitation of the repeat­ Kennedy can walk away with the par­ commented one of his former House ed inconsistencies in the Chappaquid­ ty's 1976 nomination if he wants it, colleagues. 'But then, neither did dick episode "shook me - it had a but that an increasing number are un­ Eisenhower.' .. helluva impact." happy at the prospect, for fear of fu­ In his HaI'per's article. "In Praise Compared to the Sherrill piece, ture Chappaquiddick fallout." of Honest Ignorance," Knight News­ Vivian Cadden's account in the August papers' Saul Friedman recounts the As WaIter Pincus commented in a McCaU's is more ~efinitive about what story of how one condescending mem­ June issue of The Nell' Republic, actually happened at. Chappaquaddick. ber of the Harvard Young Republi­ "Now the news media will almost cer­ Cadden recounts not only the incon­ can Club asked Ford to comment on tainly resurrect the entire event: the sistencies in Kennedy'S statements, Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Ford admitted car's route will be traced, the 'boiler­ but also draws her unabashed conclu­ he had not read Solzhenitsyn. There room girls' tracked down and reinter­ sion: "Five years after Chappaquiddick wasn't "a snicker in the room," wrote viewed, Edgartown Police Chief [Jim] there are no longer any doubts about Friedman. "In a small and subtle way, Arena and District Attorney Dinis will the basic facts of the tragedy. Most Ford had displayed the honest igno­ be back and in the news, the Kopechne people believe, as Judge-(James) Boyle rance of the average man and made parents will be questioned over and did, that the senator and Mary Jo no attempt to hide it with the poli­ over again. The aggressiveness of the (Kopechne) were on their way to the tician's makeup kit." press will be stimulated in part by its beach, and many persons close to Ken­ desire to appear impartial, to show In contrast to articles in the Wail nedy no longer even try to deny it. the same, sometimes irresponsible dog­ Street Journal by Fred Zimmerman and The question is if, and when, and gedness that went into attacks on Pres­ the Washil1gton Post by David Broder, under what circumstances the senator ident Nixon and former Vice President Friedman treats Ford's staff sympa­ himself may wish to acknowledge it. thetically. Robert Hartmann, the for­ Agnew." Whether or not he seeks the Presi­ mer Los Angeles Times reporter who dency in 1976, a public and a press The impact of the Chappaquiddick serves as Ford's chief of staff, is credit­ that have always doubted the 'wrong stories is likely to be so great that ed by Friedman for much of the turn' would welcome his candor if Robert Sherrill may be Edward Ken­ Vice President's independence from even at this late date he affirms that, nedy'S version of Richard Nixon's Rob­ the White House. Elsewhere, Hart­ yes, it was after midnight and he and ert Woodward and Carl Bernstein. mann's treatment has 'been less kind. Mary Jo were headed for the beach; The articles about Gerald Ford did The WaU Street Journal's Zimmer­ that their going there was entirely in­ not expose the spice in his life. They man observes that, "Many in Washing­ nocent, but that the appearance of im­ instead suggested that the very lack ton express the view that Mr. Hart­ morality was so inevitable that, in his of spice was what the nation needed. mann is less than qualified for the grief and remorse after the accident The complaint that Ford lacks a "first crucial job he holds. This view may itself, he despaired of answering that class brain" has been made so often stem, to some extent, from Mr. Hart- Is a Republic:an research emd SUBSCRIPTION RATES are $15 a year, $7.50 for students, serv­ THE RIPON SOCIETY, INC • policy organization whose Icemen, and for Peace Corps, Vista and other volunteem. Overseas membem are young business. academic anoj)rofesslonal men and air mall, $3 extra. Advertising rates on request. Please allow women. It has national headquartem In District of Columbia. five weeks for address changes.