The Press TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 1976. Men and issues in the United States

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34132, 20 April 1976, Page 16

The Press TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 1976. Men and issues in the United States

Eight of this year’s 30 United States Presidential primary elections have been held so far, but those eight contests have already resolved much. In the simpler Republican contest, Ronald Reagan’s campaign has faltered so seriously, in spite of his victory in North Carolina, that not even a victory in Texas on May 1 will revive it. Mr Ford seems assured of the Republican nomination. But Mr Reagan’s showing suggests that Mr Ford does not yet enjoy the whole-hearted support of his party and that he may feel compelled to continue tacking to the Right when, with an eye to the election, rather than nomination, he should be moving to gain the support of Americans on middle ground. Until the spectre of Mr Reagan is finally exorcised, America will continue to have a half-time President. The contenders for the Democratic nomination have been weeded down to two who matter, Mr Carter and Mr Jackson. Mr Carter has an edge over Mr Jackson, but the race is still even enough so that the results of later primaries could still make or break either man. The only other candidate to have survived the early primaries, and to have any chance of success, is Mr Udall, the last of the many who marched into the nrimaries under a “ progressive ” banner. But Mr Udall’s position is insecure, especially after Mr Carter pipped him to the post in Wisconsin. Without the anti-war issue to galvanise the Democratic Left, as it was galvanised behind Mr McGovern in 1972, a progressive candidate appears to have little chance.

Increasingly important in the final stages of the selection of the Democratic candidate is the question of who can win “ the big one ” in November. Most Democrats seem to think at present that the odds are in favour of Mr Carter’s success. Mr Jackson is preferred by organised labour, but Mr Carter has demonstrated an impressive ability, for a Southern farmer and former Governor of a Southern state, to appeal to blacks and Northern liberals. Mr Jackson is, in addition, more disliked by the Democratic Left because of his stands on Vietnam and national defence. For all that, Mr Carter is hardly the darling of the Left. To numbers of Democrats the Democrat with the best chance of unseating Mr Ford is Hubert Humphrey. Mr Humphrey may indeed be able to cement together more elements from the traditional Democratic coalition than either Mr Jackson or Mr Carter. But Mr Humphrey’s decision not to enter the primaries may make this an academic question, especially if Mr Carter or Mr Jackson sweeps the later primaries.

When the possible candidates are so reduced in numbers, attention is turning increasingly from personalities to political issues. Mr Regan has been hammering President Ford’s foreign policy; and Mr Jackson’s hard line on foreign policy is matter of contention in the Democratic race. But the key issues this year are domestic—the economy and unemployment, education and busing, poverty and welfare, crime and race. Almost all of these issues raise the question of the role of the Federal Government in American life. Candidates of the Right—Mr Ford and Mr Reagan—Mr Udall of the Left, and Mr Carter of the Centre—are all attempting to tap the sentiment that power should be taken from Washington. Only Mr Jackson and Mr Humphrey still openly proclaim their faith that massive intervention by the Federal Government, to stimulate the economy and effect social change, is the onlv way to solve many of the problems which confront America. The shortcomings of earlier programmes of massive Federal spending are only’ too apparent; but those attempting to tap the anti-Washington sentiment have yet to demonstrate that they have the answers to the problems which are being increasingly mentioned as the campaign for the Presidency continues.