Reagan fires early campaign broadsides

Press, 27 July 1984, Page 7

Reagan fires early campaign broadsides

NZPA-AP Austin, Texas President Ronald Reagan has portrayed Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro as insensitive to the South in his first campaign foray since the nomination of the Democratic ticket. Mr Reagan said yesterday in Austin that the 1984 election posed the sharpest, most important choice in modem times — “greater freedom or coercion.” Mr Reagan, referring to his Democratic challengers, said: “Please don’t let them bury the American dream in their graveyard of gloom and envy, endless tax increases, deeper dependency, planned protectionism, certain sacrifices and veiled quotas. “We don’t need that kind of progress, do we?” Turning back to his successful 1980 stategy of luring blue-collar Democrats to the Republican camp, Mr Reagan said that the Mon-dale-Ferraro team did not represent the political philosophy that Franklin Roosevelt had championed.

“To those of you who are still Democrats and who might share my belief that Government should not plunder more of our earnings, should not seize greater power over our lives but should work to ensure the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with an orderly society, then I extend an invitation to you and millions of

others — come where you will be welcome and appreciated, join George Bush and me.” Mr Reagan ended his appearance by asking, “are you better off today than you were four years ago? Is America better off then she was four years ago?” As the crowd roared “yes,” Mr Reagan said: “Then I’m going to assume you don’t want to go back to the days of America being second-best.” Texas counts with 29 electoral votes — more than one-tenth of the 270 needed to win the White House. Mr Reagan appeared beside his Vice-President, Mr George Bush, a one-time Texas oilman who still calls the state his home. The President then flew to Atlanta to continue to court Southern voters before going to New Jersey for a campaign pitch to Catholics and women in an area near — and like — Ms Ferraro’s district in New York. In Grand Portage, Minnesota, Mr Mondale said that Mr Reagan had showed that he was “a little desperate” through a series of allegations he made against Democrats. Mr Mondale, returning from an all-day fishing trip on Lake Superior, was asked about Mr Reagan’s comments that Democrats were so far left that they had “left the country.”

“I think he’s getting a little desperate. I would recommend a good night’s sleep for him,” Mr Mondale replied. He repeated to reporters his belief that the main issue between the Democratic Party approach and Mr Reagan’s was “to deal with this (budget) deficit at home.” He repeated his assertion that Mr Reagan had a “secret plan” to raise taxes that the President would not reveal until December. He rejected Mr Reagan’s news conference assertion on Wednesday that he would not raise taxes. In Boston Ms Ferraro said yesterday that Mr Reagan had left state Governments holding the bag while he attempted to play the hero on federal taxes. She rejected Mr Reagan’s assertion that she and Mr Mondale were free-spending liberals. “If you take a look at where I am as a person who is concerned about the fiscal policies of this country, I’m fiscally conservative. I’m extremely concerned about ?US2OO billion deficits.” Ms Ferraro, a three-term Congresswoman, said: “I represent a blue-collar, work-ing-class district. Those people elected me in 1982 with 73 per cent of the vote. So I don’t know how he can indicate I’m out of touch with those people.”