Page 2
THE BATTALION
THURSDAY, MAR. 25, 1976
David S. Bvoder
Democratic race
is recipe for chaos
For those who like their politics
neat and orderly, this year’s Democ
ratic presidential race is awfully dis
couraging. Every time the Democ
rats knock a candidate out of the
race, a new one springs up to replace
him.
Birch Bayh, Milton Shapp, Lloyd
Bentsen and Terry Sanford have all
bitten the dust since the race began.
Sargent Shriver and Fred Harris are
limping. But the number of pros
pects for the nomination does not
seem to shrink.
Last week. Sen. Frank Church of
Idaho joined the ranks of the active
contenders, while the favorite-son
group of potential power brokers and
compromised choices added the
names of Senators Adlai E. Steven
son of Illinois, John Glen of Ohio,
Rep. Peter Rodino of New Jersey
and Gov. Edmund G. Brown, Jr. of
California.
It sounds like a recipe for chaos —
a plot to convince the voters that the
Democrats are inherently incapable
of making up their minds.
But there are several reasons to
think the unending stream of Demo
cratic contenders is a sign of of health
— rather than trouble — for the
party.
What it measures, first, is the
depth of the talent pool in the
Democratic party. That is certainly
the case when the standard of com
parison is the GOP. There, the pres
idential contest, if it still deserves
that name, pits an appointed Presi
dent against a 65-year-old former
governor of California.
who is in self-imposed exile from the
Democratic ranks.
Back when it was thought that
Ronald Reagan might upset Presi
dent Ford in the early primaries and
open the way for other Republican
contestants, the only names heard
were those of Vice President Roc
kefeller, a two-time loser in the pres
idential game, and John Connally,
The Republican leadership has
been thinned to an alarming degree
by the party’s recent reverses.
Barely 50 men hold major statewide
office as senators or governors.
There are a handful of Representa
tives with national standing and a
small group of cabinet and agency
heads with presidential potential.
Most are far enough advanced in
years that they have little likelihood
of being contenders for the Republi
can presidential nomination, even in
1980.
Many of the latest entrants in the
Democratic president derby are
younger men clearly testing their
legs for future races. That is probably
the case with Church, who is sensi
ble enough to know he faces long
odds in beginning his quest when
three other active contenders —
Jimmy Carter, Henry Jackson and
Morris Udall — have months of or
ganizational and campaign efforts
behind them.
Brown, Blenn and Stevenson —
while possible dark horses or vice-
presidential possibilities in 1976 -—
are also seen more palusibly as men
who may figure in future presidential
battles.
They do not hurt the party by their
presence in the contest. None of
them needs apologies as being out of
place in a league in which Gerald
Ford and Ronald Regan represent
the Republican all-stars.
The question which some would
raise is whether these new Democ
rats clutter the field to the point that
it becomes dangerously difficult for
that party to find its way to a consen
sus candidate.
Democrats from a cluttered field of
mainstream candidates is that
George Wallace might exploit the
divided opposition to score plurality
victories.
But with Wallace looking less
menacing than he did in 1972, there
is less pressure on the Democrats to
keep the field of other challengers
small. Certainly the risk of
fragmentation is not so great as to
discourage men like bteverison,
Glenn and Brown — who are poten
tially of national stature — from run
ning.
The impact of these late-blooming
candidacies is simply to shift the
odds among the active candidates,
and to reduce slightly the likelihood
of the definite decision being made
before convention time.
Udall would clearly be better off
without Church contesting for lib
eral support in the Idaho and Oregon
primaries. Jackson would like to see
Ohio and California unencumbered
by the likes of Glenn and Brown. For
Carter — to whom every other elec
tive official is an actual or potential
roadblock— the emergence of favo
rite sons is even more nettlesome.
More than either Jackson or Udall,
he depends for success on securing a
majority or near-majority of conven
tion votes in the primaries.
It is almost unnecessary to add
that Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey of
Minnesota must look with pleasure
on the late-starting candidates and
favorite sons. With Humphrey appa
rently holding to his pledge to avoid
the primaries himself, he has a great
interest in seeing the delegates split
as many ways as possible.
The guess here is that they do not
— although they certainly create
problems for some of the other active
contenders. The chief danger to the
But even that prospect can hardly
be thought hurtful to the Democrats’
November chances when Hum
phrey himself looks like a thoroughly
credible challenger of Mr. Ford.
Che Battalion
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or
of the uriter of the article and are not necessarily those of the
.university administration or the Board of Regents. The Battal
ion is a non-profit, self-supporting enterprise operated by stu
dents as a university and community newspaper. Editorial
‘policy is determined by the editor.
Represented nationally by National Educational Advertising Services, Inc., New
York City, Chicago and Los Angeles.
The Battalion, a student newspaper at Texas A&M,' is published in College’
Station, Texas, daily except Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and holiday periods. Sep-'
tember through May, and once a week during summer school. ,
LETTERS POLICY
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and are
subject to being cut to that length or less if longer. The editorial
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tee to publish any letter. Each letter must be signed, show the
address of the writer and list a telephone number for verifica-
Uqw _ .
Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester; $33.25 per school year; $35.00 per full
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iAddress: The Battalion, Room 217, Services Building, College Station,
'Texas 77643.
Address correspondence to Listen Up, The Battalion, Room
217, Services Building, College Station, Texas 77843.
‘Homosexuality immoral
Editor:
According to the article printed
Tuesday, March 9, in the Battalion,
homosexuality is still against the law
in Texas. How then, I ask, can such
an organization as the Gay Line re
ceive such publication (and promo
tion) on the front page or any page of
a state funded school’s newspaper?
Contrary to all of the ideas in this
article, I find homosexuality disgust
ing. As a student of the Bible, I find
that homosexuality is an indication of
everything immoral. And, once you
rule the morality of your life only by
conscience, the truth of morality
crosses that fine line of sanity.
Sherry Ann Fisher
lililili
four years of our lives and we can
now make our wishes known.
Let’s get with it and give this the
OL AGGIE TRY.
Ron Portor ’75
Campus voting block
Editor:
Over the years the turnout by Ag
gies to vote in Brazos county elec
tions have been very small, possibly
because the powers that be did not
see fit to place voting places on the
Campus where there is the largest
block of possible voters in the
county.
This year we have not only a
chance to elect, or help to elect good
officials but to also have a voice in
other type elections.
And we do not have to leave the
Campus to do this.
We have several offices where the
ones in office now have others asking
for the office and if we do not vote we
deserve any treatment that is given.
Aggies have never been looked on
as citizens by the officials and law
enforcement group, it seems, but
now with a possible twenty-five
thousand voters on the Campus we
are a force to be noticed.
We live in this county for at least
Seniors OK bond
Editor:
With all the controversy about the
bond issue, we students at A&M
Consolidated High School wonder if
all the opinions have been recog
nized. The adults might not think
we re responsible enough, or it could
just be our age, but whatever the
reasons, we think we should be
asked and our responses taken seri
ously. After all, the students and
their brothers and sisters have to go
to school with or without the
changes.
When a person turns 18, he is con
sidered an adult, capable of making
decisions for himself. With our
senior class full of adults and many
close behind, we should be heard.
Although we’re not actually pay
ing the taxes out of our own pockets,
we are affected directly by the
changes they bring. We need an
adequate environment in which to
learn as much as our parents need a
sufficiently equipped place to work.
We believe the passing of this bond
will help us to have what we need.
Chris Gehring
Lauralee Phillips
KK’s justified
Editor:
I had previously intended to write
S'
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The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for reproduction of all news'
dispatched credited to it or not otherwise credited in the paper and local news of
spontaneous origin published herein. Rights of reproduction of all other matter
herein are also reserved.
Second-Class postage paid at College Station, Texas.
Members of the Student Publications Board are: Bob C. Rogers, Chairman; Dr.
Gary Halter; Dr. John Hanna; Roger P. Miller; Dr. Clinton A. Phillips, Jeff Dunn,
Tom Dawsey and Jerri Ward.
Director of Student Publications: Gael L. Cooper.
Acting Editor Roxie Hearn
News Editor T. C. Gallucci
City Editor Jim Peters
Contributing Editors Sandy Russo, Steve Gray'
Sports Editor Paul McGrath
Photo Director Douglas Winship
Staff Writers
Carolyn Blosser, Ray Daniels, Pat Edmondson, Tony Gallucci, Lee Roy Les-
chper, Jerry Needham.
All male students who had less than
21 transfer credit hours before enter
ing A&M and whose GPR after their
first semester at A&M was 3.5 or better
are invited to come to 237A Zachry,
Wednesday, March 24 or Thursday,
March 25 for the purpose of determin
ing whether they are eligible for the
Honor Society, Phi Eta Sigma.
ALLEN
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^ this letter as a criticism of Mr. Tynes’
I comments in the March 10 issue of
| The Battalion in which he intended
j, to criticize the Kampus Kops (aka
University Police). However, I
found his letter to have so many
non-well-taken grievances that it de
fied criticism.
The first of his grievances that he
wished to state, but didn’t, con
cerned the KK’s strolling around
kampus handing out tickets the way a
new father hands out cigars. We all
know that every member of the fa
culty, staff and student would park in
assigned areas without the threat of
receiving these friendly little yellow
citations on his/her windshield.
After all, we only park illegally out of
sheer defiance. I also know why the
KK’s get very few specific complaints
about illegal parking. Why, I per
sonally don’t call them more than
once a day concerning cars parked
illegally in reserved spaces, spaces
for the handicapped, loading zones,
etc.
The second of his grievances,
again not-stated, pointed out the
unwarranted harassment of bicyc
lists. I dare say that there has never
been a single incident of running
stop signs (especially at crowded in
tersections), blocking ramps for the
handicapped, forcing pedestrians off
sidewalks, pedalling faster than a
speeding bullet between classes,
etc. on this kampus.
Third point, ditto, concerning the
lack of short-term parking for stu
dents trying to load cars. However,
rumor has it that in the past such
space has been marked off in Lot 19
for students living in Hart Hall. This
was brought to my attention by fa
culty and staff assigned to this lot
who could not find a parking place
because of students
cars. I’m sure that thistypcij
ponsible action will ceaseifii*
ever find out about it,
You’re right, Mr. Tynes,i
your grievances, whether sa
not, do say a lot for theinte;
effectiveness of the KK’s.
Darili
Bike safety
Editor:
Bicycles are fun. They’re
the easiest and fastest way;
from one end of the c
other. Most bikes are safe, Hi
nately some of the ridersarei
It' s an eerie feeling to fetlf
thing whoosh by you andtk
that you’ve been narrowlyn
a bike rider. It’s an evenwors
ing when you get hit by one. I
the bike riders on campusi
safe. However some don’tail
are the ones who are endiij
the pedestrians on this (amp
I have a few suggestionstki I
help alleviate this problem. 1
—Hope these bike rideri nl ^
come to their senses and sk:
or even walk their bikes ui::|
campus is crowded.
—Construct special 1
around and through the camp Ljj"'
hike riders only so theycanh ■
rated from the pedestrians.
—Ban hikes from the sides
together and restrict themtoi
and road use only.
Hopefully these lasthvoE
tions won’t he necessary. Bull
thing DOES need to be dom
the bike riders on this campiii
don’t appear to be concenw!
other people’s safety beforesai
DOES get hurt.
Michael Ban
i i
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