Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 1976)
i Page 2 THE BATTALION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1976 Battalion needs writers, columnists and editors The Battalion is looking for a spe cial set of people to add to its staff, and is canvassing the student body for the traits necessary for the job. The task is to fill a variety of po sitions in the organization. Book, movie and art reviewers are being sought, as well as feature writers, feature and editorial columnists, cartoonists, illustrators, editorial as sistants and general assignment re porters. Review applicants are required to be able to communicate effectively their views, based on a knowledge of the position covered. No jour nalism experience is necessary. Feature writers and reporters will participate in campus and city be ats, investigative reporting and spe cial interest reporting. Applicants are encouraged to call or drop by The Battalion office, 216 Reed McDonald Bldg., 845-2611. Positions will be both paid and voluntary. Hours are flexible and will be negotiated. Party conventions this year reflected voice of the people Slouch abchNTERSTATE UNIVERSITY SQUARE SHOPPING CENTER 346-6714 8.846-1151 NOT SINCE LCVE STORY. The true story of Jill Kinmont. The American Olympic ski contender whose tragic fall took everything but her life. And who found the courage to live through the love of one very special man. * ‘THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN’ ■f "THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN" Starnn* MARILYN HASSETT i and BEAU BRIDGES as Dick Burk • Richard's Window sun| by OLIVIS KEWTOK JOHN [lyrics by KOBMAN CIMBEI ■ Music by CHARUS FOI PG PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUCGESTEb <3B. [ STARTS FRIDAY AT 7:15 & SAT,SUN,MON ALSO 3:15 Sc WASHINGTON — One more glance backward at the extraordi nary political passage through which we have come — and then it’s on to the fall campaign. The retrospective thought con cerns the changing function and character of the national party con ventions. Those conventions showed renewed vitality this year — but like the old gray mare, they ain’t what they used to be. They used to be places where presidential nominations were de cided by the bargaining strategies of major candidates, favorite sons and party bosses. But that function began to wither with the spread of presidential primaries and the in troduction of television into the convention hall. Not since 1952 has either major party convention gone beyond a single ballot and only once in 12 times since 1952 has a convention done anything but nominate the winner of the key primaries. That case — Hubert Humphrey’s nomination in 1968 — was the ex ception that proves the rule, a de viation explainable by the interven tion of the incumbent President on Humphrey’s behalf and the death of a leading opponent, Robert Ken nedy, just before the convention. The rule of modern conventions is that they serve as ratifying de vices for tbe decision already ren dered in the primaries. That was certainly the case again this year. Jimmy Carter was the big winner in SO DAILY 7:30,9:45 ENDS THURS. NOW PLAYING LAST DAY THE EXORCIST ELLEN BURSTYN-MMVON SYDOW-LEE J. COBB txirTriiimxirTiiiiigTXP Battalion Classified Call 845-2611 Readers’ Forum Guest viewpoints, in addition to Listen Up letters, are wel come. All pieces submitted to Aggie Forum should be: • Typed triple space • Limited to 60 characters per line • Limited to 100 lines Submit articles to Reed McDonald 217, College Sta tion, Texas, 77843. Author’s phone number must accom pany all submissions. GABE & WALKER’S One Mile West of West Bypass on FM 60 DINE-IN, ORDERS TO GO, OR EAT OUT ON “THE SLU” Featuring: BEEF PORK ribs links iBoseeEC Tuesday-Saturday 11:00-9:00 Sunday 11:00-8:00 Closed Monday CATERING SERVICE Plates • Sandwiches Cold Drinks 846-4121 ★ Univ. Dr. FM. 60 Jtypass A&M UavidS} Broder the primaries and he had no effec tive opposition in the convention. Jerry Ford won a narrow majority of the primaries and had the same kind of convention victory. (On the latter point, a guess this reporter made on the eve of the first primary in New Hampshire turned out to be truer than I had any way of knowing. I hazarded the prediction that New Hampshire would be the definitive test for the Republican Nomination, and that its winner would be the convention winner. That was correct — but I certainly never imagined that Mr. Ford’s 1300-vote squeaker in New Hamp shire would indicate how narrow his final margin at the convention would be.) If tbe convention has become no thing more than a ratifying device for the coronation of the primary winner, then why all the bother? That question was being asked rather insistently by both politicians and political scientists — especially since rules changes adopted by both parties this year embedded the primary results even more firmly into the structure of the convention roll call. Well, it turns out that the con vention still has an important sub sidiary function or two to perform. One function is the legitimization of the presidential choice. Someone can secure the nomination by plur ality victories in the primaries — as both Carter and Mr. Ford did this year — without being accepted by the majority of adherents of his own party. It is the acquiescence of others in their party — demon strated in convention hall — that tells those voters that the nominees are legitimately the party standard- bearers. Barry Goldwater in 1964, Hubert Humphrey in 1968 and George McGovern in 1972 failed to win that acquiescence and went down to de feat. The closing night unity Exhibit features antique glass art LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ahman- son Gallery at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is the site of a current exhibition of American de corative arts featuring blown and pressed glass objects from the 18th and 19th centuries. The exhibition, which will con tinue through Oct. 17, also contains American furniture of the period. pageants in New York and Kansas City gave Carter and Mr. Ford that legitimacy, and both of them have benefited in the polls. The second — and emerging — function of the convention is to shape the vice-presidential choice, by providing the environment in which the successful presidential nominee makes his decision. We know, by the testimony of the two principals, that Jimmy Carter did not have Walter Mondale at the top of his list when he reached New York and that Jerry Ford had not settled on Bob Dole as his choice before Kansas City. The evidence is strong — if not airtight — that both men were re sponding to the signals from the convention floor when they made their decision. In the case of Carter, the fact that the convention was dominated (as the surveys by the Washington Post and others demonstrated) by people more liberal in their political views than Carter himself dictated a choice of a liberal running mate. During the hours of decision. Car ter was bombarded with negative signals on the politically bland John Glenn imporiuned by important delegate blocs to pick Mondale, the most liberal person on his list. Mr. Ford faced the opposite situ ation — a convention more conserv ative than himself — and he re sponded in similar fashion by giving the delegates what they wanted. There’s an important lesson here for the political community. In a primary-dominated presidential selection system, the reward is ex clusively to the winner. Finishing second — as Ronald Reagan and Morris Udall can testify — is finish ing way out of the money. But there is an important consola tion prize for the backers of the also-rans. They can influence — and perhaps dictate, through the con vention — the choice of the running mate. That is another reason the convention is likely to endure. Cbe Battalion Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or of the writer 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. 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 staff reserves the right to edit such letters and does not guaran tee to publish any letter. Each letter must be signed, show the address of the writer and list a telephone number for verifica tion. Address correspondence to Listen Up, The Battalion, Room 217, Services Building, College Station, Texas 77843. Represented nationally by National Educational Advertising Servic es, Inc., New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester; $33.25 per school j« $35.00 per full year. All subscriptions subject to 5% sales tax. Adveits ing rates furnished on request. Address; The Battalion, Room 21 Services Building, College Station, Texas 77843. Rights of reproduction of all matter herein are reserved. Second-Class postage paid at College Station, Texas. Editor Jerry Needb Managing Editor Richard Chamberk Campus Editor Lisajid City Editor Jamie Aitfa Sports Editor Paul Amet Photography Director Kevin Veiw News Editor Lloyd Liet Reporters . Paul McGrath, Lee Roy Leschper, LeAnnKob Members of the Student Publications Board are: Bob C. flogm Chairman, Dr. Gary Halter, Dr. John P. Hanna, Dr. Clinton A. Phillift Roger Miller, Tom Dawsey, Jerri 'Ward, Joe Arredondo. Director of Student Publications: Gael L. Cooper Assistant to the Director: W. Scott Sherman EARN EXTRA CASH As A Blood Plasma Donor At Plasma Products Inc. 313-C College Main Relax or Study in our Comfortable Beds While You Donate — Great Atmosphere — Trained Professional Help on Hand at all Times. Hours 9:30 to 6:00 Bring this coupon and receive $2 Bonus. Effec tive 'til Sept. 17. Call For More Information 846-4611 [f.’JiMjfiCfflrNhy; HSIMMfM