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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 4, 1980)
Viewpoint The Battalion Texas A&M University Thursday September 4, 1980 Slouch By Jim Earle Staff Notebook “This is a typical case of a severe withdrawal from the registration process. By DAVID S. BRODER WASHINGTON — The general-election campaign is now officially under way and the White House is still waiting to be won. Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter each plainly has it in his power to win or lose the prize in the next nine weeks, and while John Anderson’s chances seem marginal, the doubts about the other two contenders are great enough so that even the unlikely is not impossible. Journalists cover the campaigns as they un fold — not as they would like them to be. Substance or symbolism, delusions or realities, the press amplifies whatever it gets. But as journalists, we also ask questions and, at times, those questions can help steer the debate in a useful direction. It is in that spirit that I tried, on one of the last quiet, non-traveling nights that I will have for a while, to put down on paper some of the ques tions I would like to hear the candidates address this fall. They tended to be personal, rather than policy, questions because ultimately we are electing a man, not a manifesto, to fill the presidency. To start with the incumbent, I would like to know what Jimmy Carter really thinks of his first term. His answer would let us guess how much better — it any — he might be in a second term. Does he think it bad luck or mismanagement that has caused real living standards to decline so sharply during the last 3V2 years? Has he sorted out whose economic advice he can rely on? Does he believe, as he says, that our alliances have never been stronger, or has he learned something he can now articulate about alliance management? What would he do differently about organiz ing the White House, working with Congress, motivating the bureaucracy — or does he see no problems in those areas? Does his appeal for public trust extend to a reciprocal trust on his part? Does he know that the voters would welcome a serious self- assessment of his first-term performance, rather than a whitewash? As for his Republican challenger, I would love to hear Ronald Reagan talk calmly and quietly, in his own words, about which parts of the vast agglomeration of currect federal re sponsibilities and policies — domestic and fore ign — he feels comfortable in continuing, and which he really feels cry out for a change. And, assuming there are many things he would like to change, I would like to know which are his highest personal priorities, for no President will do more than start on his “wish list” in four years. Equally, I would like to know how Reagan, at age 70, expects to summon the personal energy and willpower to move that mountain of inertia called Congress, the bureaucracy and the in terest groups. Does he really think he can do it by the power of his own voice? Or has he though seriously about ways of mobilizing a new coalition committed to the kind of change he presumably wished to bring? How does he think the world has changed since 1945, and what do those changes (the Soviet-Chinese split, the emergence of the Third World) imply for American foreign policy? And if we are, as he proposes, to rely much more on private firms an market forces for growth, jobs and productivity, at what point — if any — should the government intervene in the market — and to what end? As for John Anderson, the basic question in my mind is what he really brings to the cam paign beside conviction. He asks to be viewed seriously as a potential President, and not just as a spoiler. Where is the evidence in his past record in Congress or the political campaign that he has the capacity to rally people around his leadership? How does he foresee his relationship with a Congress where he was always part of a minor ity within a minority? After he had propounded his policies, how would he expect to build sup port for them inside and outside the govern ment? Those are my questions, and you will have your own. Whether any of us get straight answers, the next two months will tell. Warped Headline-seeking stops cater to journalists’ appetites By LIZ NEWLIN Battalion StafF This news isn’t fit to print: Jim Nugent, a member of the powerful Texas Railroad Com mission, visited Easterwood Airport for less than half an hour Wednesday morning. Then he flew on to Huntsville, Conroe, Beaumont, Port Arthur, Orange and spent the night in Houston. Most news organizations in those towns probably will carry the “news” of Nugent’s kick off campaign sprint across the Lone Star State. And the story will probably reach an even larger audience through the wire services. Nugent is running against Republican H.J. “Doc” Blanchard for a seat on the Railroad Commission, which controls the trucking in dustry and oil and natural gas production in Texas. In a United Press International story from Austin elsewhere in this newspaper, Nu gent said his election is “vital” to protect Texas from “energy-greedy Northeasterners.” Notice of his visit to College Station appears on this opinion page because his ploy was a media event. It was an appearance staged solely to capture news time and space. The story on page 7 describes the beginning of his campaign. which is news. But his appearance here was not. And to put it on the front page — where he and his press secretary would like it — is offen sive. Frankly, I want some real-live campaign ing before I’ll write a real-live campaign story. “Real-live campaigning” should be more than this: flying into the airport, reading a can ned three-page statement, passing out a flatter ing, soft-focus mug shot, answering a few repor ters’ questions and shaking hands with local officials. But Nugent and his staff should not be totally blamed for producing the news that’s not fit to print. We in the media, after all, are the ones who treat such media events as legitimate news. And we do it all the time, especially in an election year when visibility is valuable and generally available to an incumbent. As an illus tration, check to see how many reports of this “news” mention that fewer than a dozen people were at the airport to see Nugent here or at any of his other stops. Chances are that few will. Reporters are sometimes embarrassed to say only a handful came to an event they put in the paper. But often they’re not embarrassed enough, and lots of sorry reporting results. It happens this way: We journalists f that if an important (read office-holding)p says it, especially if he says it at a convs time and place, then it should becomei For a reporter, such a media event is eq cover and write. For an editor, it is easytoj for and usually provides a good picture-til opportunity. ” We journalists know about these traps.] During the national conventions, forj ance, the networks constantly refused! “trapped” by the parties into broadcasting form speeches. Instead, in an ironic twist,i interviewed and re-interviewed delegates! Duluth who said nothing about anything In trying to avoid the trap, the broado^ often avoided the story, which was, foi a convenient place (on the podium). The Nugent case, however, was aconvetl non-story. And our front page should bel served for news, not media events. One Texas A&M official praised this me® Charles 1 of campaigning — the flying quick-stop at* A&M’s pi ports — as the most efficient. If it work* t r > c 8 ate ^ said. I Keep bui It didn’t. | have rece i HOPE THE ETATE OF ALA (3A/AA WON'T g£ TOO CROSS \JITH Carter needs to answer questions on first term < ; Pottery an Basses the D Education of | Students i ^natural matei and precious 1 Methods o ling, glaze m: Then, w< been loc foreign i engine r WEEKEf Hwy 6 THE KLU KLUX KLUTZ. Cloak-and-dagger cola operation By DICK WEST United Press International WASHINGTON — It was reported the other day that the Coca-Cola Co. had filed suit to stop a Pennsylvania hotel from “passing off’ other kinds of colas as Cokes. This case sounds like it might have been the work of a soft drink secret agent. I used to know one of Coca-Cola’s undercov er operators and envied him mightily. He had what I still regard as the most glamorous, excit ing and fascinating job I ever heard tell of. His assignment was to travel about the coun try ordering Cokes in establishments where soft drinks were sold. Then he surreptitiously col lected specimens of whatever he was served and sent them back to the home office for analysis. If the boys in the lab determined a sample was something other than pure Coke, the com pany would have a basic for legal action, if it came to that, to stop the deception and protect its trademark. My friend specialized in collecting speci mens in bar rooms. Or at least that was the only aspect of his job he talked about when I was around. His modus operandi, he once confided, was to belly up to a bar and order a shot of hooch with Coke on the side. When the bartender wasn’t looking, he would whip out a small syringe and suction off a portion of the chaser. For a time, I was told. Coke agents customar ily tossed down the hard stuff so as to avoid suspicion. But legal complications arose. Coke agents occasionally had to give evi dence in court and attorneys advised that if the defense could prove they had been drinking on the job it might discredit their testimony. So my friend became a two-syringe drinker. With one syringe he would suck up enough cola for testing against the secret Coke formula. With the other syringe he could drain the shot glass, thus being in a position to swear oath that no liquor had touched his lips Once back in his hotel room, my friei would empty the booze syringe into a that already contained various brands ofspi from other parts of the country. He even gad his own private label — Old Syringe. Many’s the evening I have spent sippi| “Old Syringe” and listening spellbound as| recounted his adventures. After a few hout!| his thrall it was tough going back to the wot aday world I then, as now, inhabited As to whether Coca-Cola still employsseff> agents who stock their liquor cabinets in t| manner, I cannot say. But if ever you al private party at which the host serves nit flavored scotch laced with bourbon that tequila after-taste, you’ll know it’s thers thing. By Scott McCullar HI, Tfl MERRITT JENNINGS, COME. WITH ME. A/VO X'LL SHOW 10V WHAT "HOWPY" XS THE. CORP REALLY KEEP IT • All VE . f "N HELPS IT'S A TEXAS AiM TRADITION (aVP A GREAT WAY TO MEET y OWD. J The Battalion U S P S 045 360 MEMBER LETTERS POLICY Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Editor Dillard Stone Managing Editor Rhonda Watters City Editor Becky Swanson Sports Editor Richard Oliver Focus Editor Scot K. Meyer News Editors Todd Woodard, Lynn Blanco StafF Writers Kurt Allen, Marcy Boyce, Mike Burrichter, Pat Davidson, Jon Heidtke, Uschi Michel-Howell, Kathleen McElroy, Debbie Nelson, Liz Newlin, Cathy SaathofF, Jana Sims, Cartoonist Scott McCullar Photo Editor Pat O’Malley Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in lengv and are subject to being cut if they are longer. The editorial^ reserves the right to edit letters for style and length, butai make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. EachleW must also be signed, show the address and phone numberoftb writer. Columns and guest editorials are also welcome, and are t r subject to the same length constraints as letters. Address d inquiries and correspondence to: Editor, The Battalion, Heed McDonald, Texas A&M University, College Station, ® 77843. EDITORIAL POLICY The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper op erated as a community service to Texas A&M University and Bryan-College Station. Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or the author, and do not necessarily repre sent the opinions of Texas A&M University administrators or faculty members, or of the Board of Begents. Questions or comments concerning any editorial matter should be directed to the. editor. The Battalion is published daily during Texas A&M s fall ^ spring semesters, except for holiday and examination period* Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester, $33.25 per sck*' year and $35 per full year. Advertising rates furnished on rt quest. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald Buildint Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. United Press International is entitled exclusively to the ||X for reproduction of all news dispatches credited to it. Rights 1 ’ reproduction of all other matter herein reserved. Second class postaage paid at College Station, TX 77843. to 5 I Satu area auto sits ; day. acco acco intei $10, ing pers nati And