Campaign 1978; Republican Convention

This campaign 78 highlights Republican state convention records 625 78 airdate 625 78. One. And I'm PBS public affairs special report 78.

I like the Republican state convention. Here is the board. Good evening anyone who thought that there would be a fight yesterday at the Republican State Convention was wrong. The entire day was nearly as planned except for the link. Party officials had predicted early that the convention would be a smooth affair will run and they promised that few people would leave the hall angry. They were right. They also and said that the day's events would be short on discord and long on unity and they were right on that too with only a few notable exceptions. In short the thirty five hundred Republicans who came to Des Moines yesterday the candidates and the delegates got what they were promised they got to show they got to see their major statewide candidates they adopted a platform they all could live with and most importantly they avoided significant intra party fights especially those between conservatives and moderates that have often plagued the Republicans in the past. Tonight we're going to bring you the highlights of yesterday's Republican state convention. The calls for unity the color and the debate are what there was of debate. It's important to note

early that at the outset of our coverage that there were few real controversial issues addressed yesterday in Des Moines either by the candidates in their speeches or by the delegates on the floor. Republican officials said they wanted it that way they wanted to put together a platform that would have something in it for everybody especially something for the conservatives who have in the past taken the party platforms very seriously and conservatives who have in the past fought on specific planks. So what the delegates got in veterans auditorium yesterday was a mood a mood of unity among people who in the past and often fought for India logical principles a move that was designed to take advantage of the growing taxpayer discontent and turn that around into electoral victories for the Republicans in the fall. In part it also was a mood that was reinforced by the way the convention itself was handled. Simply it was a very well orchestrated well choreographed affair one that had its own timetable and its own script. It was a convention geared to speed and to show

and the delegates got one from the supporters of Governor Robert Ray who feel dirty for 1000 balloons early Saturday morning balloons used to give Ray's keynote speech a big lift off. It was a speech appropriate to the occasion garnished with one line jokes about Jimmy Carter and the Democrats and unmistakable endorsements of the two conservative candidates with whom many people felt Ray might be uncomfortable. He was the opportunity to let the delegates know that he wasn't uncomfortable at least not publicly. Roger Jepson and I have both told you we will be working together in this campaign. I can tell you I am appreciative of his support and I can tell you that Roger will have mine. Let's get together. Let's look ahead and let's allow Roger Jepsen to the United States out of this forum.

He also used the opportunity to try to belittle his Democratic gubernatorial opponent. Although Wright never mentioned Gerry Fitzgerald by name. He implied that Fitzgerald lacks leadership experience saying that the voters this fall could choose between what he called performance and promises. We don't need Ed. The governor like many of the other speakers yesterday tried to capture for the Republicans the political benefits of the wave of taxpayer revolt allegedly sweeping the country. Recently Jimmy Carter said the vote on Proposition 13 in California was an aberration. Was it an aberration. That was a revelation. The people of California were asking their government why didn't you put a limit on property taxes. We have in Iowa in California the people ask their government why didn't you increase school costs on property taxes. We have in Iowa we didn't wait for a Proposition 13 in Iowa to take

positive action to pull the rain on rising property taxes in the wake of the California vote. We can have some appreciation that I was not caught in the C tax crunch. So that theme of anti-big government programs and anti-big taxes was even more strongly sounded by the person who spoke to the delegates before the Governor arrived. Roger Jepson wasted no time in reminding the delegates that last March when he announced his candidacy he warned of voter unrest over high taxes and what Jepson said was over regulation by the federal government. Jepsen suggested that his primary election victory earlier this month was a mandate to stop swelling the pockets of what he called bureaucratic fat cats. And in the primary elections throughout the country this year the nation's taxpayers got their message across. The message is they're tired of big government spending taxpayers into the poorhouse. Proposition 13 in

California may well be the most single significant outpouring of anti taxation sentiment voiced in this country since a tax on tea triggered an outpouring of similar sentiment in a Boston Harbor. More than 200 years ago one of the things that Jefferson did not do was explain how he would go about cutting government spending except for repeating his call for a 30 percent income tax cut over the next three years. Nor did he respond to the charges that were leveled last week by his Democratic opponent Senator Dick Carter who said that Jepson was a campaign of fear and hate. And instead as he has often done in the past Jepson attack card on agriculture the political strategy of the Carter administration. Agriculture secretary Berger and then the Senate Agriculture Committee man Dick Clarke is quite clear it is to ignore the needs of the farmer because he does not represent a major bloc of votes throughout the nation.

I was. I was farmers should have been fortunate to have one of their U.S. senators on the Senate Agriculture Committee. But looking back over the last five and a half years this fact didn't do them any good. The lip service they received from their elected representative on the Senate Agriculture Committee didn't help them with their soaring production cost it didn't help them with their plummeting prices that didn't help them improve their opportunities to market their products overseas. The drop in breed prices from $63 to $54 in the last 10 days is a good example of the Clark Carter manipulation of the Iowa farmer. Of course all of the candidates speeches had a lot of good old fashioned political rhetoric yesterday same kind you saw last week when we covered the Democratic State Convention the kind you're likely to see a lot more of during the coming fall campaign. Now much of that rhetoric wasn't controversial. It wasn't designed to be Yesterday it was designed instead to motivate the delegates to rally round Republican candidates who survived divisive springtime primary battles that may

have cost them some party support. Now the same was true of this year's Republican Party platform as in past years the platform this year was designed to carve out the Republicans philosophy on state national and international issues. But this year rather than carving out a single philosophy it carved out many. And the platform had in it for example even before it was debated on the floor a plank calling for a restoration of capital punishment. Now that was opposed by Governor Ray and Republican moderates but it was supported and quite strongly supported by Republican conservatives. But that platform also contained planks supporting both the federal and state equal rights amendments now Governor Reagan the moderate support that and the conservatives intensely dislike it. So earlier in the week before the convention it was quite a lot of speculation that one group or the other the moderates or the Conservatives would try to move the party's platform more over to their liking. By offering amendments on issues such as capital punishment the E.R a abortion or the Panama Canal. Now the first indication that that was not going to

happen either the moderates or the conservatives were not willing to really go to the wall for principle came out at a Friday afternoon meeting of the Republican platform committee the last chance to change the platform before it went to the convention floor. The five and a half hour process was to put it kindly uneventful the 30 or so members of the platform committee many of whom had spent the last four months drafting the 160 plank document basically concerned themselves with highly technical changes modifications that often boil down to arguments over mere semantics. There was little indication except for a few very minor skirmishes of the conservative moderate split that some people felt was in the offing and the Democrats had tried to promote this as not at all. Anyway what type of amendment right. For example there was no mention of abortion. There would be none. No mention of the Panama Canal that was to come later. So too with the conservative motions against the Equal Rights Amendment. If at this time there were any questions about

controversy they were answered with the unprecedented arrival of Roger Jobson Robert Ray and Terry Branstad all of whom had a vested interest in keeping this platform broad enough for all of them to run. They wanted to win two years ago they also wanted to win but instead at that time spent much of their time fighting each other. One group aligned with Jerry Ford the other with Ronald Reagan. Bob great Friday afternoon reminded the watch from any of that. We can do what we should do. A couple years ago four years ago this time it's a good chance. We used to love that. Thank you. The upshot of it all was a very public display of republican party unity the candidates one of the tell the people in this room and through the media the people who would be on the convention floor the following day that Jepson Ray and Branstad needed each other and it seemed to work. The platform committee adopted with three exceptions all of the platform recommendations submitted by re branch didn't Jepson one of those

exceptions concerned the emotional proposal to raise the speed limit to 65 miles an hour work at any. It was Republican unity personified and the platform that the committee adopted and took to the floor was moderate mild and polite. Those words ironically also describe a meeting of 80 or so people who comprise the conservative coalition which met Friday evening in a last minute attempt to effect platform changes. Considered a thorn in the side of moderate Republicans this group of committed conservatives was saying this year's platform was one of the best they've ever seen. Primarily because it contained a plank calling for a restoration of the death penalty. But they wanted more. The party on record for state and federal tax limitations opposing E.R. aid condemning the Panama Canal treaties and opposing abortion rights. In a group with conservative proposals

something unusual happened on Friday night. There was unanimous support for only two proposals the Panama Canal resolution and the Proposition 13 inspired plank calling for a ceiling on tax increases. A concept that had already been endorsed by the platform committee earlier in the day. Among the conservatives there was not unanimous opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment or to abortion despite some objections. Those two planks were ruled too controversial for the coalition as an organization to fight. I think I was right. This man's name is Richard Ward. His occupation wouldn't be worth mentioning if he didn't happen to be Terry Branstad partner. And if Terry Branstad didn't happen to be a founding

member of the conservative coalition that just might give you some indication of how willing some conservatives were to abandon previously hard illogical battles in favor of winning elections. Terry Branstad used to spend most of his time at party conventions fighting party platform planks. Terry this time he's running on the restraint and compromise of the conservative coalition meeting was an indication of things to come. And the things that came on Saturday afternoon on the convention floor were essentially anticlimactic. There were very few subs of the platform fights the delegates instead occupying themselves the scores of lengthy very technical disputes rather than philosophical fights except that is on two items. One of them was the E.R. eight where the amendment that would strike six point. Is there any discussion microphone by those conservatives we mentioned earlier who were denied the full fledged endorsement of the conservative

coalition on Friday night decided to fight against the E.R. eight individuals. First they tried to eliminate a section of the platform endorsing the National Equal Rights Amendment with its original seven year deadline. They began their efforts really distributing literature critical of the E.R. aid and later argued on the floor that women's rights already exist and don't need what they called additional bureaucratic protection. We are all right but what is not known what is not publicized in the media is a reason why people have been. Flowing. Away. The vice is. That. It is authorized and mandated in the last part of the federal Equal Rights Amendment. The moderates responded with a mixture of political logic and idiology but mostly politics saying that its support for the IAR were removed from the platform.

Democratic candidates would have an advantage over Republicans in the November elections and the Democrats. If we don't already Dari our aid and you lack this amendment to strike six point eight hours they're going to beat us over the head with it in November and they will be they're certainly doing one more point you are praising Wright for his 10 years of leadership. Where do you think he stands when I say I want to ratify the E.R. and then like it was when Governor Ray's blessing and urging and all. We have our own republic kind of legislature that you want our current back the car maker to look like a bunch of old boy. But I'd hate to be at any day having to run on that kind of a package.

The question then is whether the proposed amendment 2 would strike 6.8 should be adopted. Those in favor of the First Amendment signify by saying I oppose no tears endowed to be delegates and have it appear to be split and the conservatives forced the first roll call vote of the afternoon that time consuming process that took more than an hour to complete those voting. One thousand six hundred forty four. Those were the next one thousand eight hundred sixty one. Moderates had a 200 vote margin and support for the federal IAR Abe remained in the platform but later in the afternoon the Conservatives had another shot at the issue this time on a measure which recommended passage of Iowa was Equal Rights Amendment. And the argument against the state measure became more Idia logical. Now the one that I would want to make very specific today that

I missed in this plan. A series of planks in the platform and that is the abortion issue and the abortion issue is tied directly to what. And it has been written by Professor but the moderates held out aided in this case by a motion to table or kill the amendment offered surprisingly by an empty E.R. a delegate named Jane Jensen. She was worried that continued debate plus what was termed a misplaced issue of abortion were not in the best interests of party unity. The reason why I did that was because I felt like you were getting into a controversy that really has nothing to do with the reason why we proposed the amendment the amendment that we proposed was simply to delete so that we when we have a division. And so most controversy as we talked in our discussion of the word you gave up the point that you wanted to achieve in the interests of party unity. Well we're certainly not united because we do each have our own views on the correct name and

that was the reason that you wanted to table and kill that motion to prevent the party from becoming more disunited. Yes and when the cause of the day for that reason. Are you disappointed that abortion and some stand on abortion isn't being taken by the party this year. No I'm not I think I just leave it that way. Why. Well because it is very controversial when you are just I think gaining a lot of your voters if you would take a stand on the words you feel that not taking a stand at all is better in the interest of attracting voters and letting voters know where you stand. I would say so in this case yes I did not consider it a political issue. I think it's personal. To give you an idea of just how strong feelings that party unity were yesterday or to put it another way how much the conservatives like the platform. The only other major conservative moderate class was over a proposal to increase the speed limit.

The Conservatives wanted it at 65 miles an hour the moderates and Robert Ray didn't under the platform heading energy and transportation the plank encouraged an increase in the speed limit on interstate and controlled access for lane highways to 65 miles an hour. But an amendment spearheaded by a group of Polk county delegates some of whom concurred with Gov. Robert Ray staffers called for retaining the 55 mile an hour during the debate. Both sides claim to have the last word on fuel saving benefits of 55 or 65. What's wrong with you people. We're in we're in serious shape in this country right now because the amount of. Who are independents. We got the one right now. Anything we can do to stop that we by God better do it all right. Support is never and I hope you know I drive at least 40 thousand miles a year and I talk to a good many other people who do. Many of whom are driving 65 miles an hour and

many out of a movie find that their gas mileage is not a bit different. And both sides also claim to have the last word as to whether 55 saves lives. There are no statistics available. None whatsoever. Drawing any comparison between the lives saved at 65 mile an hour on the interstates only and the 55 mph speed limit as we have it now. I doubt that there would be an increase in the law in the DAs. If this was only on the interstate. My company has a branch plant near Nashville Tennessee and our labor lawyer down there from Atlanta Georgia represents a company that makes a pass at last. Last year their casket business was down. 15:00 has it and they blame the 55 mile an hour speed limit. OK that's it.

That's the best reason I can think of to keep those who wanted the limit kept at 55 also argue that Iowa would lose approximately 50 million dollars of federal highway funds if the state increased the speed limit. And they also reminded the convention that their governor Robert Ray strongly favors the nationally adopted 55 mile an hour standard. Those who want to increase the speed limit countered with a play often throughout the entire convention. If we want the 55 mile an hour speed limit let's do it because we Iowans want it not because a bunch of federal bureaucrats in Washington are going to blackmail us. The voice vote was too close to call. And I'm a stand up vote convention chairman Lieutenant Governor Arthur knew ruled that the amendment retaining the 55 mile an hour speed limit had passed eyes appeared to have like. There was staff would only say that they were pleased with the outcome there it was clear that Robert Ray won that issue just as he did on the E.R. and a few others throughout the day yesterday.

But so too did Terry Branstad Roger Jepson and the conservative wing when a few strategically their victories were important for they enabled all three candidates to support most of this year's party platform something that the Democrats and even some Republicans for that matter thought they could never do. Perhaps their major area of agreement was on taxes and the general feeling that the Republican Party will be the major beneficiary of taxpayer discontent. Specifically Republicans called for state and federal constitutional amendments limiting tax increases to a percentage of the growth of personal and corporate income and they recommended completely phasing out Iowa's personal property taxes and opposed any attempt that would make Iowa's income tax a percentage of the federal income tax. That was a direct shot at the Democratic gubernatorial candidates proposal for a postcard return based on a percentage of the federal income tax. Complementing their plan to limit government taxation and spending. They also called on all citizens to reduce their demands and lower their expectations with corresponding adjustments in government

spending. That was a plan proposed by Roger Jepson. And though the platform committee had on Friday rejected calls for initiatives referendums and recalls that the convention as a whole called for a constitutional amendment to allow for recall and referendum in Iowa. The proposal did not include though initiatives like California's much heralded and yesterday's often talked about Proposition 13. Also conservatives managed to get two amendments added to the platform condemning Democratic senators cark and called for his vote for the Panama Canal treaties and encouraging any lawful and honorable action which may still be taken to keep it or get it back. The plank favoring reestablishing capital punishment in Iowa was never challenged and abortion wasn't addressed at all. On agriculture the convention opposed any thread real action that would artificially depress the livestock industry though it did not specifically refer to beat import quotas. The delegates also called for development of a federal policy requiring six months notice

before changing policies like the beef import quotas and acreage allotments a nonspecific mild rebuke to the Carter administration is delay in finalizing grain acreage set aside programs this year. On the whole the Republicans were kinder to the Carter administration's foreign policies than the Iowa Democrats were a week ago. The Republicans also urged that victims of crime receive restitution or compensation from convicted criminals but stressed that the state should not pay for that restitution. The convention recognized that declining enrollments are causing financial hardships for some Iowa school districts and urged that the Iowa General Assembly legislate long term solutions they didn't suggest what the solution should be. And finally the Iowa Republican said they deplore the military intervention by foreign communist troops in Africa and urged that all efforts be expended by the United States to permit peaceful development of representative government in Africa. In essence it was a platform that moderates could tolerate

and conservatives could go to work. I don't agree with everything but I think by and large a very good document. Would you have liked a scene out of it. I would like to have a section lifted out. What about yours. I agree wholeheartedly. I am basically very pleased with the platform it's far more conservative than it's ever been. There's a tremendous indication here that the Republican Party is far more conservative this year than it's ever been before and that's simply proof of the footing that people are sick and tired of big government big government spending interfering in their lives and businesses they've had enough. There will be a lot of opinions flying about but whether that platform will be judged by others as conservative or moderate is something that will be resolved during the fall campaign. And when you're thinking about that it's important to remember that party platforms either the Democrats had recovered last week with the Republicans that we've just been talking about tonight platforms are usually subject to interpretation and they have to stand the test of time. Now issues that were important to Democrats and Republicans in the

past two weeks may not be as important next November. Events change and people change. Now that's why I guess it said that in politics overnight is an eternity. I'm bored. Good night. You're dismissed plays Dr. Cara clay. Have a good time. Get a good night's rest. But I already know you know. Camping 78 was a public affairs program taken away I went public

broadcasting network. Why.