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Vol. 79, No. 5 University of North Carolina. Chapel Hill, North Carolina July 13, 1972 VP only question Comveettioiii seems sedate by Evans Witt Specbl to The Tar Heel (Editor's note: Evans Witt is editor of Hie Daily Tar Heel and is attending the Democratic National Convention on a press pass, one of the few given to college newspapers.) MIAMI BEACH, Wed. p.m.-A convention that started in uncertainty about the candidates, a platform, rules and even the stability of the Democratic Party ' i: ? J ' i ; y (fi fx - A li ' $ SSTn ! ill f: l' ' t - s ' i ; i 2 mm - ; ' 4:::.; il I f f f - Milt .,. i?", .-.,.,- . , , i ) nL' c. r ' V .1,1 . vi 1 L 1 ,j5 , tylWIIMn ' I A appears headed for a relatively sedate close. The only question generating any interest here is who will be Senator George McGovern's vice presidential choice-with many betting on Senator Ted Kennedy. With a brilliant parliamentary maneuver on the South Carolina credentials challenge Monday night, the McGovern synthesis of enthusiasm and expertise paved the way for successful battles on the crucial California and Illinois challenges. The effect of the maneuver was so demoralizing to his opponents, Senator Hubert Humphrey and Senator Edward Muskie, that they withdrew from the battle for the presidential nomination. McGovern was expected to pick up most of Muskie's vote and at least 20 percent of Humphrey's former delegates. The small, disjointed opposition to McGovern was still battling after the Tuesday events some called disastrous. Rep. Shirley Chisholm (D-N.Y.) was still attempting to persuade some 450 black delegates to vote for her on the first ballot as a protest and as a bargaining lever with McGovern. With McGovern's victory appearing more and more certain, black delegates seemed to be warming to Mrs. Chisholm's candidacy if only for its symbolic value. Former N.C. governor Terry Sanford was also attempting to maintain his status as a compromise candidate and seemed to be making some gains. (See following story.) Alabama governor George Wallace was still planning to have his name placed in nomination. Wallace's dramatic appearance in a wheelchair Tuesday night to push his proposals for the party platform was one of the most outstanding moments of the convention. The appearance of his first major speech since he was wounded in Maryland was in vain since McGovern forces voted down all his proposed changes in the platform. Washington Senator Henry Jackson was also continuing his campaign as. a conservative alternative. His advisors hoped to pick up much of Humphrey's former strength, particularly in the South. His delegates, 7,500 newsmen, nearly 10,000 security personnel and several thousand demonstrators converged here Sunday. McGovern's candidacy seemed to run out of steam, but it promptly received a boost. The ruling of the convention chairman and parliamentarian announced late Sunday on several procedural matters favored the South Dakota senator's forces. But anti-McGovern forces pledged to take rulings to the convention floor in hopes of overturning them. If the anti-McGovern forces had brought the procedural challenge during . the South Carolina credentials fight, they were expected to have enough to win. But such a challenge came during the California credentials fight, a hundred and fifty anti-McGovern delegates would not be able to vote and McGovern would win. With extremely tight delegate and staff discipline and superb communications the McGovern forces were able to thwart the opposition during the South Carolina fight. Even though they had apparently lost a fight. The South Carolina challenge that McGovern supported was defeated but the procedural victory was the important one. The South Carolina challenge was but the first of a series that lasted until 5:30 a.m. Tuesday night's session was dedicated to the keynote address by Florida governor Reuben Askew and debates on the platform. The platform controversy, headed by the Wallace proposals and the ' proposal for a $6,500-a-year guaranteed income, stretched until dawn Wednesday morning. All the minority reports were defeated, including a strong tax reform plank sponsored by Oklahoma Senator Fred Harris, an abortion plank and a Gay Liberation statement. The demonstrators in Miami Beach this year were of a far different temper than those of 1968 in Chicago. Although Monday night was marked by one incident and several injuries, all the varied groups among the scattered protestors seemed dedicated to non-violence. Pro- and anti-Castro groups, the Gay Liberation Front and poor people were among the protestors who tried to grab a part of the spotlight focused on this convention. Students with Sanford Mick J agger poured it on in Charlotte last Thursday as the Stones showed a sellout crowd what it's all about. More photos on page two. (Photo by John Gellman) by Evans Witt Special to The Tar Heel MIAMI BEACH, Wed. p.m.-Former N.C. governor Terry Sanford's campaign headquarters in this resort town seemed to be transplanted slices of Chapel Hill Sunday night. The Duke University president's low-key drive for the nation's top office has attracted many students and recent graduates of UNC to work in close concert with the political pros. Chapel Hill Mayor Howard Lee and UNC senior Becky Hannah are delegates in the N.C. delegation. Lee has been working hard among other black delegates to create good will for Sanford. Miss Hannah has been given the responsibility for maintaining Sanford discipline within the state delegation. With a busload of people from North Carolina that arrived here Sunday, many Chapel Hill' students talk, argue, cajole and bargain for wavering votes. Chris Sawyer, a 1972 UNC grad, is working with the Vermont delegation-a tough job. "The 9 McGovern people out of the 12 in the delegation would bolt the party if McGovern is not nominated," he said. Two other 1972 UNCgraduates, Brit Nicholson and .Mary Norris Preyer, shared a portion of the responsibility for the Sanford effort in the 76-man Indiana delegation. Walter Daniels, a rising UNC junior, is laboring long hours in the Sanford offices here working to make the campaign run smoothly. These people from North Carolina, Virginia, California and many other states seem to mean what they say when they talk about former governor Sanford. Since they have begun to work they have kept the hope that he would take the nomination. The Sanford campaign .here had been pitched to second and third ballot commitments from delegates. The plan was to await a convention deadlock and emerge them as a compromise candidate to unite the party. Even the McGovern victories in the credentials fights and the withdrawals of Sen. Hubert Humphrey and Sen. Ed Muskie. took none of the drive out of his campaign. In fact, with the withdrawals and other developments Tuesday the Sanford campaign moved to an even higher pitch. Sanford's state coordinators, including UNC grad Stewart Sessoms and UNC senior and AWS president Susan Case, moved quickly to attract the candidate-less delegates. The Sanford camp was counting on at least 450 first ballot votes. But from this viewpoint nothing short of a miracle could conceivably prevent McGovern's nomination Wednesday night. Nevertheless, the Sanford campaigners were still working feverishly up to the very balloting to attract and hold every possible delegate vote for the Duke University president.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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July 13, 1972, edition 1
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