University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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. . , L ail if -2 (continued from page 4) crowded field of a dozen Democrats emerged a man who was virtually unknown to the voting populus, Jimmy Carter. Mean- while, the Republicans chose President Gerald Ford as their nominee. Ford just barely edged Ronald Reagan, in a race in- dicative of things to come. As the month of May turned students loose from the university, the nation turned to Michigan for an important primary battle. Ford waged a see-saw battle with Reagan, each trying to establish a clear lead over the other. Carter, though, had finished off all but one of his opponents, Morris Udall. Udall held a consistent and somewhat threatening record for coming in second. He saw Michigan as the place to make his move and establish himself as a serious contender for the Democratic presidential nomination. Ford ' s campaign strategy evoked the nostalgia of former presi- (continued on page 6)

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The year was 1976. And the game was politics. Players were candidates. Au- diences were voters. All were varied, many and strewn across the country. Among this national conglomeration of apa- thetic, fervent, disillusioned, contorted faces, a blend of wrinkling age and unblemished youth could be seen. And at the center of this youthful domain lies the student. In recent years, politics thrust students into the national arena. Demonstrations against war, protests on proverty and injustice cluttered numerous campuses. Political activism ran high. Students made themselves known, while politicians slowly came to the realization that the college collective does indeed possess a vital, strong electoral power. With their newly won right to vote, they exercised this strength in 1972. When the 1976 political conventions converged upon the nation, student radicalism virtually disappeared. A trans- formation, from an activist state to one of conformity, of ideals occured. The voices of student protest and concern greatly subsided. Once ranked with Berkley and Madison as the most radical universities in the country, the University of Michigan found itself the alma mater of the President of the United States a Republican President and loving every minute of it. Politics on and off campus began looking more and more alike. Similarity of views, rather than differences, was pre- valent. Even radical figures, who were once outside the system, set aside their outspoken political views and joined the establishment they once so vehemently opposed. Four years ago, the nation had literally held its breath to see what would become of the student vote. But in 1976, few indi- viduals gave campus ideologies any special consideration as a strong, political power block. Collegiate concern in American politics had ceased to be. Apathy and disinterest ran high. New Hampshire in February and the first presidential primary set the scene for the political year ahead. Such a crucial starting point kept the candidates and the nation eagerly awaiting the results. Future predictions became based upon those who took an early lead in this race. Out of the (continued on page 5) I 33 :%

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(continued from page 5) dencies untainted by public scandal. He made extensive use of the whistle-stop train approach reminiscent of the purer, simpler days created by the Truman administration. From Flint to Niles, the President was greeted by cheering crowds, brass bands, and the sounds of an ail-American college song Hail to the Victors. Carter arrived with running mate Walter Mondale and a united Democratic party in New York. It was July and their nomination became accepted. The following month, Ford and Reagan battled it out in Kansas City on a procedural technicality. Ford, with some difficulty, finally won the nomi- nation. The next campaign move came in early September, when Ford cleverly opened his campaign at the University of Michi- gan. This was an unanticipated surprise to students returning and settling down to the business of school. A few years be- fore, a, Republican candidate would have never even consid- ered the university as a background setting for his nationwide campaign kick-off for fear of being shouted off the stage. But. the campus mood had changed. Students integrated them- selves with those on the traditional political scene. They were accepted, and not as the radical outsiders many considered them to have been before, but rather as numbers, quantities potential votes that could give a candidate the electoral edge he needed. The presidential speech filled Crisler Arena. And Ford made the most of it. He fraternized with the number one ranked Wolverines, the football team he himself once played for, while the band played on, and the campaign starting point became colored with shades of a homecoming pep rally. Warmly preceded by football broadcaster, Bob Ufer, and the Michigan Marching Band, Ford was greeted by a noisy crowd of 14,000 people. He called for specifics not smiles - critically aiming a blow to Carter ' s grinning image. Despite (continued on page 8) Cartel