Michigan State University - Red Cedar Log Yearbook (East Lansing, MI)

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28 Carr, Taylor clash again Two strikes and you're out? by Paul F. Charette In 1974 M. Robert Carr and Clifford W. Taylor locked horns for the first time in pursuit of the Sixth District seat in Congress. Carr won by the narrowest of margins, a slim 647 votes. This mar- gin was less than two votes per precinct in the district which includes parts of Ingham, Clinton, Jackson and Livingston Counties and all of the MSU community. In 1976 they clashed again. This time Carr had the edge as an incumbent, but the race still ap- peared to be very close. When the election results were in on election night, Carr had thrashed Tay- lor by 16,200 votes. Two factors led to the Carr victory. Carr did an outstanding job in his first congressional term and was a leader in the freshman delegation. He was known for his attacks on the seniority system of Congress. He asked two ineffective leaders, Speaker of the House Carl Albert and Armed Ser- vices Committee Chairman Edward Hebert, to re- linquish their positions of power. Carr also lived up to the promise that he would spend as much time as possible in his district. Taylor also ran into problems with his cam- paign which was based on attacking the Carr re- cord in Congress. Carr accused Taylor of distor- tion and the remainder of the campaign revolved around Charges and counter-charges. Eventually the two candidates went before a 24- hour arbitration board of the Federal Elections Commission. The arbitrators threw out the com- plaints of both candidates, but Taylor could not shake his image as a distorter. While Taylor con- tinued to fight distortion charges in the last week of the campaign, Carr focused on a positive cam- paign based on the success of his first two years. Both candidates spent hours campaigning on campus: shaking hands; lecturing and eating in dormitory cafeterias. When election day arrived, Carr Carried between 70 and 80 per cent of the vote in every student precinct. It appeared that Carr was at the beginning of a dynasty in Congress. Taylor, on the other hand, had thrown in the towel. Carr and Taylor face off a second time. Ira Strickstein Ira Strickslein

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Donald P. Bunka campaigning in Bessie Hall. Although londahl was a very pop- ular, liberal legislator, Bunka gave him a good fight. With President Ford defeated, the Republican , party in the county, state and nation is at its L ' lowest point. The party is going to have to attract new blood and make party reforms in order to survive. We have a new style of student on cam- pus and in the East Lansing area. Will a reformed Republican party attract their attention? Will politics be their bag? lames Vihtelic State Rep. H. Lynn jondahl at a Fisheries and Wildlife Open House. lohn Dykstra

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'1! , John Wirick Clifford W. Taylor appears excited at the prospect of eating dinner in a residence hall cafeteria. zM, Congressman Bob Carr shakes hands with a member of a local motorcycle gang at the Pigs-Freaks