Politicians Analyze Results

Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton stands to gain the most from yesterday's primary results, former Independent presidential candidate John Anderson and four Institute of Politics (IOP) fellows said last night.

In an informal discussion held before an audience of more than 50, Anderson, who won limited support in his 1980 campaign, said Clinton might be able to capitalize on his strong showing in the South with victories in next week's Illinois and Michigan primaries.

"Clinton is likely to build momentum," said Anderson, who served five terms as a U.S. representative from Illinois.

But IOP Fellow Betsey Wright, former chief of staff for the Clinton administration in Arkansas, said she thought the media would underplay her former boss' big victories.

"I don't think the media will give the proper emphasis to these percentages," Wright said.

She agreed that next week's contests in the Great Lakes region would be telling--and not as easy a ride for Clinton as the South.

"Michigan and Illinois are going to be the next big battleground," she said. "They're going to be close."

IOP Fellow William Hudnut III, former mayor of Indianapolis, said he former Massachusetts Sen. Paul E. Tsongas is the best hope for the Democratic party.

"My gut feeling is that Paul Tsongas would be tougher for George Bush to defeat than Bill Clinton," said Hudnut, a Republican.

And Thomas D'Amore, a longtime Connecticut political insider, said Tsongas's successes so far may signal a change in voter attitudes.

"If I were to describe someone a year ago who should not be a candidate for national office, it would have been Paul Tsongas," he said.

IOP fellow Buddy Roemer '64, former governor of Louisiana, also said Clinton could use the Super Tuesday vote to his advantage. But Roemer said what interested him most about yesterday's results was the small but steady support for former California Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr.

"The candidate who really interests me is Jerry Brown," said Roemer. "I'm impressed that people from New Hampshire to Florida are saying [to Brown], `you're right.'"

Anderson said that Brown, who promises to reform campaign funding and overhaul the tax system, could be a vehicle for change.

"The message that Brown is delivering...could be an important fulcrum for moving the forces of reform," Anderson said.

Discussing the Republican race, the fellows urged the GOP to disavow the candidacy of President Bush's conservative challenger Patrick J. Buchanan, who some consider racist.

"Patrick Buchanan is slightly better than [David] Duke, but only slightly," said Roemer, who lost to Duke in a gubernatorial race last year.

"I think [the Buchanan vote] is a protest vote, but I hate it," he said.