Photo by Mark Pynes
Former Pres. Gerald Ford came to Eugene last week to snipe at Democrats and support University
economics professor Ross Anthony in his bid for the Fourth District congressional seat
Ford reinforces Anthony effort
By Cort Fernald
O* th» Emerald
The summer’s political cease-fire ended
abruptly last week when the Republicans brought
one of their biggest guns, former Pres Gerald
Ford, to Eugene.
Ford came to rally political and financial
support for Republican congressional candidate
Ross Anthony Anthony has drawn a tough battle
in the Fourth District against four-term Democrat
Jim Weaver
Nearly 300 faithful GOP troops turned out in
their parade best at the Eugene Hilton, paying as
much as $50 for a scanty lunch of seafood salad.
State officials, including Treasurer Clay Myers,
Attorney General Dave Frohnmayer, Eugene Rep.
Larry Campbell and other GOP brass turned out
to help raise $12,000 to $14,000 for Anthony’s
campaign while listening to the candidate and
their former commander-in-chief Ford.
Much emphasis was put on the fact Anthony
teaches economics at the University, and the
troops responded with dutiful laughter when it
was said ’’economics is a field his opponent
chooses to ignore."
The applause was courteous — no more, no
less Anthony took the applause and praise shyly.
He appeared tentative as he rose from the
dais and took the podium after being introduced
as the candidate who would take to congress a
new note of confidence and dignity.
Anthony’s remarks were brief. He only sniped
at the Democrats, leaving the broadsides for the
former commander-in-chief.
"On the farms, on the docks and in the mills, I
have watched this campaign rocket forward,"
Anthony said.
"Let them (the voters) have a real choice,”
Anthony concluded to the party faithful.
The audience rose en masse to give Ford an
ovation. He politely motioned for them to be
seated and smoothly launched into his speech.
It was a speech so at ease it couldn’t fail. He
started off in a jocular mode, ticking off in 4/4 time
Bob Hope one-liners about his own notorious golf
game. Hope calls Ford "a hit man for the PGA,"
and says Ford plays so badly he "lost 2 balls in the
bail washer." The GOP troops spooned this up as
eagerly as they had the strawberry dessert.
"This is the first day I will be actively cam
paigning for 20 or 30 Republicans who can defeat
incumbent Democrats,” he said, adding that he
would be returning to Oregon to campaign for
Gov. Vic Atiyeh.
Ford set about fortifying his position before
opening up on the Democrats.
"We (the country) are on the right track to a
healthy economy and maintenance of peace in
the world," he said, referring to Pres. Ronald
Reagan's administration. But, he added, the
Democrats control the legislative process.
Reagan needs more Republicans in the House
and Senate to provide additional support for his
policies of peace and prosperity at home, Ford
said.
Ford admitted he never met Anthony before
that day. However, he said he was impressed with
Anthony's "outstanding academic, educational
background" and his "training as an economist.”
“With all your assets, including your wife
Kathy,” Ford said, "you're going to win."
And then the salvos against the Democrats
commenced.
Ford called Weaver ineffective, saying the
Fourth District deserved better representation. To
underscore this, Ford charged the Democrats left
a "mess" — a "serious economic crisis" for
Reagan when he took "the reins of government.”
Ford traced responsibility for the rise in unem
ployment, inflation and the prime interest rate to
Pres. Carter.
The Carter administration and the
Democrat-dominated Congress “blew it,” Ford
said.
Ending on a note of partisan optimism, Ford
said that candidates like Anthony and other
Republicans would turn it around if GOP troops
“march shoulder to shoulder.”
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