tuesday, march 25,1030
pago2
daily nebraskan
Democratic chairman favors balance of parties
By Randy Essex
For six years, Dick White has worked to
organize Nebraska Democratic Party in
a political atmosphere that he says weakens
parties.
In addition, he has been trying to organ
ize the party stereotyped as liberal in a
largely conservative state.
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Editor in chief: Rocky H.A. Strunk; News
editor: Mike Sweeney; Associate editor: Randy
Essex; Managing editor: Frank Hassler; Associate
news editor: Margaret Stafford; Magazine and
specials editor: Jiil Denning; Night news editor:
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editor: Kim Wilt; Sports editor: Shelley Smith;
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director: Rick Hemphill; Assistant night news
editor: Andre Everett; East campus bureau
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The Daily Nebraskan is published by the UNL
Publications Board Monday through Friday
during the fall and spring semesters, except
during vacations.
Address: Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska
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68510. f
White has been chairman of the Ne
braska Democratic Party for six years,
making him one of the top two or three
tenured state party chairmen in the na
tion. When he was elected to the position
in 1974, Nebraska had a Democratic go
vernor and five Republican representa
tives in Washington. Now, although the
governor is a Republican, both U.S. sen
ators from Nebraska are Democrats, and
one of the state's three members of the
House is a Democrat.
"Nebraska is not safe for either a
Democratic or Republican officeholder,"
White asserted in an interview three
months before he will leave his post.
The fact that neither party can guaran
tee a candidate's re-election is good for
the state because "it keeps them (elected
officials) oh their toes. The competition
provides the state with good service and
representation," White said.
Equal strength
'I wouldn't want either party to domi
nate," he added.
. Although the parties are fairly even
now, organization is a must in Nebraska,
because .the non-partisan Legislature
"weakens both parties," White said.
The absence of partisan races in the
49 legislative districts puts a burden on
the state's central committees because
they "are without that local support,"
he said.
White said that when he became chair
man of the party he wanted to avoid splits
among Democrats and to bring, the party
toward the middle, of the political
spectrum.
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The Nebraska Democratic Party
probably is somewhat more conservative
than the national party, White said.
"The party is best identified as
moderate. The bulk of Democrats in the
state are moderate to conservative people,
he said. ,
A high percentage of Nebraskans are
self-employed, or arc older than 65,
contributing to the state's conservative
nature, he said.
Conservatism rising
Nationwide, White sees a resurgence of
conservatism. "Since the 1930s, the liberals
have been the driving force in politics,
White said. "They were the ones pushing
ideas. But somewhere during Vietnam,
the liberal drive waned."
That, combined with . Hubert
Humprehy's death has brought about a
lack of movement in politics, he said.
"Politics seem to be drifting now,
ideologically." White said that has brought
the renewed interest in conservative can
didates, who provide "simple answers"
to problems.
Republicans, stereotyped as conserva
tives, ruled Nebraska politics when White
entered politics. A native of Nebraska's
notoriously conservative 3rd District,
White was elected to the 1968 Democratic
National Convention as a delegate for
Robert Kennedy.
At the time, the only Democrat hold
ing a state office was a Public Service
Commissioner. Not one to jump on the
popular bandwagon, White started work
ing as a lobbyist for the Democratic
Party in the Legislature.
His salary was $250 a month.
Voice needed
"We thought with no elected (Demo
cratic) officials, it was important to have
a voice for Democrats so people wouldn't
Jfeel their opinions were wasted," White
vsaid.
The Democrats became an "aggressive
opposition party," White said, opposing
then-Gov. Norbert Tiemann whenever
they got the chance.
Tiemann's defeat in 1970 by J.J. Exon
"was highly important in developing the
party," White said.
Another factor leading to the
Democrats' present stronger position in the
state was a stability of leadership, White
said. Hess Dyas was t the top of the
party structure for several years before
White started.
White said the average tenure for state
party chairmen is about 18 months.
After the party was built to the point
that it elected three of the state's five
representative's to Washington, 2nd
District Rep. John Cavanaugh's announce
ment in January that he would not seek
re-election was perceived by some as a
major setback to the Democratic Party.
Cavanaugh decision OK
White said the decision "is not as serious
as it looked."
"1 think there is a good chance we can
elect a Democrat from the 2nd District,"
White said, noting that party members
have no hostility toward Cavanaugh,
and have accepted his reasons for not
running again. "
Cavanaugh cited lack of time for his
laniuy ui amiuuuiig nis resignation.
Daily Nebraskan Photo
Dick White, State Democratic Party
Chairman.
White, whose duties as state chairman
end in June, does not know yet what he
will do next, he said. Leaving the post
during an election year is unavoidable,
because the Democrats select a new
chairman every two years. He said he
has wanted to leave the post or some time,
but was asked by Exon to stay for Exon's
1978 Senate campaign.
Among his concerns for Nebraska
politics after he leaves his post is the time
of Nebraska's presidential primary.
Both White and Dave Heineman, execu
tive director of the Nebraska Republican
Party, support the idea of a Nebraska-Iowa
caucus to replace Nebraska's current pri
mary. Iowa's caucus is the first test of pre
sidential candidates in the nation, and has
gained considerable attention from candi
dates and the media since President
Carter's success there in 1976.
Change needed
"If Nebraska wants to assume a place
of importance in selection of presidential
candidates, there needs to be a change,"
White said.
Nebraska's primary used to be one of
the earliest in the country, and was the
first test for candidates in a farming area.
But the number of states with primaries
has jumped from 15 in the late '60s to 37
this year.
The proliferationof primaries has led to
less exposure of candidates in Nebraska,
White said. Noting that candidates have to
land in Omaha to campaign in Western
Iowa, and that most of Nebraska's popula
tion lives within 50 miles of Iowa, White
said "it would be no big trick" for candi
dates to campaign in both states at once.
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