Rightists ride triumphant, but the nominee must widen his appeal to win Imagine this colloquy among Republican leaders as they gather around the celestial TV set to watch their party's convention. Theodore Roosevelt: It's a bully sight! Calvin Coolidge: Too expensive. Mark Hanna: Not much excitement. I can't see a single smoke-filled room. Henry Cabot Lodge: I'm worried about the westward tilt of the party. The East always supplied the intellectual leadership. T.R.: If I had not gone West . . . Coolidge: What's all this talk about winning the blue-collar vote? America's business is business. Abraham Lincoln: Don't forget that the workingman's vote helped to elect the first Republican President. When we were trying to preserve the nation, the Republicans became known as the Union Party. The name is gone, but the meaning should still prevail.
Ronald Reagan is an old hand at theatricals, but nothing in his long career can compare with the four-day extravaganza scheduled for Detroit's Joe Louis Arena this week. After many years of tryouts, he is the Republican Party's superstar. His folksy conservatism, with its tinge of Western populism, not only swept the Republican primaries but appears to be attracting other parts of the electorate as well. Scenting that victory might indeed be theirs, the Republicans are closing ranks behind their new standardbearer. Though some are still wary of his politics, others envision Reagan's launching a new Republican era in America.
To try to lure as many viewers as possible for 18 hours of TV time, the convention is overflowing with show business celebrities who will rival the politicians on the rostrum—a far cry from oldtime conventions where delegates lustily bargained, brawled and demonstrated to choose a nominee. This time there will be Pat Boone to pledge allegiance to the flag, Glen Campbell and Tanya Tucker to sing the national anthem. Other contributions will be offered by Jimmy Stewart, Vikki Carr, Dorothy Hamill, Ginger Rogers, Donny and Marie Osmond. And the national anthem once again by Princess Pale Moon. But through all the pageantry, Reagan will set the tone by word, gesture and command. It is his show, and he calls the shots.
The biggest of all, of course, is his selection of a running mate. His choice will indicate where he intends to lead the party that has now put him in charge. Picking a relative moderate like George Bush with close ties to the Eastern Establishment would give a clear signal that he wants to broaden the G.O.P. base as much as possible. A compromise selection like Indiana Senator Richard Lugar would indicate a certain caution. Choosing an old friend like Nevada Senator Paul Laxalt would show that he plans to run a far more narrowly based campaign—with all the risks that implies in November.