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For all the emphasis on unity, however, some rancorous quarrels erupted during the preconvention maneuvering last week, and they could lead to trouble in the fall campaign. A certain militant element of the G.O.P. right wing still seems determined to assert its strength even if it hurts the party and the party's new leader. It was an indication that for some true believers, ideology is still more important than winning an election. Their special target was the Equal Rights Amendment. Reagan aides had already watered down the party's traditional support of ERA, which runs through most conventions back to 1940.* But that was not good enough for the right-wingers. By an overwhelming 90 to 9, they pushed through a platform plank saying that the matter should be left in the hands of the states.
ERA supporters were infuriated. Said Michigan Governor William Milliken: "This would be very, very costly in political terms." In an emotional speech, Mary Crisp, who was being ousted as co-chairman of the Republican National Committee because of her praise of John Anderson, accused the party of suffering from an "internal sickness" and warned that it might lose the election. Remarked an irritated Reagan: "Mary Crisp should look to herself and see how loyal she has been to the Republican Party." He added: "I don't think this ERA is a live-or-die issue."
Equally controversial was the issue of abortion. Again rejecting the compromise wording, the right-wingers rammed through an endorsement of a constitutional ban on abortion. Many moderates were distressed by the changes. Bob Hughes, G.O.P. chairman in Cleveland, even saw omens of the Barry Goldwater debacle: "Shades of 1964—we're going to do it again."
Leading the right-wing assault was the imperturbable Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina, who reveled in the admiration of a coterie of delegates as he railed against the Panama Canal Treaties and the recognition of mainland China. But by now the Reagan forces were alarmed at the attacks on the platform by what some of them called the "grass eaters and know nothings." Congressman Jack Kemp and Richard Allen, Reagan's top foreign policy adviser, managed to prevent any alteration of the party planks on Panama and China. Allen emphasized that Reagan, while deploring the brusque way Carter severed U.S. relations with Taiwan, had no intention of restoring them. "There will be no turning the clock back," said Allen. "Reagan recognizes the importance of our present relationship with the People's Republic."
The Reagan forces also overruled right-wing objections to Henry Kissinger's participation in the convention. Because of all the protests, the former Secretary of State decided not to appear before the platform committee, but William Casey, Reagan's campaign manager, insisted that Kissinger be allowed to address the convention. "He's earned the right to speak," said Casey. "He's been a good soldier for the party." Much to right-wing dismay, Reagan scheduled a session with Kissinger this week.