Reagan Visits Mrs. Warschaw, Wins Warm Praise for Views
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| Source: "Ronald and Nancy Reagan celebrate Reagan's gubernatorial victory at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles." |
October 20, 1966
Dear Bill:
After our little discussion the other ever in which your Rosalind, the fair, allowed as how she would vote for Ronald Reagan, and you had to put up that "gotta convince me" hard-boiled and cynical Washington-hand manner about how Ronald Reagan was a moderate after all, I thought you would find this Reagan-Warschaw confrontation interesting and an asset to your reference files...
Take a new point of view, lad, and I'll look forward to another evening sometime soon.
Best to you both,
Col. Barney Oldfield, USAF (Ret.)
Los Angeles Times
October 19, 1966
Reagan Visits Mrs. Warschaw, Wins Warm Praise for Views
Former Democratic Leader's Glowing Words Stop Just Short of an Endorsement After 45-Minute Discussion
By Richard BergholzTimes Political Writer
Republican Ronald Reagan called on former Democratic leader Mrs. Carmen Warschaw Tuesday and won glowing words that stopped just short of an endorsement.
Mrs. Warschaw, former Democratic State Chairman for Southern California, has been sharply critical of Democratic Gov. Brown in recent months.
Reagan made an unpublicized call on her at her home in the Los Feliz area, spent 45 minutes with her and was obviously pleased with what he heard.
For her part, Mrs. Warschaw said, "I'm not going to endorse anyone for governor at this time."
As she spoke she emphasized the words, "at this time."
She then explained that she had told Brown when he called her last Friday that she would think about any endorsement decision and she indicated that she would postpone any endorsement at this time "because I gave him my word."
Then she launched into a description of the Republican candidate for governor, terming him "forthright, vigorous, carrying a fresh new approach to governmental problems."
Two Political Disappointments
She said, "I was really rather favorably impressed with Mr. Reagan. I found him to be a man of rather moderate reviews instead of the conservative views about which I have been led to believe.
"He has more knowledge, more concern, than I had been led to believe. He's a listener, not a talker."
Mrs. Warschaw broke with the governor after two political disappointments. First, she wanted to be Democratic national committeewoman, and Brown chose instead Mrs. Ann Alanson of San Francisco.
Second, she campaigned vigorously for election as Democratic state chairman. Brown announced he would support her, but when she lost by a razor-thin margin, she accused Brown of failure to work aggressively on her behalf.
A former member of the State Fair Employment Practices Commission, Mrs. Warschaw quoted Reagan as saying he believed in the act creating the commission and that he felt not enough has been done to eliminate unfair employment practices.
Mrs. Warschaw said she favored the 1963 Rumford Act—California's open housing law—and Reagan disagreed.
Both reported after their conversation that they "disagreed agreeably."
"We found ourselves able to get along," Reagan said.
Explains Purpose of Visit.
In answer to questions, the Republican candidate said he did not come to Mrs. Warschaw's home to solicit her support. He said he considered that would be "impolite of a guest in her house."
"What I came for," he added, "was to have a visit with her and let her know where I stood on campaign issues."
Mrs. Warschaw said "some people who are supporting Reagan asked if I wanted to meet him, and I said 'yes.'"
The meeting was arranged by Philip Battaglia, Reagan's state campaign chairman.
Immediately after the private meeting, Reagan drove to Lynwood to address a joint service club luncheon. Later he addressed a meeting of educators supporting him at Pepperdine College.
In his first appearance for Reagan in a partisan setting, Dr. Max Rafferty, state superintendent of public instruction, gave the Republican candidate an emotional and glowing introduction.
"Teachers have resisted involvement in politics for too long," Rafferty said, "and the time has come for us to bestir ourselves—for sheer survival if nothing else."
He said Reagan's election would bring "a whole new order for education in California" and claimed that under Brown's administration, education has suffered from "drift and delay and pretty promises."
Rafferty said Reagan is a "phenomenon in politics—a living reminder that American [sic] is free to all" and said he is convinced that Reagan will listen to qualified educators when he becomes governor.
Repeats UC Stand
Reagan then picked up Rafferty's attack on educational problems in California and repeated the charge that the University of California is an issue in the gubernatorial campaign.
He called for greater local autonomy in elementary and secondary schools, including "more latitude in curriculum and textbooks."
The GOP candidate denied Brown's charge that he favors imposition of tuition in higher education. He said a proposal for tuition should be studied but that if imposed, tuition should be accompanied by "enough scholarships" to meet the needs of deserving students, a plan for deferred payment of tuition and pressure on Congress to grant parents a tax credit for college costs.
Reagan also denied having called federal aid to education "A tool of tyranny" but added that if legislation takes control of education too far from the people, it can lead to tyranny.
He also explained when he said it is a "paradox" to seek individual freedom and compulsory education at the same time, he meant that "it's a paradox we gladly put up with."
