European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 11, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes monday May 11,1987 Tom Wicker downfall of Hart throws Campaign wide open it was never Clear that Gary Hart would be elected president or even that he would be the democratic Nomi Nee in 1988. His downfall and political demise h a sad spectacle nonetheless and one that must leave Many Ameri cans uneasy and disheartened politically even Many who did not support Hart might have realized that he was the Best prepared and hardest work ing of the candidates not perhaps in Campaign new rations but in terms of the serious issues with which presidential elections should Deal in part because of his near successful 1984 Campaign in part because of his own Devotion to new ideas 1 about a new Era of Ameri can life no other candidate in either party has As yet shown Hart s scope depth and intellectual vigor. Obviously his departure from the race opens the Way to other candidates those already running As Welt As those who might now Sec More Opportunity or a greater responsibility. The Hope that sen. Sam Nunn of Georgia ultimately will enter the Campaign seems enhanced. So is he Slimmer possibility of a late Lartin Campaign by the most talked about non candidate. Sen. Bill Bradley of new Jersey. As for gov. Mario Cuomo of new York when he declared himself out he could be reasonably confident As could the Public that the democrats had an experienced and Able alternative. Now hat is much less Clear and Cuomo migh think he has Good cause to recon Sider his position in the Light of the changed circumstances. But if other candidates now see More Opportunity they May actually face More Competition with no candidate dominating the race. If so the likelihood of a contested democratic convention May increase though in the age of primaries that is still a Remote Prospect. All Hose considerations Are speculative and subject to events. But it seems altogether Clear that presidential campaigning already in so Many ways de meaning to those who go through it his been further  questions of Public policy have been further subordinated to personal mailers. Imagery of the family Man of the Man of values it Veterano matter How false has been confirmed again As the main mat Ter. And once again a press that lays claim to a Public service ethic has shown itself at least As attentive to sensation and scandal. Not a heavyweight in the that is not just a criticism of the Miami Herald Lor the deplorable slake of tactics that if used by police agencies on political candidates would of denounced by the Herald and most other press organs. Just As unsettling was the sight or the Sharks once the Waler was hummed and bloodied closing in for the kill. Early polls showed the Public As dubious about the press in this Case As the voters were supposed to be about Hart. So editors and reporters May Yel have cause to wonder where this kind or Zeal might Lead. Who will be staked out next for what a in Lac service Pur pose but in the swamp of pop psychiatry already filling news columns and air time the conventional Wisdom seems to be that Hart self destructed per haps subconsciously doing so on Pur pose. His purported adventures with other women it s being endlessly said showed irredeemably bad judgment in a presidential candidate proved Hart a risk taker who could not be trailed with presidential Powers in a crisis and demonstrated a fatally flawed character unworthy of the White House. That s All very glib and some of it May even be True. Hart himself con cased to bad judgment in whatever happened with Donna Rice. At Root however what destroyed Hart was not so much hit judgment questionable As it was Bat the judgments of others on what they Toofic to be his behaviour. Every american had a right to make such a judgment that a Womanizer ought to be punished at least could not be supported for president. But much of the talk about his judgment and charac Ter seems to me designed to put a Good face on the intolerance of Many who ignored the biblical injunction to judge not. That be be not  for mucin of his troubles of the past Tew Days. Hart has Only himself to blame. For the fact that those troubles destroyed his presidential candidacy overnight in 1 merciless Rush to judgment an eager press and an avid Public Mutt ask them selves if hey too might not now have much to regret now two town Vns a William Buckley excesses of press just reflect Public appetites is it any wonder Gary Hart asked the people of the United states that so few Fine people Are willing to run for High office and he gave As an example of what he had run into two Days earlier. In a Campaign appearance in new Hampshire he had answered questions of every kind Pul to him about South Africa about aids about unemployment about crime and not one of them made the evening  the evening news he did not need to remind his audience was devoted to evidence that Hart was engaged in conduct unbecoming a married Man conduct 36 Perc no of the american people the figures Given by a poll published on Friday morning would hold disqualifying to a presidential candidate. One is Temple 10 agree with Hart about he excesses of the press. But these excesses Are a Refl Ocion of Public appetites Ani we need to concentrate very closely on the Point Hart was trying to make but did not succeed in making. He implied thai the kind of scrutiny Given by the press to the habits of a presiden tial candidate is inconsistent with the demands of dig nity. He made this Point very convincingly though it suffered from being entirely self serving. It is unquestionably True that the interest of the press in Aberra tonal glitches in a Man s history tends to be exorbitant. Bui it is also True that the appetite to do something about this is highly selective. Gerald inc Ferraro was on lbs to express her Indig nation Over the treat men of Hart but in was she who arrived in san Francisco three years ago to receive the vice presidential nomination and began the Campaign by denouncing Ronall Reagan As a bad Christian because his social policies and hers Are different 11 in t absolutely Clear from the new testament what god s views Are on the minimum wage but it is very Clear what his views Are on adultery and if Ferraro thinks it germane to denounce an incumbent president As a bad Christian to the press presumably the press can find it germane to document that a presidential candidate is a bad Christian if engaging in adulterous activity. And Hart himself does not flinch from personal an Ima versions. He told the delegates in san Francisco that Reagan and his gang of greedy polluters can no longer piously sing America the Beautiful " there Are voters who believe that a Man who seeks simultaneously to enlarge his constituency and also his harem can no longer be trusted piously to Lake yet another vow it is a humiliating coincidence that As Hart a cries the press that shows illegitimate interest in his illegitimate activities the House and the Senate in Rquan a joint committee Are showing an interest in Richard Secord that would seem logo beyond the legitimate interests of an investigating committee. One question or wanted to know whether retired maj. Gen. Secord was interested in  a very difficult question to answer especially in a society hat encourages an Appe Tite for profit on the grounds hat such appetites make the wheels turn the factories spin and the teachers Excog Tate. Secord managed to look As stricken As he unquestionably was. He is not he told the committee a philanthropist. Yes he was paid during the time he did his work with it. Col. Oliver North. No he did not participate in any profit from the transactions with Iran. Have you Ever read the Constitution of the United states he was asked by sen. David Boren the civic equivalent of asking Hart whether he had Ever committed adultery. I be known Boren since he was a soph Omore at College and i like him a lot. But if i had been Secord i d have been tempted to answer exactly As Hart answered the question about adultery i m not going to answer thai question  he d have meant by that just what Hart meant in answering the reporter your question is  it was a shattering political week High drama from which much is to be Learned. Give Hart the Point about the prurient interest of the press and the pros a tutorial heat of american politics. Bui cede also to the american people the Raff Malion of the presumptive Case for loyalty to the marriage vow. The Ameri can people demonstrated not that they would t Vole for an adulterer for Prusick no bul that they would not vote for someone who flaunted his adultery