European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 28, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday february 28, 1992 the stars and stripes Page 13 commentary Anthony Lewis primaries reflect voters deep fear confusion being the Leader of the free world is not Worth what it used to be in american politics. That is one Stark message from the Early primaries. During the decades of the cold War a and the primal american fear of communism a an incumbent could expect to take at least one great asset into a Campaign. He was the protector of . National Security. George Bush was the very Model of the National Security president. He had been the director of Central intelligence. In the White House he dealt on intimate terms with every important world figure. He won the persian Gulf War. But it availed him not in new Hampshire Maine and South Dakota. Pat Buchanan a political Novice almost equated the 41.9 percent that sen. Eugene Mccarthy won in new Hampshire in 1968 against president Johnson which led lbs to withdraw from the race. Bush a spin doctors hardly bothered to pretend that the result was anything but a humiliation for him. Incumbent presidents have had their troubles in new Hampshire before As 1968 shows. But Lyndon b. Johnson had on his head a foreign policy disaster Vietnam. Jimmy Carter bore the Burden of the Iran hostage crisis when he beat Edward Kennedy by Only 47 percent to 37 percent in 1980. President Bush was coming off a victorious and immensely popular War against Iraq. The threat of War used to be a major political concern. Lbs new York times surveys Over the years asked people to list a the most important problem facing this  in the mid-1980s, Many listed a War nuclear War a the figure rising to 20 percent in 1985. Last month 1 percent mentioned that As a concern. Exit polls in new Hampshire showed a similar disregard for foreign policy issues. One done for the four television networks asked voters to pick from a list of eight issues one or two that a mattered most in deciding How you  fewer than 10 percent of both republicans and democrats chose a foreign Trade or a the persian Gulf  a listed problem that could be considered either Domestic or foreign . Ability to compete economically a was picked by 19 percent of Republican voters 12 percent of democrats. Most important by far to voters in both parties was a the Economy and jobs a which was picked by 48 percent of republicans 59 percent of democrats. The Only other Issue to be mentioned by More than 25 percent of either party was a health care a checked by 36 percent of democrats. A was to fim Lom you rom 9 to tumm 6ur we 1 int Hunt to miser those figures reinforce something we already knew. The end of the cold War has coincided with another fundamental change the Rise of doubt among americans about their own society. It is not just personal distress about falling living standards. It is fear about the state of the country a economic and social institutions. Buchanan understands these feelings and campaigns extremely effectively on them. He paints Bush As someone who does not know or does not care about economic pain. He has even adjusted his antigovernment rhetoric to come out for increased government action in behalf for example of the unemployed. There was no sign that new Hampshire republicans who voted for Buchanan were attracted by such of his extreme views As the suggestion that jews were a major Factor in pushing for the persian Gulf War. Neither that nor other statements that have been called anti semitic became an Issue in new Hampshire. The larger question left by the primaries so far is whether we Are seeing the beginning of an american Retreat from the world a Retreat into protectionism for one thing. That possibility is a concern for our allies and friends Well expressed recently by the British columnist Peter Jenkins in the Independent. A America is on the blink a he wrote. A it is seen this Way by us because that is How too Many americans Sec it. At the moment of Victory in what was a historic glob a a in Ghisbe can self Confidence. The National mood is recessional Al contest the stuffing has been knocked out of Ameri in a sense that transcends the pain of the longest economic recession since the great  the world still needs american leadership Jenkins wrote. But before it can be reasserted America a first must change  c Tho now York times Tom Teepe Bush ignoring victims of cold War s demise the most remarkable thing about the plea sen. Sam Nunn is making to help military personnel and defense workers made obsolete by the end of the cold War is the fact that it is necessary for him to make it. The Bush administration has offered no plan to ease the transition either for individuals or communities. The policy seems to be a a that a the Way the cookie  yet the administration is proposing that the $280 billion defense budget be Cut $50 billion Over five years and Many democrats want to Cash the peace dividend in for double that. The dislocations will be enormous and the social implications have been Only lightly noticed even less attended to. Whole industries could be phased out. More military bases will be closed. Two million defense related jobs will be lost in the next four years. Indifferently trained workers in the private sector could find themselves bumped out of jobs by better n trained workers. Huge contributions to local economies Are at stake. A scattershot of examples Arizona $4.6 billion Georgia $6.2 billion Ohio $7.7 billion and Texas $15.9 billion. Some communities Are especially exposed a Mesa Arizona to the tune of $1.7 billion mainly because of Mcdonnell Douglas. A Dayton Ohio with Wright Patterson fab $1.6 billion. A the Groton conn., Region which would lose More than half its personal income if the submarine works closed. Nunn the Georgia Democrat who chairs the Senate aimed services committee proposes an Early retirement plan for Long Wermers in the services with appealing financial incentives. He suggests expanding the i Bill to give some service personnel in effect a sabbatical in which the military itself would train them for civilian jobs. The military could use any excess training ability to help civilian defense workers. The senator sees the defense retrenchment providing a major new source of personnel in three areas especially a Law enforcement health services and teaching. This would particularly apply for teaching math Ana science though some state certification Laws would need to be eased. As modest As Nunns plan is it is bucking administration indifference. Two years ago Congress knowing the howls it would hear from gored oxen enacted a program to Aid communities and individuals hit by the loss of defense related jobs. President Bush opposed the program and Only now Are the Commerce and labor departments beginning to use the funds. Nunns program still does no to address two major needs. It provides no help for defense industries to make the transition to new products a for instance manufacturing High Speed rail systems. And it offers no substitute for bringing promising Black and hispanic youths into the mainstream. For the last decade military service has been the major Federal program for that. Military personnel and defense workers Arentt vulnerable because they failed but because they won and As Nunn said in a Senate speech the nation owes them More than thanks for a Job Well done a we owe them an Opportunity to use the skills that helped win the cold War to address some of our pressing Public and private sector  so far however the White House is offering them Only thanks a and Fate. C Cox nows Safico