Word: durkin
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Grand-Maison managed the victorious campaign of Sen. John Durkin (D-N.H.) last year and also Gov. Michael S. Dukakis's successful 1974 campaign...
...Durkin had other problems. Republicans hold a large voter-registration advantage (39% to 28%, with 33% registered as independent). The state Republican power structure, led by archconservative Governor Meldrim Thompson and right-wing Publisher William Loeb, went all-out to defeat the Democratic upstart. Loeb's Manchester Union Leader frequently assailed Durkin as a carpetbagger* from Massachusetts (he moved to New Hampshire eight years ago). Durkin was also tagged as a tool of labor unions and an advocate of big spending and big Government. Loeb even printed unsigned crackpot hate letters-purportedly from Durkin supporters-attacking Wyman...
...Durkin racked up 54% of the unexpectedly large vote, against 43% for Wyman and an insignificant 3% for an American Independent Party candidate. Organizationally, Durkin did so with an efficient, labor-supported, get-out-the-vote drive. On the issues, he tied Wyman to past and current Republican Party policies in Washington, a strategy that was actually aided by President Ford's campaign swing in New Hampshire on behalf of Wyman. Durkin hammered away at the high cost of heating oil, gasoline and electricity, and forecast more increases under Ford's policy of decontrolling domestic oil. That tack...
...Durkin also decried the high rate of unemployment (7.7%) in a state with a relatively small labor force and blamed it on Washington. Taking advantage of his reputation as a fighter for consumers, he attacked inflation in general and the recent recession. He criticized Republican farm policies, terming Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz "Nixon's revenge" on the nation for being forced out of office...
Restive State. If there is any message in Durkin's victory for the hopefuls who will enter the nation's first presidential primary election five months from now in New Hampshire, it is that the state is restive and unpredictable. Last week, at least, it was in no mood for politics as usual. The result: New Hampshire for the first time in 121 years has two Democratic Senators. That was melancholy news for the G.O.P. But Gerald Ford did not seem discouraged. Continuing his extraordinary early political travels, he took off at week...