1976

48A-1067173

48B-1067176

A wide variety of issues crowded the campaign of 1976, from sex and racial scandals to the economy. In this cartoon we see "The Great Issues of 1976" caricatured (48A-1067173). The recent sex scandals in Washington, here in the form of Elizabeth Ray, came again to the surface after an interview with Jimmy Carter appeared in Playboy (48B-1067176). The Watergate scandals were revived as well and brought to bear against Republican candidate President Gerald Ford (48C-1067177). A racist joke made by Earl Butz, Ford's Secretary of Agriculture, constituted another "issue" in this vein (48D-1067178).

The economy was another issue; Carter was attacked for his ambiguous stand on taxes, and the Daily World accused both candidates of being the tools of big business (48E-1067179, 48F-1067180). 

48C-1067177

The women's movement pushed the abortion issue to the fore. Here Ford is attacked for his ambiguous stand, although he finally came to support the Republican platform calling for an amendment to abolish abortion (48G-1067181). 

The 1976 campaign also saw the revival of the television debate. The presidential debates, however, were fairly cut and dried, with much recitation of memorized figures (48H-1067182, 48I-1067183). A remark during these debates by Ford to the effect that Eastern Europe was not Soviet dominated did cause quite a stir (48J-1067184). Most of the public looked to the vice-presidential debate for the real excitement in the campaign (48K-1067185). 

A great percentage of the American voters went to the polls undecided in 1976. But Carter received the slight margin he needed to win.