South Bend, October 11, 1980
[After the resignation of Cyrus Vance, Senator Edmund Muskie followed him as Secretary of State.]
Edmund Muskie in Notre Dame
This morning, U.S. Secretary of State Edmund Muskie spoke on the Notre Dame Campus. It was a casual gathering of students and parents in Washington Hall, the old theatre building of the University. Muskie emphasized the need for a “balance of power” between the United States and the Soviet Union and indicated that, following the presidential election, endeavors for signing the SALT II agreement would be resumed. Muskie expressed confidence that the security of the United States and its allies was beyond question. But in the future, he said, the United States would not interfere in internal conflicts of other countries. That was an indication that the United States would not interfere in the present war between Iran and Iraq. Muskie, who above all has become known as a senator, has, in surprisingly short time, familiarized himself with the office and duties of Secretary of State. As a person and politician, who can look back on many years of experience in the Senate, he makes a trustworthy impression.
[Transl: For biographical reference on Edmund Muskie, see entry above of August 29, 1968.]
October 18, 1980
Can Carter Win?
Two weeks before the presidential election, Carter is definitely catching up on the lead Reagan has been holding in the polls. It is conceivable that his incumbency will have an effect in the last stretch of the campaign and that Carter will be elected to a second term. However, the unresolved question of the 52 American hostages in Tehran is a heavy burden on his presidency.
South Bend, October 28, 1980
The Debate
The debate between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, which was televised this evening from Cleveland, Ohio, had been expected with great interest. The debate was fair and on a high level. While Carter laid out the policy goals of the Democrats, Reagan held firmly on to his conservative agenda, but he countered Carter’s attacks with relaxing ease. About 120 million people followed the debate on television. The personality of each of the two candidates has come out in clearer profile by this confrontation.
[Reagan’s relaxing reply to Carter’s attack – “there you go again” - still rings in my ears after 20 years.]