The Nation: People Don't Know Who I Am'

In Manhattan last week. Jimmy Carter met with TIME editors for 70 minutes. Excerpts:

Q.How does the coming campaign look to you?

A. I guess President Ford is the most likely Republican nominee, though he is certainly no sure thing. I would guess that with the possible exception of Michigan, I would be ahead now in all the states. Between now and Labor Day, the margin will narrow, but that's to be expected. I think that I will win in November, but only if I don't become overconfident. If I should get arrogant, or start to depend on powerful political intermediaries, that could cost me the election.

Q. Where do you consider yourself most vulnerable?

A. My major vulnerability is that people still don't know who I am or what I stand for on specific issues. Although I was in all [but one] of the primaries, I mostly restricted my efforts to just a few states. I still have never campaigned extensively in California, Massachusetts or New York. We organized only three states in depth—Iowa, Florida and New Hampshire—and did a lesser, but effective, job in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The major issue used by my primary opponents, particularly Congressman Morris Udall, was that I was fuzzy on the issues. This constant campaign statement had an impact in some of the states, though not the majority. But we have a fairly good public opinion poll and this has paid rich dividends—not in shaping stands on issues, because those can't be modified—but in the orientation of our resources: where I spend my time, where we spend our money, where I could send my wife or one of my children.

Q.What will be the overriding issue?

A. Trust of people in Government is the No. 1 issue. It transcends unemployment and inflation.

Q. How much are your religious views going to be a problem?

A. They are much less of a problem now than they were two or three months ago. The poll results show a strong trend toward acceptance of my religious views. There is a general realization that they are personal and that the Baptist Church, perhaps more strongly than any other denomination, believes in complete separation of church and state.

Q.Are you willing to engage in debates with your opponent?

A. I have no aversion to them at all. President Ford has announced that he would not participate in any debates, so I don't know if it would be feasible to work them out.

Q. How do you reply to the Republicans' charges that are already being made that yours would be a big-spending Administration?

A. I would have a tough management attitude with the Government itself. There are very few programs to which I'm committed that would have a major increase in costs. The only major program that could be possibly expensive is a comprehensive health program, but I've been very conservative about this. I would phase it hi very cautiously and without much increase in what we are spending overall now. Historically there's been a high correlation between Democratic Administrations and balanced budgets and between Republican Administrations and gross deficits. I would retain that commitment.

Q.Do you think that at the end of your first term, federal spending in real dollars will be lower?