Nation: More of Less

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Jerry Brown: Minimalist

It had all the trademarks of an insurgent campaign: packed auditoriums at colleges and universities and sober talk about difficult issues. Calling for "a new order," California Governor Jerry Brown last week set forth on his most serious pre-campaign trip to date. For eleven days, through Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, he zeroed in on college campuses and local television stations. Brown was clearly out for grass-roots support. "I don't expect to have the endorsement of Governors, Senators and mayors," he admitted.

Dressed in somber gray suits and minus 25 Ibs. (thanks to a low-fat diet), he stressed pet schemes: overhaul the fiscal and monetary system, rebuild the cities, renew the space program, balance the federal budget, protect the environment, phase out nuclear energy. Says Brown: "The Democratic Party is headed for defeat in November unless it comes up with the answers for the decline in our economy, the decline of our technology."

"Our minimum goal is to have enough delegates to play a role in drafting the Democratic platform," says Campaign Manager Thomas Quinn. A minimum role may be all Brown can play. Since August, he has been able to raise only $250, 000. Brown forces had hoped that Kennedy would stay out of the race long enough for their man to get some "fence-sitting" money. Strapped for funds, Brown has had to delay formally declaring his candidacy. Otherwise he will lose local television exposure; as long as he is a noncandidate, stations can interview him without being forced to supply equal time to declared candidates.

Still, the Brown organization is optimistic. His strategists hope he will place second to Kennedy in the New Hampshire and Massachusetts primaries, and score well in the Minnesota precinct caucus and the Illinois primary. Says Quinn: "If Carter comes in third in Illinois, he's finished." If Kennedy is regarded as too big a spender and Carter as incompetent, guess who will be "a new possibility." If not, as Brown said: "Maybe it will take more than one year. Maybe it will take four years. I'm only 41, and I've got a lot of time." So much time, that in the year 2000 Jerry Brown will still be six years younger than the current Republican front runner is now.