MPR News Feature; Presidential candidate, Jimmy Carter, discusses agriculture and president Ford's effectiveness

That's very reassuring to me knowing the sector but record in agriculture. I hope that his political prognostications are equally as accurate as his guesses have been in agriculture I think he's been almost uniformly wrong in the decisions he's made as commission of a sector of Agriculture and. And I think he's wrong in this instance I think that at this moment our present vote is increasing in his public acceptance of popularity. I think this is public approval is now up around 50 percent and it's increasing. The reason for it is that President Ford is being compared with Congress and Congress has always been abominably low in public approval ratings even at the bottom of President Nixon's popularity in the midst of Watergate while Congress still rated lower than Nixon did. So it's not a good indication of ultimate election potential to have forward look better

than the predominate Democratic Congress. I might hasten to add that individual members of Congress within their own district show up to be quite popular President Ford has been a completely inept. President is the only comprehensible proposal he's made in any major area of American life has been in energy and the plan was obviously prepared for him by the oil companies. He's a very effective spokesman for the oil companies he's done exactly what they won't. And with that one exception there has been nothing forthcoming from the White House that would terminate or alleviate the problems that face this country in the absence of leadership from the White House of course the Congress has tried to deal with crucial pressure problems like oh housing unemployment agriculture energy environment in every instance Ford has vetoed the bills that Congress put forward some of them with obvious major minor imperfections. And then Ford has all enjoyed the

appearance of being victorious when the Congress could not override his veto. This is a temporary victory I think in the long when the people realize that there was no victory that the nation loses when there is no leadership from the White House. And when there's no cooperation between the White House and the Congress.