- Title
- Newspaper Clippings
-
-
- Document Title
- Newspaper Clippings regarding Wilder and the presidential race
-
-
- Date
- 1991
-
-
- Creator
- ["Scott Shepard","John F. Harris","Bill Nichols","Paul Bradley","Dan Balz","Jill Lawrence","Bill Geroux","Robert G. Holland","Tyler Whitley","Michael Hardy","Susan Winiecki","Warren Fiske","Margaret Edds","Jackie Calmes","Dan Balz and Frank Swoboda","Mark Johnson","Rob Eure","Donald P. Baker","Jeff E. Schapiro"]
-
- Source
- L. Douglas Wilder Collection, L. Douglas Wilder Library, Virginia Union University, Richmond, VA
-
-
Newspaper Clippings
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Saturday, September 14, 1991
A3.
Wilder jumps into presidential race
DARING THE ODD'S: Virginia
Gov. L Douglas Wilder
„admitted that his chances
are slim but said he can’t
“stand on the sidelines,”
By Scott Shepard
Journal-Constitution Washington Bureau
RICHMOND — Gov. L. Doug¬
las Wilder, a grandson of slaves
who is the nation’s first elected
black governor, acknowledged
Friday that he is “the longest of
long shots” to become the 1992
Democratic presidential nominee.
But looking out over the city
that served as the seat of govern¬
ment for the pro-slavery Confed¬
eracy, Mr. Wilder said, “I cannot
stand on the sidelines while the
country I love stumbles further
backwards.”
And so he embarked on yet
another historic quest in a long
political career in which he has
frequently been the underdog.
His newest goal: to become the
first black person to be nominat¬
ed by either major party as its
presidential nominee.
“For more than 20 years, I
have challenged the old ways, the
old thinking,” Mr. Wilder noted.
He spoke of a “special passion”
for racial justice and equal op¬
portunity that propelled him into
the presidential arena.
“I may not win. I may not get
but a few votes,” Mr. Wilder
said. “But I would not be doing
my job as governor — indeed, I
would not deserve to be who I am
— if I failed to step forward at
this critical juncture in our na¬
tion’s history.”
Mr. Wilder, 60, said his deci¬
sion to seek the Democratic
nomination was inspired by the
fiscal mismanagement of the fed¬
eral government and the racial
divisions in America.
“Washington seems to have
tost the passion to fight the dete¬
rioration in race relations in this
country, a result in large meas- *
ure of Washington’s fiscal mess
and the noose it has become
arour: 1 America’s future eco¬
nomic rosperity,” he declared.
Mr Wilder said President
Bush : ie only president since
the Nf 'teal to "retreat” from
the mo: responsibility to heal
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The Associated Press
Virginia Gov. L Douglas Wilder, with his daughter Lynn, announces Friday
in Richmond that he is joining the Democratic race for president. The na¬
tion's first elected black governor accused President Bush of divisiveness.
Lawrence Douglas Wilder
► Personal: Age 60. Bom Jan. 17, 1931, in Richmond. Married
Eunice Montgomery in 1958; divorced in 1978. Children: Lynn, 32,
an artist; Lawrence “Larry” Jr., 29, a lawyer; Loren, 27, a Postal
Service employee. Religion: Baptist.
► Education: B.S. in chemistry, Virginia Union University, 1952;
J.D., Howard University Law School, 1959.
► Elected offices: State senator, 1970-85; lieutenant governor,
1986-89. Elected governor of Virginia in 1989.
► Other experience: Lawyer in Richmond, 1960-85. Founder of
Wilder, Gregory and Martin law firm.
► Military service: Army sergeant, Korea, 1952-53. Bronze Star
for “heroic achievement" on Pork Chop Hill.
► Activities: Tennis and jazz.
racial divisions. “Instead of heal¬
ing leadership, he offers divisive
rhetoric that can only result in
pitting one group of Americans
against another.”
In praising the civil rights'
stands of every president since
Franklin D. Roosevelt — “even
Ronald Reagan” — Mr. Wilder
inadvertently left out Jimmy
Carter, the last Democratic pres¬
ident, who had also been a South¬
ern governor. Mr. Wilder later
telephoned Mr. Carter in Geor¬
gia to apologize and express his
admiration. Mr. Carter told Mr.
Wilder, “These things happen.”
When Mr. Wilder ran for gov¬
ernor two years ago, Democratic
challengers backed away to give
him a clear shot at the nomina1
tion. He then went on to defeat
his Republican challenger, J.
Marshall Coleman. Mr. Wilder,
helped by a strong abortion
rights stand, ran well in the
Washington suburbs and other
urban areas.
He says his proudest accom¬
plishment as governor was being
able to close his. state’s recoffc
$2.2 billion budget deficit with¬
out raising taxes.
Earlier this year, Mr. Wilder
made headlines because of
щи
ongoing feud with Sen. Charles S.
Robb (D-Va.). He also came up--,
der fire for his remark that Stir
preme Court nominee Clarence
Thomas should be questioned
closely about his views on abor--
tion because of his Roman Cathq-
lic background. Since then, Mr.'
Wilder has apologized repeated- .
ly for that remark. . V
The soft-spoken, gray-haired
Virginian announced his presh
dential candidacy from a wooden
platform on the steps of the histor¬
ic, white-columned state capital
designed by Thomas Jefferson. .
Surrounded by his son, two
daughters and longtime political
associates, Mr. Wilder spoke for
about 20 minutes to a lunchtime
crowd of mostly state employees.
Former Massachusetts Seri.'
Paul Tsongas, the only other de¬
clared candidate in the Demo¬
cratic contest, welcomed Mr','
Wilder’s candidacy, saying the;
“long-overdue debate about the
direction of the Democratic Pah-
ty and the economic future of th£
country is about to begin.”
Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin is
scheduled to announce his candP
dacy Sunday, to be followed in the
coming weeks by Gov. Bill Clirv
ton of Arkansas, Sen. Bob Kernel
of Nebraska and former Califor¬
nia Gov. Jerry Brown. Rep. DaVf
McCurdy of Oklahoma also 'is
considering entering the race.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who
came in second to Michael Duka-
kis in the 1988 campaign, has
been coy about his 1992 plans,
Democratic National Commit¬
tee Chairman Ronald Brown, re¬
acting to Mr. Wilder’s candidacy,
said he agreed that the 1992 cam¬
paign “will be about the future
and direction of our country.” , ;
But Mr. Wilder, apparently-tp
underscore his disapproval .of
fellow Democrats, does not plan
to attend next week’s Democrat¬
ic National Committee meeting
in Los Angeles, according to Paul
Goldman, chairman of the state
party in Virginia . . -• t :