Republican presidential hopeful Pat Buchanan kicked off his campaign in a state he says is crucial to any 1996 contender Tuesday, warning his party is "far away from the American people."
Buchanan, asked if his sharply conservative message could divide his party, said, "Every campaign divides folks, but you've got to stand up and say what's right and what's wrong."Asked if his unequivocal anti-abortion position could split voters, Buchanan said, "Slavery was divisive and segregation was divisive and civil rights was a divisive issue. I am pro-life. I am going to maintain a pro-life party."
Making the rounds of morning television talk shows, Buchanan predicted that "I think you'll be as
tonished with what we can do," and that "I think I'm going to win this thing."
Buchanan came here Monday after declaring his candidacy in Manchester, N.H., where he said his message was the very embodiment of "the Republican Party philosophy."
"We shall see who deserves the chair of Ronald Reagan," the television and newspaper commentator said.
Buchanan said Tuesday that the Republican Party today "is still far away from the American people. It talks about a balanced budget and then our leaders get behind a $53 billion bailout for Mexico City and Wall Street." He maintained that "the Republican Party has got to keep moving to get back in contact and touch with middle America."
Asked about Jewish protesters who interrupted his announcement speech Monday, Buchanan said the "custodians of political correctness are not going to frighten and intimidate Pat Buchanan and are not going to knock me out of that race."
Buchanan was using a motor home in his swing through Iowa, where next February's precinct caucuses open the nomination fight. After two days of Iowa stumping, Buchanan was pointing his vehicle to South Dakota, which also holds an early test.
He conceded he's starting out well behind in the race for the White House but vowed to build an organization that would allow him to pull an early surprise much like his strong showing in New Hampshire's primary four years ago.
"We've got 11 months now before the Iowa caucuses," he said. "We've got 11 months to go to build a tremendous organization."
In seeking that showing, Buchanan said he will cast himself as the true conservative in the field, a message aides said would sell well in Iowa, where the GOP has drifted to the right and where religious conservatives hold a strong hand.