On the Right

New York, April 6—Mr. Hugh Sidey, Time, Inc.’s eloquent President-watcher, remarks that in the recent poll registering 71 per cent satisfaction with President Carter, a substantial body of those interviewed gave as their reasons for approving of him Mr. Carter’s energy policy, and his economic policy. Mr. Sidey points out that, of course, Mr. Carter has no energy policy (as yet), and no economic policy in any sense related to unemployment. Indeed, he has no economic policy other than a $50 tip for every American to celebrate Carter’s victory in November. What he has is a highly successful presidential style, and on this, much has been written.

There are those who winced on reading that President Carter’s hostess in Clinton, Massachusetts accosted him after he came in from the town meeting by saying, “Can we call you Jimmy?” Now the problem with people who say, “Can we call you Jimmy?” is that you have to be somebody like Charles de Gaulle or John L. Lewis or maybe Stalin to say, “No.” It would have been a rather tense evening in Clinton if Mr. Carter had looked down at his hostess, with his steel blue eyes, and said no, then sat down to dinner and the evening chat. But was there any damage done?

New York, April 6—Mr. Hugh Sidey, Time, Inc.’s eloquent President-watcher, remarks that in the recent poll registering 71 per cent satisfaction with President Carter, a substantial body of those interviewed gave as their reasons for approving of him Mr. Carter’s energy policy, and his economic policy. Mr. Sidey points out that, of course, Mr. Carter has no energy policy (as yet), and no economic policy in any sense related to unemployment. Indeed, he has no economic policy other than a $50 tip for every American to celebrate Carter’s victory in November. What he has is a highly successful presidential style, and on this, much has been written.

There are those who winced on reading that President Carter’s hostess in Clinton, Massachusetts accosted him after he came in from the town meeting by saying, “Can we call you Jimmy?” Now the problem with people who say, “Can we call you Jimmy?” is that you have to be somebody like Charles de Gaulle or John L. Lewis or maybe Stalin to say, “No.” It would have been a rather tense evening in Clinton if Mr. Carter had looked down at his hostess, with his steel blue eyes, and said no, then sat down to dinner and the evening chat. But was there any damage done?