TV Reviews : ‘Presidency’ Peeks Into Campaigns of the Past

With the presidential primaries almost upon us, KCET Channel 28 offers up a two-hour panel discussion, “Campaigning for the Presidency” (at 6 p.m. Sunday), which is mostly for political junkies.

Moderated by John Chancellor, “Campaigning for the Presidency” brings together eight former political managers--for such presidential candidates as Richard Nixon, Barry Goldwater, George McGovern and Michael Dukakis--for an often informative discussion on where our politics have been and where they might be heading.

Oh, the stories they could tell. And some they do. Among others, there are interesting insights into how such people as William Miller, Spiro Agnew, Geraldine Ferraro and Dan Quayle ever found their way onto national tickets.

Chancellor keeps the discussion amenable and moving along as he asks: Whatever happened to political conventions? How much campaign spending is enough? Who runs the campaign--the manager or the candidate? Is there now a greater “distance” between candidates and the press?

Ed Rollins, Ronald Reagan’s 1984 campaign director, testifies to the importance of television in modern campaigning when he says: “We used to build crowds; today we build backdrops.”

Sadly, only the last few minutes of the two-hour discussion are devoted to the 1992 campaign. Most of the panelists agree on its pivotal importance in a changing world, but too little time is given to their views of the future.

The show ends on a distressing note. “Why has the fun gone out of politics? Why are most campaigns so negative?” Chancellor asks. None of the panelists offered to respond to the questions.