As WFB sets the stage, "Mr. George Gallup has passed along the word that the

American public is in a mood to consider alternatives to the present leadership, and seldom in American political history has there been such a stampede of patriots willing to come to the aid of their country." In this first in a series of conversations with potential candidates, Senator Dole is impressive, as he had been in his first Firing Line appearance (#S276)--this time on subjects ranging from Food Stamps to SALT II to inflation. RD: "I must say that we're in a much different position now than we would have been if Ford had been elected, because we probably would have gone ahead with the B-l bomber; we

wouldn't have held back on the MX for two and a half years, then suddenly said, 'Well, we think we're going to do it but we don't know about the basing system yet,' so it's still a non-decision as far as Carter's concerned; we wouldn't have had the hanky-panky with the neutron bomb; we wouldn't have let Iran go down the tube ... There's no question about it: President Carter is perceived to be very weak in foreign policy."