Buchanan: Leading a Revolution of ‘Peasants With Pitchforks’
NASHUA, N.H. (AP) _ Commentator Pat Buchanan, riding high from polls showing him in a virtual dead heat with Bob Dole to win the New Hampshire primary, characterized himself Sunday as leader of a political revolution of ``peasants with pitchforks.″
``This is too much fun, this is too much fun. We’ve got them all on the run. They’re nervous and frightened,″ Buchanan told a boisterous rally in which more than 1,000 of his supporters, many shouting ``Go Pat Go″ and waving signs, crowded into a hotel ballroom.
Several hundred more surged outside in a lobby after police shut the ballroom, declaring it a potential fire hazard.
His voice hoarse, Buchanan proclaimed himself the man of the hour _ and of the month _ and predicted victory on Tuesday and in November over President Clinton.
Multimillionaire publisher Steve Forbes was ``Mr. January. I’m Mr. February,″ Buchanan boasted.
``History is about to be made in the state of New Hampshire,″ Buchanan asserted. ``The establishment in Washington is shaking in its boots at what’s going on here.″
``They are in a terminal panic,″ Buchanan said, speaking of both Republicans and Democrats. ``They hear the shouts of the peasants over the hill. All the peasants are coming with pitchforks. We’re going over the top.″
Buchanan continued to direct his appeal at social conservatives and economic conservatives, with just two days to go to the crucial first-in-the-nation primary.
Earlier, on a television interview show, Buchanan said that parents should have the right to protect their children from the teaching of ``godless evolution,″ suggesting that he questions the theory of evolution.
The conservative Republican said parents ``have a right to insist that godless evolution not be taught to their children or their children not be indoctrinated in it.
``I believe these things are best decided at the local level. That’s why I am going to shut down the U.S. Department of Education,′ he said on ABC’s ``This Week With David Brinkley.″
Asked by ABC reporter Sam Donaldson whether he accepted the creationist belief that God made the world in six days, Buchanan responded, ``God did it according to the Bible. You may believe you are descended from monkeys, I don’t believe it.″
Buchanan, a Catholic, said he believed ``the New Testament is literally the word of God and the Old Testament is the inspired word of God.″
``I believe that children should not be forced to believe the Bible but I think that every child should know what is in the Old and New Testament.″
Buchanan has won a strong following from Christian conservatives for his advocacy of the rights to school prayer and his outspoken criticisms of alternative lifestyles.
Later, at the rally here, he mentioned his appearance and ridiculed panel member George Will, a conservative columnist. ``He started lapping at me like a little poodle,″ Buchanan said. ``I had to take a newspaper and roll it up ....″
Buchanan stood on a stage with about a dozen former New Hampshire supporters of Texas Sen. Phil Gramm and suggested that, even though Gramm had endorsed Dole, he had the backing of much of Gramm’s rank-and-file organization in the state.
``Phil’s organization will join us″ in rallying behind ``a new conservative that will provide voice for the voiceless,″ Buchanan said.
The former broadcaster predicted victory over Dole, saying that Dole’s lead in Iowa was three percentage points but that ``he’s not going to have a three-point lead in New Hampshire.″