Reagan scores hit with women but dismays ‘moral majority’

Henry Brandon reports on the row over the first woman member of America’s Supreme Court ‘Controversy over Sandra O’Connor is about abortion’

WHEN Barr y Goldwater , who considers himself one of the most conservative members of the Senate , angrily explained last week : ” I think every good Christian ought to kick Falwell in the ass,” it was quite obvious that something had gone wrong in the kingdom of Republican conservatism. The Arizona senator was excoriating the leader of the extreme right-wing Moral Majority movement, Jerry Falwell because he had condemned President Reagan’s choice of Sandra Day O’Connor to fill a vacancy on the US supreme court . Mrs. O’Connor, a judge on the Arizona court of appeals, will become the first woman to serve on the court . Presidents like to make history and Reagan used this opportunity skilfully. He not only reassured the women’s movements that he is not the male chauvinist they think he is, but he also softened his image as a right-wing conservative by selecting a conservative with an open mind – as a friend of Mrs O’Connor described her-and not a doctrinaire ideologue.

It will not necessarily garner him a windfall of vote s among women , but as representative Morris Udall the liberal Democrat from Arizona , put ‘it : ” The fact that he appointed someone as moderate and as close to the centre of the Republican Party as she is, is really stunning. It erases stereotype opposition to Reagan .” It also created an unexpected opportunity for the