Alliance of Convenience

Kennedy and Anderson hold a surprise get-together

Their words may not have told the whole story, but their looks gave them away: John Anderson tight-lipped and near defiant, Edward Kennedy relaxed and bemused. While 200 reporters and spectators crowded around them last week in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, the pair of presidential hopefuls gave a new twist to the race by singing each other's praises. Said Anderson of Kennedy: "I think he is one of the distinguished leaders of the Democratic Party." Said Kennedy of Anderson: "I admire the efforts he has made and continues to make to reach a responsible solution to the concerns of millions of Americans."

Neither one went so far as to say he would support the other's presidential bid, but then neither ruled it out. Each certainly took a step beyond previous positions. Stressing that he did indeed believe in the two-party system, Anderson said he was running against two candidates he considered unacceptable: Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. Should Carter not get the nomination, Anderson said he might have to "consider what my position then would be." In other words, he might drop out if Kennedy or someone else were nominated. That gave a definite boost to the Massachusetts Senator, who can now argue that if he is nominated, Anderson would not draw votes from the Democratic ticket.

But then Anderson also benefited from the joint appearance. Kennedy promised that if nominated, he would include Anderson in a three-way debate and would instruct the Democratic National Committee to stop trying to keep the independent candidate off the ballot in various states. But Kennedy is highly unlikely to be nominated. In that case, his glowing praise of Anderson gives Kennedy's backers an alternative to Carter. If Anderson is to have any hope of making a good showing, he needs strong support from liberal Democrats.

The idea for the get-together came to Kennedy Strategist Robert Shrum and Anderson Adviser Lawrence Tribe when they met over breakfast in Cambridge, Mass., last week. They agreed that both campaigns needed some kind of jolt. Why not do it jointly? The candidates quickly endorsed the notion.

The next month is crucial for Anderson. He must demonstrate that he is a viable candidate or he will begin to fade as independents have in the past. The latest Associated Press-NBC News poll shows that he has slipped to 15% of the vote from 18% the week before the G.O.P. Convention. So far Anderson has met the filing requirements in 24 states, though he suffered his first setback when he was ruled off the ballot in North Carolina last week, a decision he plans to appeal.

With direct mail bringing in $250,000 a week, Anderson is still not raising enough money for a strong race, but he plans to attend several fund raisers this month. He has also sued to overturn a decision of the Federal Election Commission to deny him federal subsidies because he is an independent rather than a third-party candidate.

Anderson's aides are still struggling over issues papers since the candidate soon must stake out a credible position different from those taken by Reagan and Carter, a delicate undertaking to be sure. But as last week's press conference demonstrated, the Anderson campaign is capable of inventive thinking.

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