Full Text of the Excerpt

WALTER DE VRIES:

Are there any other things we should look for in the last 25 years in North Carolina politics? And obviously the impact of the people you had in the administration and the campaign have been great. As you say, in '72 just about everybody running against each other was a part of your administration.

TERRY SANFORD:

Or part of my campaign.

WALTER DE VRIES:

Or your campaign, yes.

TERRY SANFORD:

And from my point of view, of course, that's a good thing. I think during that period of time, too, the Republican party has been gaining. I don't know that I agree with what you are reported to have said, that that's the dominant party, but . . .

WALTER DE VRIES:

I didn't say that.

TERRY SANFORD:

Well, good, because I don't agree with it. I think the Democratic party is still dominant. But I think there's been a very wholesome transfer of party registration. I said the other day somewhere that I thought that the two-party system was a wholesome development. And a couple of Democrats challenged me and I said, "How can you be against the flag, motherhood, and the two-party system?" The only thing we don't want to allow, is we don't want to allow the other party to win very often. But it obviously is wholesome from two points of view. From the broad, objective point of view, the two parties contending with one another will give us a better government. From the more narrow point of view in North Carolina, it more clearly draws the lines.