American Notes POLITICS

In his quest for the presidency, Gary Hart is plagued by two troublesome perceptions: that he is cold and aloof, and that he has tried to reinvent or run away from his roots. Last week Hart confronted these notions by paying a % rare visit to his hometown of Ottawa, Kans. (pop. 11,500).

With his wife by his side and a phalanx of cameras clicking, the shy Hartpence boy who changed his name while attending Yale Law School in 1961 spoke tearfully about his home and his parents. In the past Hart has been reluctant to discuss his stern upbringing in the Church of the Nazarene or the fact that his family lived in 16 homes over 18 years. This time he compared his childhood with the uncomplicated lives of the kids on TV's Happy Days. Yet he stumbled when a fourth-grader asked him if he would ever return to live in Ottawa. "Yes," Hart replied. But after a moment he hedged, "Not totally." He paused, then added, "I wouldn't rule it out."