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At the Starting Gate: The Republicans
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12078 |
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CURRENT ISSUES
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12 / 1987 |
5,209 Words |
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Stuart Rothenberg
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The early maneuvering for the Republican presidential nomination has paled in comparison with the lively and rapidly changing Democratic race. Vice President George Bush began with enormous advantages in the GOP race, and he has quietly sought to solidify his position of dominance. At the same time, other hopefuls, ranging from the Senate majority leader to a former Delaware governor, have fought for the title of chief opponent. Along the way at least two other hopefuls - former cabinet official Donald Rumsfeld and former Sen. Paul Laxalt - have entered the race and dropped out, and the Republican president has seen his support plummet in public opinion polls.
With only a couple of months to go before the caucuses and primaries begin, here is a rundown of the strengths and weaknesses of the current crop of Republican presidential contenders.
George H.W. Bush
George Bush's greatest political asset is also his greatest political vulnerability: He is the incumbent vice president of the United States. As the front-runner in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, Bush must create his own identity and vision for the country without appearing disloyal to Ronald Reagan. If he can do that, he is likely to become the party's standard-bearer in 1988. If he cannot, he will become another in a long list of vice presidents who sought, but failed, to move directly into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Bush's resume is not merely impressive. It is awesome. The son of a U.S. senator from Connecticut, Bush attended the finest new England private schools and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Yale University. He served as a navy pilot during World War II, winning the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Politically, he served two terms in Congress from Texas, was the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, ran the Central Intelligence Agency, and headed the Republican National Committee. Along the way, however, he lost two bids for the U.S. Senate.
Bush's primary strategy is based on two major premises: that as vice president he can out-fundraise and out-organize any of his rivals, and that the shorter the actual campaign, the more difficult it is for the other Republican hopefuls to catch him. So far, that strategy has worked.
According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) figures, the vice president's campaign raised almost $9.5 million through the end of June, an amount more than twice that of his nearest GOP competitor. By Labor Day, Bush had over $11 million and was the only candidate to develop a truly national fundraising base. And Bush, whose long ties to the Republican party have made him the choice of many party activists and officeholders, has been far ahead of his opponents in putting together state campaign organizations and gaining endorsements. In New Hampshire, the first primary state, the vice president has already drawn the endorsement of Gov. John Sununu.
But if Bush has credentials and party contacts, he has an image that is far from clear and a base of supporters that seems much wider than it is deep. His political base within the Republican Party has always been among party moderates and liberals, and it is hard to find a
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