Election may hinge on morals, delegates say

By John Patterson

August 2, 2000 Web posted at: 3:42 PM EDT (1942 GMT)

In this story: Character counts Lessons learned RELATED STORIES

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (Daily Herald) -- The party faithful are here in force and the Republican National Convention is in full swing. But it lacks one thing: a rallying cry.

In fact, a survey of the Illinois delegation shows no one, clear-cut issue uniting the party. It's a side effect of a strong economy and generally good times, political consultants say.

Whereas Bill Clinton rode "It's the economy, stupid" to the White House, there's no easy topic that George W. Bush can turn into a snappy catch phrase.

"It's hard to run against prosperity," said Republican consultant Bill Atwood. "The voters don't have anything to complain about."

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That's reflected in the survey results from the Illinois delegates. Asked to identify the most important issue from a list that includes abortion, gun control, capital punishment, Social Security and prescription drug benefits for seniors, Social Security was the top choice. But it topped the list with only 26 percent of the responses.

An Associated Press survey of the national delegation had similar results. Education was rated the top issue with 21 percent of the responses.

But talk to any delegate about what's important in this campaign and the conversation likely turns to moral, rather than legislative, issues.

"George W. Bush and Dick Cheney want to restore some dignity to the White House. They want to restore honor," said state Sen. Dan Cronin, an Elmhurst Republican.

A total of 17 percent of Illinois delegates who responded wrote credibility in as their top issue, the second highest percentage in the survey.

But don't be mistaken. The other issues are important to the Republicans gathered here and they know that whoever is elected president will have to address Social Security, abortion and the rest.

"Those are the glitzy issues. They'll cover those," said Bolingbrook Mayor and Illinois delegate Roger Claar.

But personality, including character and leadership, could be the deciding factor, delegates say.

"I think the issue is: Who is going to be the strongest leader for this country? People like to know when they go to bed at night that there's somebody in charge," Claar said.

And this stance is reflected in the national party's platform - as image takes center stage from other more nitty-gritty issues.

While the Republican Party continues to oppose abortion, the calls for shutting down various federal agencies, including the department of education, have been toned down from 1996. The platform itself has taken on a secondary nature as delegates and candidates talk first of leadership and character.

"It's somewhat imagery related," Cronin said.

Four years ago, Bob Dole used the character argument against Clinton. It failed.

Former Gov. Jim Edgar, also a delegate at the convention, said this election is different.

"Four years ago Clinton hadn't had his problems," Edgar said. "I also think that sometimes we react to an election late. Character probably should have been a concern four years ago and it wasn't. I think the American voters are saying, 'We're not going to make that mistake again this time.'"

Cronin said Bush learned from Dole's mistakes.

"(Dole) was too heavy-handed in those days. Republicans learned their lessons," Cronin said. "I don't think you're going to see any nastiness, at least not at this early stage."

Nastiness is a concern for Republicans. They face the challenge of clarifying their role in creating the thriving economy, while not giving credit to the Clinton-Gore administration. At the same time, they must avoid appearing too negative and turning off voters.

So far, Bush seems to be successfully walking this narrow line. Recent national polls give him the lead over Gore.

Atwood, the Republican consultant, credits the economy for Bush's lead. While it presents a challenge for Bush, it also gives him an opportunity. Voters who aren't angry "can vote along the lines of who they like," Atwood said. "That's where Bush has a huge advantage over Gore."

Despite polls focusing on specific issues, the American public is not always so easily measured, Atwood said. That's where personality can come into play. Polls have asked, issues aside, who voters would choose and Bush comes out ahead, Atwood said.

"A lot of elections just turn on comfort level," he said.

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