Utah Democratic leaders think Bill Clinton's choice of Sen. Albert Gore as his vice presidential running mate will sell well here. Republicans aren't so sure.
Former Salt Lake Mayor Ted Wilson is Clinton's Utah campaign co-chairman."Gore is a very strong senator. He's presidential timber himself, of course, and that is the most important thing - can the vice president be president if need be," says Wilson.
Gore ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988, dropping out after it was clear former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis would win the nomination.
Pat Shea is running for governor this year as a Democrat and was the party's state chairman in the 1980s. He knows Gore and says "he'll help us here in Utah because he's a fiscal moderate and fine on environmental issues." Gore's wife, Tipper, has taken on education and moral issues - for example, she's pushed for warning labels for record lyrics. "She breaks apart the perceived Utah Republican monopoly on education and family issues," Shea says.
Clinton's wife, Hillary, visited Utah just before the state's March presidential primary. But, Wilson admits, it will be tough to get Clinton himself here before election day.
Gore is a different story. "We're starting today, working hard to get Al here. He adds excitement to the ticket, no doubt about that," says Wilson.
"Gore will certainly be a clear contrast to (Vice President) Dan Quayle. He definitely has an edge there," Wilson adds.
Dave Hansen, executive director to the Utah Republican Party, says there may be a flurry of interest in Gore now, but come November the vice presidential picks won't matter much.
"It's always the same - it's the guy at the top who is important to the voters," says Hansen. And while Wilson has little hope that Clinton will visit the state, Hansen says George Bush may well come. "We have an open governor's race, open U.S. Senate race and open (2nd Congressional District) House race. We (Republicans) need those, and I think it's likely the president will be here some time before the election." If not Bush, certainly Quayle will appear.
So Utahns will probably get the chance to compare the two vice presidential candidates face-to-face.
And Wilson thinks they'll like what they see in Gore. "While many Utahns are conservative on public-land issues, I think they're pretty liberal on global environmental concerns. And Gore is a recognized leader in the Senate on global environmental problems. He also adds to the ticket in foreign policy. As a governor (of Arkansas), Bill isn't as strong there, naturally.
"In every aspect, Gore is just a really good pick for Bill, very smart," says Wilson.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, thinks Gore is probably a pretty good pick, too, but isn't as taken as Wilson. "I think it's a strategy to get much needed votes in the South," Hatch said. But Hatch adds that Gore is a hard worker, if a liberal on many issues.
Wilson admits Clinton has an uphill battle in this state. The last Deseret News/KSL-TV poll conducted by Dan Jones & Associates shows Clinton was supported by only 10 percent of Utahns - a dismal number that may be a record low showing by a soon-to-be Democratic presidential nominee. Gore probably will help, rather than hurt, Clinton here. But how much?
He probably wasn't a first choice among Utah Democrats. In fact, in an informal survey by the Deseret News only three members of the Utah Democratic delegation who will formally nominate Gore as Clinton's vice presidential running mate at the national convention next week in New York City even mentioned Gore as a favorite vice presidential choice. The others named someone else. (See box on this page.)
Deseret News Washington Bureau chief Lee Davidson and staff writer Lisa Riley Roche contributed to this story.