Mullings A Political Cyber Column By Rich Galen

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Friday, August 18, 2000

From Los Angeles, California
The Democratic National Convention

Whoa! How about that kiss? I'm changing parties. At the end of the speech, when Joe Lieberman came on stage for the Big Hug, I was a little worried that there might be a reprise.

Top line conclusion: The Gore campaign has decided they cannot beat George W. on personality or political skills. They are going to try and turn Gore's weakness (his inability to connect with an audience on a regular basis) into a plus (he's so busy thinking about policy he doesn't have time to do politics).

So, on that basis, the speech was fine. He didn't do that goofy jumping around he sometimes does when he gets over-stimulated. He got through the whole think without any major gaffs. It contained no soaring rhetoric or vision. It was a straight recitation of his policy goals.

Democrats said he had to give the "Speech of his life." Unfortunately for this campaign, he did.

Last week, when Gore ate into the astounding 17 point lead that George W. had built up in some polls following the GOP convention in Philadelphia, his people began reminding everyone of the Bush, Sr. vs. Michael Dukakis race again.

"Bush was trailing throughout the Spring and Summer," they reminded us. "But by the time the two conventions were over, Bush was ahead and he never looked back." Donna Brazile, the Gore campaign manager was still saying that as late as Monday of this week.

She ain't sayin' it any more.

Gore will be lucky to get out of Los Angeles trailing by not more than 5-8 points; essentially the gap which separated him from George W. last weekend.

If that is correct, and the Voter.com/Battleground pollsters think it probably will be, then the highly ballyhooed Gore "Convention Bounce" will be� let's see here� subtract seven� carry the one � divide by one half the number of electoral college votes and you get � oh, yes: Zero.

On Sunday morning, the Democratic line, as espoused by Gore campaign chairman Bill Daley was: "We just need to get even by Labor Day."

On Radio Row, by this afternoon that had slipped to, "We just need to be within four by Labor Day."

On the night that Al Gore needed the spotlight, the whole spotlight, and nothing but the spotlight, here are three minor issues stepping oh, so gingerly on his story:
-- A sunken Russian submarine;
-- Senator McCain being diagnosed with skin cancer; and,
-- The report by the AP's Peter Yost today that Independent Counsel Robert Ray had
convened a Federal grand jury to decide whether Bill Clinton should be indicted for
perjury in the MONICA LEWINSKY case.

There. I said it. The new "third rail words" for Republicans. MONICA LEWINSKY. Used to be Social Security. Back in the day.

On that last item, two things: 1. Pete Yost says in his piece he learned this from "legal sources" not political sources. 2. Independent Counsel Robert Ray is a Democrat.

So, the GOP left its convention looking like they were doing a scene from Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney movie dancing down the street picking up more and more kids as they chant, "Let's do a show!"

The Democrats are limping out of Los Angeles, a large number of separate entities each uneasy with the other, no longer held together by a combination of the personality of Bill Clinton and the fear of Newt Gingrich.

Jim Drinkard, of USA Today related the following story: He was walking toward the Staples Center when he came across a group of people trying to get to the official protest area. He ascertained they were anarchists - Libertarians on steroids, sort of. They stopped when the "Don't Walk" sign came on and waited patiently for the light to change.

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