Democrats Urged to Select Westerner for VP Candidate

WASHINGTON â€”  Democratic members of Congress from nine Western states, acknowledging that Republican George Bush will likely sweep the South in the November presidential election, Thursday called on the party to adopt a “Western strategyâ€� by choosing someone from their region as the vice presidential nominee.

Among those being mentioned by Western Democrats as possible vice presidential nominees were House Majority Leader Thomas S. Foley (D-Wash.), Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, San Diego Mayor Maureen O’Connor, Rep. Tony Coelho (D-Merced), Idaho Gov. Cecil D. Andrus and Oregon Gov. Neil E. Goldschmidt.

The Western strategy was outlined in a letter signed by 18 Western Democratic House and Senate members to both of the remaining candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination, Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis and the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Although they denied their effort was intended to keep Jackson off the ticket, it woul1679843701presidential nominee if, as expected, Dukakis wins the presidential nomination.

Poll Shows Bush Strength

Their appeal also was based on the assumption that Dukakis could not carry the South in a race against Bush. At a news conference called to discuss the letter, Senate Majority Whip Alan Cranston (D-Calif.), one of the 38 signers, said a soon-to-be-published poll will show that Bush will win the South while Dukakis can carry the North and West.

The Westerners were not the only group seeking to advise Dukakis about the choice of a running mate following his resounding victory in the New York primary Tuesday, in which he virtually sewed up the nomination. Among others, Democratic Party Chairman Paul G. Kirk Jr. has suggested that Dukakis choose a senator from the South or Southwest.

In Boston, Dukakis told reporters that he feels no obligation at this juncture to choose Jackson, a Southerner or a Westerner as his running mate. On the contrary, he said he must name someone who would be “a first-rate President if, God forbid, something happened to the President.�

“I have spent literally zero time thinking about it,� Dukakis added, “and I will not, unless and until I have either won the nomination, or it looks as if it’s pretty well in hand. If that happens, then I will begin what I hope will be a thoughtful and thorough process of selecting a running mate. But I’m not going to do anything on that--quite literally--until the California and New Jersey primaries are over.�

Trend Toward Democrats

Although no Democratic presidential candidate has carried the West since President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, the Westerners argued that recent Democratic victories in state and local elections in the region demonstrate a new trend toward the Democratic Party there.

“We should consider going to our strength,� Cranston said.

Cranston also noted that the West has nearly as many electoral votes as the South. The 11 states commonly defined as the South have a total of 135 electoral votes; there are 111 electoral votes in the 11 states in the West.

Rep. Vic Fazio (D-Sacramento), who also signed the letter, said Democrats in the past have too frequently conceded the West to the Republicans and have failed to emphasize Western issues such as energy policy, the environment and concerns of the Pacific rim.

“Some people think you come to West Los Angeles and raise money and that’s how you campaign in the West,� Fazio said. “That’s not how you do it.�

GOP Strategy Cited

In their letters to Dukakis and Jackson, the Westerners asserted that the Republicans are already considering a Western strategy that would include putting someone from their region on the GOP ticket. The group requested a meeting with each candidate to discuss how the Democrats could best counter Bush and the Republican ticket in the West.

Foley, the Westerner who has most frequently been mentioned as a possible Democratic vice presidential nominee in 1988, was among those who signed the letter. He told the news conference that he had no desire to be vice president, but did not rule himself out.

“It’s presumptuous to accept or decline an offer that hasn’t been made,� he said.

Cranston, who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984, said he was not in the running for vice president.

The Westerners unveiled their letters to Dukakis and Jackson just an hour after Sen. Albert Gore Jr. (D-Tenn.), who sought to position himself as the Southern candidate for the Democratic nomination, withdrew from the race.