Hart Clears Way for a Run at Presidency

Colorado Sen. Gary Hart announced Saturday that he will not seek another Senate term, clearing the way for him to enter the 1988 Democratic presidential campaign, a contest in which he is already considered to be the front-runner.

Hart’s chief of staff, Willam Dixon, said Hart will not decide whether to run for the presidency until after the November elections, when his present Senate term ends. But many politicians, including Hart’s own supporters, take it for granted that he will run for the White House, as he did in 1984.

“Is there any doubt in my mind? No,” said Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-Colo.), a longtime political associate of Hart, after Saturday’s announcement. “Is there any doubt in his mind? No.”

And Hart’s own rhetoric seemed to lend support to that judgment. In a brief talk to friends and supporters gathered at a restaurant in the foothills of the Rockies, a few miles west of Denver, Hart described his decision not to seek a third Senate term as “simply another step in a long journey . . . a journey to achieve this nation’s destiny.”

“I don’t intend to be coy about my own plans,” he said. “Does that mean that I’m making some announcement about 1988? Nope. Does it mean I still have an interest in being President? Yup.”

Hart’s decision not to seek reelection to the Senate had been widely expected by political professionals. He would probably have faced a stiff Republican challenge in November, and defeat would have almost certainly doomed his chances for the presidency. Even if he had won, it would have been difficult for him to launch a full-scale effort for the presidency so soon after a Senate campaign.

Kennedy’s Decision

Interest in Hart’s announcement, more than two full years before Democrats begin the formal process of selecting 1988 convention delegates, was heightened by Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s decision two weeks ago not to run for the presidency in 1988.

With Kennedy on the sidelines, Hart was the only 1988 Democratic prospect, apart from the civil rights leader, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who has already been tested in a presidential campaign and who has a national network of supporters. Hart has told reporters that he expects the recognition he has won as a result of his strong showing in the 1984 campaign to make it easier for him to get attention for his ideas in 1988.

But Hart’s front-runner status means that he will be subjected to intense scrutiny, which he found hard to deal with in 1984. During that campaign, Hart became embroiled in controversies over the operations of his campaign organization, sometimes blamed his staff for errors and indulged himself in gratuitous wisecracks, such as a remark denigrating New Jersey just before the crucial primary in that state.

$3.5-Million Debt From ’84

A more tangible problem is the $3.5-million debt left over from 1984, which Hart must settle before he can fully gear up for a 1988 effort. The debt is particularly embarrassing because Hart paid off less of it in 1985 than his aides had predicted.

Hart has also been trying to deal with another potential problem--his lack of a theme more coherent than the commitment to “new ideas” that was the hallmark of his 1984 campaign. To answer critics who echoed Walter F. Mondale’s derisive challenge--”Where’s the beef?”--Hart has been trying to develop a theme that he calls “true patriotism,” which attempts to appeal to Americans’ pride in their country and their sense of civic responsibility.

Hart made a point of bringing up that theme in his remarks here Saturday. “The opportunity of being an American carries with it an obligation--an obligation to make this a greater nation for future generations,” he declared. “Patriotism is more than slogans celebrating past achievements. It’s an opportunity to draw a blueprint for our future.”

The 49-year-old Hart first attracted national attention when he managed George S. McGovern’s successful campaign for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination. After that campaign, he returned to Colorado and won election to the Senate in 1974 and 1980.

With Hart out of the 1986 Senate race, Rep. Timothy E. Wirth is expected to seek the nomination with Hart’s support.