Kirk Proposes ‘Campaign Code’ to Lessen Democrats’ Divisions

Democratic National Chairman Paul G. Kirk Jr. said Sunday that he will call on contenders for the party’s 1988 presidential nomination to abide by a “campaign code” designed to help the Democrats regain the White House by curbing intraparty divisiveness.

The purpose of the code, Kirk said in a speech to the Democratic National Committee here, “is to ensure that our campaign is not negative, is not polarizing, is not party-bashing but sets forth a clear, constructive policy agenda for the American people to address and to follow.”

Kirk expects to develop the code by meeting with presidential prospects and other party leaders, he later told reporters. The proposed standards would attempt to cover the activities of state parties and constituency groups, as well as presidential candidates.

Curbing Straw Polls

Examples of the type of activity Kirk hopes to restrict are the straw polls on presidential preference conducted by state parties before the actual start of the 1984 campaign. Many party leaders complained that these symbolic contests were divisive and wasteful of the candidates’ time and money and last year the national committee passed a resolution disapproving them.

Terry Michael, Kirk’s press spokesman, denied that the idea for a campaign code was aimed specifically at the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the black leader, who was critical of party delegate selection rules during his 1984 campaign for the presidency and has continued that criticism as he prepares to run in 1988.

But Kirk himself said that “it won’t make me happy” if Jackson keeps up his attacks on the rules.

One obvious obstacle facing such a code is that the chairman would have little power to enforce it.

“Let’s be realistic,” Kirk said. “The best I can do is set a tone for the party.”