Democrats in Iowa : Gephardt Gets Early Edge in Post-Hart Race

“The Democrats are desperate now because they’ve lost their front-runner,” said Joseph Brown, a retired high school teacher and longtime party loyalist, as Polk County’s annual Democratic steak fry got started. “These other candidates are all fine men, but nobody knows much about them.”

Brown’s comments reflected the mood of many uncommitted Democratic activists in this politically critical state on the weekend after Gary Hart’s forced departure from the 1988 presidential campaign. But for all the admitted uncertainties, a clearer profile of the Democratic contest emerged from Saturday night’s steak fry.

It was clear enough, after the beef and cole slaw had been washed down with beer and frozen strawberry daiquiris, that at least for the time being, Missouri’s Rep. Richard A. Gephardt enjoys significant advantages over most of his rivals.

Profound Consequences

Of course, neither Gephardt nor any of the other candidates who performed before the 1,000 enthusiastic party workers here is anywhere near ready to step into the forward position Hart held. Nevertheless, the strength Gephardt has shown in Iowa so far could turn out to have profound consequences on the national level.

That is because the Democrats’ delegate-selection process begins in this state next February. And, given the obscure nature of most of the Democratic contenders, any candidate who makes a strong showing in Iowa stands to gain tremendous momentum.

Gephardt’s chief assets here are an intensive organizing effort unrivaled by anyone except former Arizona Gov. Bruce Babbitt and--just as important--his success at identifying himself with the battle to reduce the huge and economically devastating U.S. trade deficit.

“For whatever it’s worth, I think Gephardt won the competition tonight,” said Chris Hammel, state coordinator for Babbitt. The concession was easy for him to make, because Babbitt did not appear at the state fairgrounds here to match rhetoric with Gephardt, Delaware Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr., Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis and Illinois Sen. Paul Simon.

Gephardt is not an electrifying orator, but Hammel and others believe that he scored points with his talk Saturday night because it was brief, crisp and--probably most important--sharply pointed in the direction of the trade issue that Gephardt has made his own.

Controversial Proposal

“Ronald Reagan says he wants to stand up for America,” said Gephardt, the author of a controversial proposal of presidential retaliation against countries that run big trade surpluses with the United States. “But when is he going to stand up for the trading rights of American workers and managers?”

Many of his rivals say that the trade issue may boomerang on Gephardt in the face of criticism that he is fostering protectionism and a trade war that could hurt the nation far more than the current imbalance.

“It’s a good, emotional issue for him,” said former Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig Jr., who campaigned in Iowa last week to promote his own candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination, “but I think people vote on other things besides emotions.”

Whatever the ultimate impact of the trade issue, it serves to give Gephardt’s candidacy a focus and a link to genuine concerns of the electorate that the others so far lack.

Biden Gets a Laugh

Delaware’s Biden is a case in point. “Biden is far and away the most impressive speaker,” said David Miles, a Des Moines financial adviser who was in the record crowd at the steak fry. Many others share that judgment. The handsome, glib Biden got off probably the best wisecrack of the night when he chided Gephardt for bringing in a flock of supporters from his home state, a tactic intended to ensure that if any straw poll were taken (none was), Gephardt would win it.

“It’s good to be here with so many people from Missouri,” Biden said. “I welcome the opportunity to campaign in two states at once.”

Then Biden launched into what turned out to be his time-worn stump speech, in which he declares that “America is at a crossroads,” and calls for a return to the idealism of “the murdered heroes” of the past--John F. and Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“This is the same speech he gave at the Jefferson-Jackson dinner here two years ago,” complained a disappointed Miles, who was taking home a stack of literature from each of the candidates. “I think people in this state take this process seriously, and they want to hear about issues.”

Working on Positions

In Biden’s defense, his advisers pointed out that he has yet to develop detailed positions on the issues. They say that process will begin this week, when he makes two speeches on economic policy at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

Meanwhile, Biden has one big advantage: He has raised more money than any of the other candidates. He collected nearly $1.7 million in the few weeks after he formed his presidential campaign committee last March.

“He’s the rich kid on the block,” one of Gephardt’s strategists said enviously.

In a couple of ways, Gov. Dukakis’ circumstances are similar to Biden’s. Dukakis also is expected to have impressive fund-raising ability, particularly among Greek-Americans eager to support one of their own. Dukakis, too, needs time to develop his ideas.

Iowa Secretary of State Elaine Baxter, so far neutral in the Democratic contest, said: “There’s a lot of interest in Dukakis in this state because of what he has done with the Massachusetts economy and how bad things are here.”

Simon’s Liabilities

Simon, like Dukakis a recent entry in the race, also has some special advantages. As a longtime lawmaker from a neighboring state, he enjoys good will and contacts that he can rely on in the struggle in Iowa.

Simon’s candidacy also has some drawbacks, though he has tried to transform them into virtues. He calls himself a traditional Democrat when, after two landslide defeats in successive races for the White House, many in the party see a need to win over Republicans and independents.

Simon also is intractably uncharismatic. “People tell me, ‘Get rid of those horn-rimmed glasses, get rid of that bow tie,’ ” he said. Then he pointed out in triumphant tones that Harry S. Truman wore glasses and a bow tie and still got himself elected President.

Although he was absent from the dinner, Babbitt--who has put almost as much time and effort into Iowa as Gephardt--was well represented by his supporters and by a stand-in speaker, state Atty. Gen. Tom Miller. Touting Babbitt as the most electable candidate, Miller cited his natural strength in the West and the innovative skills he demonstrated while running the state of Arizona.

Jackson Sent Aides

Another potentially significant force in the Iowa competition who was represented only by aides and supporters was the Rev. Jesse Jackson, whose ties to militant farm groups have helped him draw impressive crowds in the state.

Jackson, interviewed Sunday on NBC television’s “Meet the Press” about the direction of the Democratic race now that Hart is gone, noted that Hart had focused on some important questions, particularly the issue of maintaining a strong defense while reforming the military. Jackson said that he plans to pay more attention to such issues than to the opinion polls:

“Well, I run toward the people. That is to say, I’m going to keep my eyes on the prize and not on the polls. I’m going to keep raising the question of direction.”

The only Democratic contender not represented at the dinner Saturday night was the most recent entry, Tennessee Sen. Albert Gore Jr. As the only white Southerner in the contest, Gore has a potential advantage because of the bunching up of primary dates and caucuses in Dixie early in the campaign.

Many say that unless Gore makes a respectable showing in Iowa, however, his candidacy in the South will suffer, too.

The Tennessean, at 39, is the youngest candidate in the race.