Democratic Contenders Lobby for Money : San Francisco Fund-Raiser Smacks of Command Performance

The Democrats often describe themselves as the party of new ideas, but they have never had an idea quite like the one offered here: Their presidential candidates standing beside little tables in a hotel like salesmen in a trade show.

The occasion was Friday night’s $750,000 Democratic fund-raising event, candidate beauty contest, ballroom dinner and political Mardi Gras built around five presidential contenders and wives and kin of the others.

“This is a coming out party for a new generation of Democrats,” said one presidential hopeful, former Arizona Gov. Bruce Babbitt. “It’s really quite remarkable to see candidates actually hanging out and talking to each other.”

Candidates Hold Court

Actually, they were not talking much to each other. As he spoke, Babbitt stood beside a little table with his name on it. Nearby, other candidates hung close to their own tables and held court with prospective donors, party activists and clutches of reporters.

House Speaker Jim Wright (D-Tex.), who led a delegation of congressional leaders from Washington for the event, described it as “a chance to take a bite out of a politician.” But for the candidates, putting the bite on contributors was the order of the day.

The ostensible purpose of the gathering was to honor San Francisco real estate magnate Walter Shorenstein, long one of the Democratic Party’s biggest contributors. But it was also a moment in the spotlight for California Democrats, who often see the presidential nominating process virtually wrapped up by the time the state’s June primary rolls around.

At the daylong event here, contributors who bought two tables to the dinner (price: $10,000) were given hotel suites so the presidential hopefuls--as well as leaders of powerful congressional committees--could be herded through, looked over and lobbied and listened to as they asked for support.

Suite holders ranged from the Sierra Club, to the Bechtel Corp., to the Communications Workers of America.

Major Contributors on Hand

“Some suites were sweeter than others,” said investment banker Philip Schaefer, alluding to the major campaign contributors to be found in some of the rooms.

In addition to Babbitt, other presidential candidates on hand were Missouri Rep. Richard A. Gephardt, Illinois Sen. Paul Simon, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Tennessee Sen. Albert Gore Jr.

Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis and Delaware Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. sent relatives.

After activity at the private suites ended, the candidates went public and took their places in the trade-show setting in a hotel basement.

The scene around the room found Jackson, as usual, with the biggest crowds. He was talking baseball and race relations.

“Al Campanis was a fall guy,” Jackson said about the former Dodgers vice president who was fired for saying blacks did not have “the necessities” to be baseball executives.

“He wasn’t fired for making a mistake; he was fired for telling the truth (about alleged anti-black attitudes among some baseball owners).”

A few steps away from Jackson, Gephardt was talking politics, trying to assure some California political activists and reporters that the Democratic candidates were interested in the state beyond its well-known reputation for providing millions of dollars in campaign contributions.

“Hey, I’ve been here 12 times this year already,” Gephardt said. “People here are like people everywhere else--they are anxious about the economy.”

Then, apparently remembering that the California economy--unlike those of some Midwestern states--is booming, Gephardt added, “Well, maybe not all that anxious, but, uh, even here there must be some anxiety.”

Gore, a newcomer to the presidential race, was good-natured when peppered with questions about what he had to show for coming to the event. He smiled and held aloft a glass of Coke.

Although the sponsors stressed the importance of getting the candidates to California en masse, the events seemed mainly focused on raising campaign money.

Champion Fund-Raiser

But the Democrats were unapologetic about that. As California Sen. Alan Cranston, the champion fund-raiser among Democratic senators, put it: “To win a campaign today you just have to raise a lot of money. But the Republicans always outspend us anyway.”

Asked if the event’s gathering of wealthy donors had forced the presidential candidates to interrupt the campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire and fly to San Francisco, Shorenstein said: “I don’t like the word ‘force’ but let’s put it this way: It was in everybody’s interest to be here.”

Oddly, however, for an event that showcased the presidential candidates, not one was allowed to speak to the dinner audience in the overcrowded Fairmont Hotel ballroom.

The candidates entered the room to cheering, did a snake dance between tables to get to their seats and during the rest of the evening were not heard from again.