CAMPAIGN ’88 : Many Wait for Debate

Many Iowa Democrats say they will not declare support for a presidential candidate until after Friday night’s televised Des Moines Register debate. The forum, the first time since Gary Hart’s re-entry that all seven presidential candidates will be together, is expected to be the final general-issues debate before Iowa’s Feb. 8 caucuses.

At a Paul Simon organizing meeting Tuesday night in Iowa’s Jasper County, a staff worker for the Illinois senator said nearly 70% of those called by the campaign said they were hoping to make up their minds after watching the debate. The worker advised volunteers to hold off telephoning potential voters until Saturday because the debate could change everything.