Endorsement a Boon to Simon

With the Iowa caucuses only a week away and the presidential candidates grasping for momentum, Illinois Sen. Paul Simon got a boost Sunday when he was endorsed by the Des Moines Register, Iowa’s most influential newspaper.

On the Republican side, the paper also backed Kansas Sen. Bob Dole, but the surprise endorsement is likely to have more impact on Simon’s fortunes, which had been lagging a bit lately.

“What the (Simon) record shows is a man who has decent instincts and sticks by them,” the editorial said. “Beyond the record, Simon exudes a simple trustworthiness.”

It was the first time the paper had made endorsements since the Iowa caucuses began to take on national significance in the presidential election process in 1972.

“I don’t know what it will mean in terms of increased support for us,” an ebullient Simon said at one stop Sunday, “but it has to have an impact.”

He seemed particularly pleased that the newspaper also harshly criticized Rep. Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, who has supplanted Simon as the leader in recent polls here. The Register said that Gephardt “may be the most disappointing of the field” and that “his vision for America is too narrow.”

The endorsement appeared to galvanize Simon’s staff and volunteers at a critical moment, as they prepare for getting their identified supporters to the caucuses next Monday night.

“I think a lot of us were a little down in the last few days, as we watched the race tighten up after Paul had appeared to be out ahead,” said Simon campaign worker Susan Smith. “So what the endorsement does is pump us up.”

A charged-up Simon drew large crowds at every stop Sunday. “What you ought to be looking for is not who can put on the best television commercials,” he said here. “What you ought to be looking for is consistency, judgment and trust.”