Gore Goes on Offensive in Dallas Debate

Sen. Albert Gore Jr. sharply attacked his Democratic presidential rivals in a televised debate here Thursday night that kicked off the campaign for the March 8 Super Tuesday primaries in Gore’s home region of the South.

The Tennessee senator’s particular targets were Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis, winner of the New Hampshire primary earlier this week, and Missouri Rep. Richard A. Gephardt, victor in the Iowa precinct caucuses Feb. 8.

Gore--who finished fifth in New Hampshire after cutting back his campaigning there in the closing days and last in Iowa after dropping out there--seemed determined to make as powerful an impression as he could in the contest for Southern support in which about 30% of all the delegates to the Democratic convention will be chosen.

Begins Attack Early

Gore, the only white Southerner in the race, went after Dukakis from the very beginning of the two-hour debate, carried on public television here in the largest state to cast its ballots on Super Tuesday.

“I think it’s awfully important to have a President experienced in foreign policy,” he said, a pointed reference to Dukakis’ lack of direct experience in that area. “We’re not just selecting a manager of the federal bureaucracy.”

Gore also accused Dukakis of “sounding a little bit different” here in Texas than the governor had in Iowa, where Gore contended that Dukakis had said that as President he would accept the existence of “a Soviet client state,” meaning Nicaragua, in this hemisphere.

Dukakis hotly denied making that statement. “I never said that,” Dukakis said angrily. “Please get your facts right.”

Derides Dukakis

Gore also derided Dukakis for basing his candidacy so heavily on the economic prosperity in his own state. “There are a lot of states with lower unemployment rates,” Gore said, and yet their governors did not claim this qualified them for the presidency.

In his onslaught on Gephardt, Gore said: “I’m going to lay it on the line, Dick,” and went on to accuse the congressman of having voted against the minimum wage, against the Department of Education, for tuition tax credits and having changed his position on all these issues since he became a presidential candidate.

“You have to be willing to stand your ground and be consistent” to be President, Gore said.

Gephardt retorted by accusing Gore of changing his positions. “When you give a lecture on consistency, you should look at your own record, too” Gephardt said. He claimed that after voting against the oil import fee, proposed by Gephardt, Gore now supported it because it was popular in oil-producing Texas. And in particular, Gephardt charged that Gore had toughened his stand on defense policy in order to appeal to Southern voters.

Sounds ‘Like Al Haig’

“When you started this race you decided you needed a Southern political strategy,” Gephardt said. “Lately you have been sounding more like Al Haig than Al Gore.”

Gore snapped back: “That sounds more like Richard Nixon than Richard Gephardt.”

Though Dukakis and Gephardt, the two front-runners, were the main focus of his criticism, the aggressive Gore sought to distance himself from the entire field. “I’m saying something in this campaign that’s entirely different from anything any of the other candidates are saying,” he said.

He contended that he was the only candidate arguing not only for “economic growth and social justice” but also for “a strong America.”

Gore denied he was making a regional appeal for votes. “I am not running as a Southern candidate,” he said. “I am running as a national candidate who happens to be from the South.”

Notes Southern Ties

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who some think might gather more delegates than anyone else in the South because of his solid base of black support, was more forthcoming about his Southern ties. Noting that he was born in South Carolina and educated in North Carolina, Jackson said: “I am an authentic Southerner. If they (Southern voters) want to nominate a Southerner, I want to give them the option.

Dukakis sought to offer a rationale for his candidacy as a New England governor in the South. “I don’t view the South as being a special region that’s different from the rest of the country,” he said.

Because he was campaigning for next Tuesday’s contests in South Dakota and Minnesota, Illinois Sen. Paul Simon did not participate in the debate, sponsored by the Dallas Morning News, the Texas Monthly and public television station KERA.

Gary Hart, who finished last in New Hampshire, noted that he had been criticized for staying in the race, but reiterated his determination to continue his candidacy.