Politics 88 : Gephardt Makes 11th-Hour Bid to Defeat Dukakis in S. Dakota

Rep. Richard A. Gephardt staged a frenzied last-minute effort Monday to overcome Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis in today’s primary here, giving speeches across the state and bombarding the airwaves with campaign commercials.

The ads appear to have put Dukakis on the defensive. Arriving here Monday afternoon, Dukakis charged at an airport press conference that the Gephardt ads had “distorted” his record. “If there’s one thing we don’t need, it’s division and anger and polarization, which until recently, we’ve seen only on the Republican side,” he said.

Despite the effect of the ads, aides to the Missouri congressman tried to reduce expectations of a Gephardt victory here, a state the campaign had targeted in hopes of getting momentum and media attention for the upcoming primaries in the South.

‘Ran Out of Time’

“If we would have had two more days here we would have done it,” said deputy campaign manager Joseph Trippi. “We ran out of time.”

In the Gephardt ads, Dukakis is ridiculed for once having suggested that Iowa farmers diversify into other crops, such as Belgian endive, and is portrayed as a tax-raiser.

Dukakis angrily responded Monday that “the people of South Dakota know Mike Dukakis’ record, and I don’t want it distorted by candidacies that either are getting so desperate or so frantic that they have to engage in negative advertising. Gephardt tried that in New Hampshire, and so did (Illinois Sen. Paul) Simon, and it didn’t work.”

The Dukakis campaign said that Dukakis raised taxes in his first term as governor after he had inherited a $400-million deficit, but has cut taxes five times since he was reelected in 1982. He didn’t urge Iowans to grow endive, but merely pointed out that Massachusetts farmers in one hard-pressed region had done so, his aides said.

Dukakis enjoys the advantage of a strong organization here and exposure gained from an early run of television commercials in January. Gephardt arrived here from New Hampshire on Wednesday to try to catch up and began what an aide described as a “very large” television advertising campaign.

Little Effort in Minnesota

Gephardt’s campaign put little effort into Minnesota, which holds its caucuses today and where Dukakis also is expected to be victorious.

Asked if the campaign was already conceding South Dakota, Trippi said: “No. We still think we might be able to do it.”

Gephardt aides said that internal tracking polls showed that Gephardt, who was 13 points behind Dukakis a week ago, had reduced the gap to five points on Saturday. “We are moving faster than I’ve ever seen anybody move,” Trippi claimed.

U.S. Sen. Thomas A. Daschle, who is popular among Democrats here, has boosted Gephardt’s chances by endorsing him. The senator starred in one of Gephardt’s television commercials, sent out 22,000 letters urging Democrats to support him, and appeared with him on the stump.

The Aberdeen American News, one of the larger newspapers in the state, also endorsed Gephardt. “We feel Gephardt has the personal charisma and background to deal with the tough national and international issues,” the editorial in Sunday’s paper said.

Logs 14-Hour Days

Gephardt, a tireless campaigner, has logged 14-hour days here, meeting with farmers, union activists, students and Democratic activists. On Monday, for example, he attended seven events in South Dakota before flying to Wyoming after nightfall for an eighth appearance. His wife, Jane; mother, Loreen, and brother Don joined him here briefly on the trail on Sunday.

The congressman tells his audiences that foreigners think Americans are “stupid” and “naive” because the United States permits imports from countries that restrict U.S. goods. When he is President, Gephardt says, he will insist that foreign countries open up their markets to U.S. goods or risk losing their U.S. markets.

“I welcome their products,” Gephardt told about 125 students and faculty members Monday at South Dakota State University. “We must compete. But by golly, if they can take their products here with ease, I want us to be able to take our products there and sell them with equal ease.”

He exhorts crowds to ignore critics who warn his policies could ignite trade wars. “When we have finally stood up,” he said, “other countries have opened up.”

Gephardt has been warmly received in this agricultural state, which was hit hard by the farm crisis. Most of his audiences interrupt his speeches with applause and laugh heartily at his jokes. When Gephardt tells them, “We’re going to tell OPEC where to go,” a standard line in his stump speech, they shout “Yeah!” or “All right!” and turn to their neighbors to smile.

‘He Knows Our Problems’

“He’s one of us,” said W. K. (Dutch) Dammeier, 68, a Beadle County commissioner who heard Gephardt speak in Huron, in the eastern part of the state, on Sunday. “He’s from the Midwest, and he knows our problems.”

But Gephardt’s aides, fearful that the advertising and Daschle’s endorsement may have come too late, began trying on Monday to soften the blow of a possible Dukakis victory.

THE MINNESOTA AND SOUTH DAKOTA CONTESTS MINNESOTA

THE STATE

Population: 4,214,000 (1986 est.)

Racial/Ethnic makeup: 17% German, 7%

Norwegian, 4% Swedish, 3% English, 2%

Irish, Polish,

1% French, Dutch, Italian.

Major Cities: Minneapolis 370,951;

St. Paul 270,230 (capital); Duluth 92,811.

Economy: Dominated by iron ore

production and agricultural

manufacturing industries. Other

major economic focus is factory

production, including non-

electrical machinery, fabricated

metals, flour-mill products, plastics,

electronic computers, scientific

instruments and processed foods.

Registered voters (1986) 2,655,650;

no party registration.

THE CAUCUSES

Precinct caucuses beginning at 7:30 p.m. CST will begin the process of selecting 78 delegates to the Democratic National Convention and 31 delegates to the Republican National Convention. Both party caucuses are open to any Minnesota resident of voting age, whether a registered voter or not. The Democratic caucuses have a shadow over them because they do not abide by the national party calendar, but the state party argues that the date was set by state law.

SOUTH DAKOTA

THE STATE

Population: 708,000 (1986 est.)

Racial/ethnic makeup: 26% German,

7% Norwegian, 4% English, 3%

Irish, 2% Dutch, Swedish, 1% French.

Major cities: Sioux Falls 81,343;

Rapid City 46,492; Aberdeen 25,851.

(Capital is Pierre).

Economy: Dominated by agriculture and agriculture-related manufacturing industries (especially food processing).Its other major production is minerals,including gold, beryllium, bentonite, granite, silver, petroleum and uranium.

Registered voters (1986): 428,097.

Democrats 43%. Republicans 49%. Independents 8%.

THE PRIMARY

Polls will close at 7 p.m. CST. At stake are 15 delegates to the Democratic National Convention and 18 delegates to the Republican National Convention. Only registered Democrats may vote in the Democratic primary and registered Republicans in the GOP primary. To qualify for delegates, a Democratic candidate must receive at least 15% of the vote, and a GOP candidate must receive 20%.