Dole, Dukakis Top Vote : Restaurant Serves Up an Election Appetizer

Marianne Selph of Orange could seeit now: Ernie Castro, President of the United States.

“I voted for him,” she said, waving a hand at Castro as he walked out of the Dover restaurant at the Doubletree Hotel in Orange.

Never mind that Castro, of Irvine, is a Democrat and Selph a Republican. When Selph cast her vote at the Dover’s Super Tuesday straw poll, loyalty won out over politics.

Selph was one of 70 people who took the time Tuesday to participate in the election-day promotion stunt at the Doubletree, organized to coincide with the primaries in 16 states that collectively have come to be known as Super Tuesday.

Rules Weren’t Strict

With one exception, all of the other votes cast at the Dover were for one (or sometimes more--the rules were fairly relaxed) of the six Republicans and seven Democrats named on the restaurant’s preprinted ballots.

The other write-in vote, undoubtedly from an admiring employee, was for Dean Nelson, manager of the Doubletree.

Included in the totals were results from lunchtime customers’ votes on Feb. 8, the day of the Iowa caucuses, and Feb. 16, the day of the New Hampshire primary. All told, 142 votes were cast.

The GOP winner was Senate Minority Leader Robert Dole of Kansas, with 56%. The remaining votes broke down as follows: Vice President George Bush, 20%; Pat Robertson, 12%; Alexander Haig, 10%, and Rep. Jack Kemp (R-New York), 2%. No vote was cast for former Delaware Gov. Pierre du Pont. Both Haig and Du Pont have dropped out of the race.

On the Democratic side, the winner was Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis with 42%. Other tallies: Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri, 32%; Illinois Sen. Paul Simon, 7%; the Rev. Jesse Jackson, 7%; former Arizona Gov. Bruce Babbitt (who has dropped out of the race), 6%, and Tennessee Sen. Albert Gore, 5%. No vote was cast for Gary Hart.

Some cast their ballots between lunch courses at their tables and gave them to their waiters or waitresses. Others dropped their ballots in a balloon-festooned voting booth set up in the lobby, flanked by TV sets showing videotapes of presidential candidates.

California’s primary on June 7 is among the last in the nation, but the straw vote Tuesday allowed some local residents to express their opinions early.

Napolean Carbonell of Anaheim Hills, formerly of Springfield, Ill., said he voted for Simon as a “favorite son” of his former home state.

“I think I like his stands politically,” Carbonell added.

Peter Matt of Washington, who was in Orange County on business, said he cast a vote in both parties--Dole on the Republican ticket and Gore on the Democratic side.

“Would I vote for either of them in a regular election?” Matt asked himself. “No.” He said he is not sure just who will get his vote when it really counts.

But Ty Ellis of Orange said he voted only for a Republican--Dole. Not a Democrat, even for fun?

“God, no,” Ellis said.