Politics 88 : Unity to Be Stressed as Jackson Meets Party Loyalists

A group of key Democratic loyalists, jittery over the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s primary election successes, will meet with him here today to urge party unity in the 1988 general election.

Jackson, now dueling with Gov. Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts for the lead in the Democratic presidential race, requested the meeting and the Democrats quickly agreed in order to deal early with problems they feel could weaken their nominee in the fall election.

Many Democrats worry that if Jackson winds up on the party’s ticket, either as the nominee or the running mate, it will cause many white Democrats to vote Republican, and doom the party’s chances in the presidential election.

On the other hand, any concerted effort to deny Jackson a place on the ticket could also be costly to the party.

Former Democratic Chairman John C. White, stressing that party unity will be the major subject of today’s session with Jackson, said: “If there’s a stop-Jackson movement in this party, I think we’ll be taking a poison pill.”

White, who supported Rep. Richard A. Gephardt until the Missouri congressman withdrew from the presidential race Monday, said: “We have got a legitimate black candidate who is a leader for the nomination and there is all kind of talk going on within the party about what ought to be done. What we’ve got to do is let the process play out and then unify around the nominee.”

Jackson’s national campaign manager, California Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, also said Tuesday he didn’t think there would be a stop-Jackson movement, adding: “I don’t think they want to get caught doing that.”

Brown, who conferred with House Speaker Jim Wright (D-Tex.) on Jackson’s behalf, told reporters he was writing letters to all 645 of the Democrats’ “super delegates”--the elected officials and party leaders who are automatically entitled to a vote at the national convention--urging them to support Jackson for the nomination.

‘Not a Poverty Organization’

Pointing out that Jackson had raised $140,000 two weekends ago in Southern California, Brown said: “This is not a poverty organization anymore. We’re mainstream.”

Jackson told reporters he would be meeting with a cross-section of party leaders today to “assess this stage of our campaign and what we must do as Democrats to keep expanding, to keep building, to keep feeling, to keep a clear message en route to the convention and beyond.”

Although he did not spell out what he hoped to accomplish at the meeting, Jackson said it would be “for the purpose of broadening our base, the purpose of getting their insights and experience into the campaign process.” He obviously hopes the session will dramatize the idea that he is significantly expanding his base of support.

Jackson said many of the party figures are specialists in different fields “who we want to become advisers whether they endorse us or not.”

Today’s session also will provide an opportunity for Jackson, whose successes apparently have exceeded his own expectations, to take stock of his campaign halfway through the nomination process and determine his future course.

Richard Moe, a longtime Democratic activist who advised Gephardt and served on former Vice President Walter F. Mondale’s staff, said the meeting should stress that “the process will run its course and that the person who gets the most votes in all the primaries and caucuses will have the best claim on the nomination whether he has a majority or not before the convention.”

Democratic Chairman Paul G. Kirk Jr., who apparently is not scheduled to attend today’s meeting, has said the party should abide by its established process and that Democrats should rally behind the candidate who has the most delegates after the final Democratic contests are held in California, Montana, New Jersey and New Mexico on June 7.

Clark Clifford, an elder statesman of the party who has served as an adviser or official in several Democratic administrations dating back to President Harry S. Truman, will moderate today’s meeting.

Staff writers Thomas B. Rosenstiel and Sara Fritz contributed to this story.