POLITICS 88 : Gore Says Rivals’ Dovish Views Jeopardize Democrats’ Chances

Defying an admonition from New York Gov. Mario M. Cuomo to avoid criticizing his presidential rivals, Sen. Albert Gore Jr. on Thursday contended that because of their dovish foreign policy views, the nomination of Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis or the Rev. Jesse Jackson would gravely jeopardize Democratic chances of regaining the White House.

One purpose of the campaign for the nomination is “to sharpen our party’s message in the fall,” the Tennessee senator said in his harshest judgment yet of his competition for the nomination. Gore addressed 350 members of the New York State Democratic Committee at a forum for the three surviving Democratic presidential candidates.

“If there are positions that cannot survive the rough and tumble of the primary campaign,” added Gore, who is running third in the Democratic race, “those who hold those positions will have an opportunity to clarify them.”

Citing Democratic defeats in four out of the last five presidential elections, Gore said: “There has been a perception on the part of Americans that our approach to foreign policy is out of touch with what they would like to see.”

Cites Carter Decision

Gore specifically criticized Dukakis and Jackson for being critical of former President Jimmy Carter’s 1979 decision to send Pershing missiles to Europe and for opposing President Reagan’s decision last fall to send warships to keep Persian Gulf sea lanes open as examples of the sort of views that have cost the Democrats votes in the past.

“Why do we have to take the opposite position when we have a clear national interest on the other side?” he asked. “This business of just marching off the cliff once again like lemmings is ridiculous.”

Addressing the same group in a separate appearance, Jackson did not deal directly with the pros and cons of competing presidential candidates criticizing each other. But as he has often done before, he reminded Democrats of their defeats in 1968 and 1980, which he blamed on intra-party squabbling.

“Let us take the high ground,” Jackson said. “You know, we know how to lose. In 1968, Democrats defeated (Hubert H.) Humphrey in the spring, and (Richard M.) Nixon beat his remains in the fall.” In the 1980 campaign, when Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged Carter for the nomination, Jackson said some Democrats complained that “there was no difference between Carter and Reagan, and Reagan beat what was left in the fall.”

In an apparent effort to practice what he preached about taking a positive approach, Jackson sought to alleviate the concerns of Jewish voters in New York about his views on Israel and the Middle East by offering strong assurances of backing for Israel’s security.

Israel Top Priority

Answering a question from the audience, Jackson said that “the first thing an American President must do is to ensure” Israel’s right to exist. “Beyond that,” he added, the United States should act to get “Israel’s enemies to also recognize Israel’s right to exist.”

In his appearance before the party leaders, Dukakis gave the blandest performance of the three, repeating many of his claims about his gubernatorial experience, which has been the mainstay of his campaign. Aides to Dukakis said a new poll to be made public today will show him with a substantial lead over Jackson and the candidate, still riding the crest of a wave from his triumph in Tuesday’s Wisconsin primary, seemed determined not to create any controversy that might disturb his prospects.

When asked about Gore’s criticism of his positions on foreign and defense policy, Dukakis did not respond directly but said instead: “I’m for a strong national defense. But I mean a strong national defense.”

He said that since defense spending is unlikely to increase in real terms, no matter who succeeds Reagan in the White House, the real test of defense policy will be to maintain a strong defense “given the limits we have set for ourselves, given the economic and fiscal realities.” Dukakis said that he would emphasize spending on conventional weaponry.

Cuomo Remains a Factor

The question of candidates’ criticism of each other came up because of the intervention in the campaign by Cuomo, who has so far maintained neutrality in the race, although he is believed to be sympathetic to Dukakis.

In an interview with the Washington Post published Thursday, Cuomo said that negative campaigning “does not work” and is “terribly dangerous.” He said that his remarks were “intended for all Democrats but specifically for Al Gore, a man I’ve encouraged in the race from the beginning.”

In reality, political professionals pointed out, the differing attitudes by the various candidates toward so-called negative campaigning tend to reflect their respective positions in the race.

As the leader in the race for convention delegates, Dukakis has little interest in attacking the other candidates and thus running the risk of giving them an issue that could be used against him. “You only get negative when you are behind, or you think you are losing your support to somebody else,” said Paul Tully, Dukakis’ former national political director.

Tully pointed out that Gore is too far behind Dukakis for the governor to attack him. As for Jackson, Tully pointed out, the main strategy of the Dukakis campaign was not to weaken Jackson but eventually to get into a two-man contest with him. “The (Dukakis) campaign believes that being one-on-one with Jackson is the answer to their problems.”

For his part, the Jackson strategy from the beginning of his candidacy has been to avoid any tactics that might make him vulnerable to charges of divisiveness.

The only candidate whose interests are served by criticizing the others is Gore, because he is well behind his two rivals.

Dukakis Responds

Gore is trying to convert Dukakis backers not only by criticizing Dukakis but also by criticizing Jackson and then criticizing Dukakis for being too timid to attack Jackson. Indeed, Dukakis responded to such criticism at a press conference Thursday.

“I’ve been in politics for 25 years and I’ve certainly come in for my share of attacks,” the governor said. “But this is the first time I’ve been attacked for not attacking anyone else.”

Gore also contends that Dukakis’ Wisconsin campaign director, Pat Forciea, and Dukakis aides in New York were spreading the word that “a vote for Gore is a vote for Jackson.”

When asked about the alleged remark, Dukakis said: “I don’t believe that comment was ever made and, if it was, it should not have been.”

Staff writers Doug Jehl and Robert Gillette contributed to this story.

POPULAR VOTE IN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES

All contests to date

DEMOCRATS

99.6% of precincts reporting

Dukakis 3,575,964 27.9% Jackson 3,496,659 27.3% Gore 2,811,739 22.0% Gephardt 1,269,630 9.9% Simon 952,921 7.4% Hart 319,368 2.5% Uncommitted 204,575 1.6% Others 99,464 0.8% Babbitt 74,403 0.6%

REPUBLICANS

98.2% of precincts reporting

Bush 4,267,751 58.2% Dole 1,733,990 23.0% Robertson 858,741 11.7% Kemp 343,417 4.7% DuPont 51,335 0.7% Uncommitted 49,224 0.7% Haig 25,578 0.3% Others 3,820 0.1%

Primary states to date: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina (GOP only), South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin.

Source: Associated Press