CAMPAIGN ’88 : Deukmejian Finds V.P. Talk Subject for Humor

Gov. George Deukmejian gave a humorous non-answer Sunday to the inevitable, often-asked question of whether there might be any circumstances under which he would accept an offer by Vice President George Bush to become his running mate.

“I consulted my astrologer this morning and she told me that this was not a particularly good day for me to answer that question,” Deukmejian replied on ABC-TV’s “This Week With David Brinkley.”

However, Deukmejian’s press secretary, Kevin Brett, said later that the governor’s answer should not be construed as leaving the door open to a vice presidential bid. He said Deukmejian has given the same answer previously, but continues to insist that he could not leave the governor’s office because he would have to turn it over to a Democrat.

Last Friday, at a Los Angeles press conference, Deukmejian reiterated what he has said hundreds of times: “Even if I were asked, I could not accept it.”

The theory behind placing Deukmejian on the Republican ticket is that it would help Bush carry California, the state with the largest bloc of electoral votes. But Deukmejian said on the Brinkley show he is confident that Bush will win the state anyway.