The Times / CNN Poll : Bentsen About Last Choice of Rank and File

Among all the potential vice presidents considered by Michael S. Dukakis, Texas Sen. Lloyd Bentsen would have been about the last chosen both by rank-and-file Democratic voters and delegates to the party’s national convention, according to Los Angeles Times/CNN surveys.

Voters--Republicans as well as Democrats--thought the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Ohio Sen. John Glenn and Tennessee Sen. Albert Gore Jr. would have been stronger candidates than Bentsen.

Other Preferences

Convention delegates would have preferred Jackson, Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn, Glenn and Gore, in that order.

Bentsen did not rank high among any groups surveyed--Democratic voters, Dukakis delegates, even Southern whites. In fact, on most scales he barely registered, receiving the support of just 1% of voters and 5% of all delegates.

But a nationwide survey of voters illustrated at least two reasons why Dukakis picked Bentsen:

--The Massachusetts governor has less strength in the South than he does in any other region. He and Vice President George Bush are running virtually even in Dixie, and the veteran Texas senator presumably can help the Democratic ticket there.

--Voters have doubts about the governor’s ability to handle foreign affairs, believing by 2 to 1 that Bush would do a better job. Bentsen has had foreign affairs experience in his 18 years in the Senate and presumably can bolster the ticket’s credentials in that respect.

Beyond that, although voters placed Jackson high on their list of potential vice presidents, many believed strongly that he would have weakened the Democratic ticket. Delegates said the same thing.

And, although Jackson was the heavy favorite of his own delegates to become Dukakis’ running mate, he ranked near the bottom of the list--even below Bentsen--among all other delegates.

The Los Angeles Times Poll conducted a nationwide telephone survey of 1,763 registered voters for six days ending last Sunday night. The margin of error is 3 percentage points in either direction.

Additionally, the Times Poll, in conjunction with Cable News Network, has been conducting a telephone survey of the 4,161 delegates to the Democratic National Convention, which begins here next Monday. As of Tuesday, 3,825 delegates had been interviewed.

“Clearly, Bentsen is not well known, but being unknown never really hurt a vice presidential candidate,” Times Poll Director I. A. Lewis said. “Lewis’ Law says that, if you don’t know a man, you like him. The big test will be: can he carry Texas? If he can, then he’ll do what very few vice presidents have done: make a real contribution to the ticket.”

Evidence that voters outside Texas know little about Bentsen was found when people were asked their impressions of the senator. Eighty-five percent of those surveyed had no opinion of Bentsen. Among the few who did, the opinion was 3 to 1 favorable. Even three-fourths of Southern whites had no impression of the Texan.

Impressions of Glenn, Gore

By contrast, only a third of the voters had no impression of former astronaut Glenn, whose rating among the rest was 5 to 1 favorable. Less than half of the voters had no impression of Gore. Among the rest, the Tennessee senator was rated favorably by roughly 3 to 1.

Jackson Heads List

When all voters were asked who they thought “would make the best candidate for vice president on the Democratic ticket,” Jackson headed the list with 13%, followed by Glenn, 11%, and Gore, 9%.

Jackson’s support was concentrated among blacks. Nearly half of the white Democrats had no opinion about who should be Dukakis’ running mate. And those who did placed Glenn and Gore atop their lists.

Among Southern voters--the people Dukakis obviously was trying to attract by selecting Bentsen--Gore topped the list of “best” vice presidential candidates, outpolling Bentsen by nearly 5 to 1.

When convention delegates were asked who their “personal choice” was for vice president, Jackson topped the list (21%), followed by Nunn (16%), Glenn (14%), Gore (11%), New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley (6%), Bentsen (5%), Florida Sen. Bob Graham (4%), and some others.

Two-thirds of Jackson’s delegates favored him for vice president, but Jackson delegates make up only 27% of the convention total. Dukakis’ delegates--who make up nearly 60% of the total--liked Nunn (21%) and Glenn (20%), followed by Gore (11%), Bradley (9%), Bentsen (6%), Graham (5%), Jackson (3%) and a smattering of others.

‘Southerner’ Favored

Personal choices aside, however, the delegates indicated that they might have been thinking along the same lines as Dukakis when they were asked to identify the type of running mate who would appeal most to voters in their own states. The most appealing type by far was “a Southerner.”

Forty-three percent of the delegates believed somebody from the South “would be the strongest” vice presidential candidate, followed far back by a Midwesterner (22%) and a Westerner (11%). Thought to be less strong were a black (8%), “the runner-up for the nomination” (8%), or a woman (3%).

By 3 to 2, delegates disagreed with the thesis that Jackson “has earned the right to be offered the vice presidency because of the votes he won in the primaries and caucuses.” Dukakis’ delegates disagreed by nearly 5 to 1. But Jackson’s delegates, illustrating a potential problem for Dukakis, agreed with the statement by nearly 12 to 1.

Split Over Jackson

Another indication that Dukakis may have a problem winning the allegiance of Jackson’s delegates is that, by 5 to 1, they believed placing the civil rights leader on the ticket would have strengthened it. By contrast, Dukakis’ delegates felt, by 14 to 1, that Jackson would have weakened the ticket.

Among voters, whites believed by 5 to 2 that Jackson would have weakened the Democratic ticket but blacks said by 5 to 2 that he would have strengthened it.

The Times survey illustrated again that racism still is a factor in presidential politics. Two hypothetical candidates were described to voters. Half of those polled were told that one was a black. And, when the candidate was described as black, he fared 26 points worse than when his race was not identified.