1988 Democratic National Convention : Democrats Still Struggling Over Who Will Address the Delegates

Democratic Party leaders have moved to resolve one of the big struggles of their upcoming national convention.

No, not the jostling between Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, but the battle over which other Democrats will address the convention and which will get to do it on live television.

Under a tentative schedule of speakers released Saturday, Democratic leaders decided that embattled House Speaker Jim Wright of Texas will address the delegates for 16 minutes. But not on prime time--even though he carries the title “convention chairman.”

Two other, shorter scheduled appearances by Wright also have been squeezed off prime time.

Several of the losers who ran against Dukakis and Jackson in the Democratic primaries and then dropped out will get an appearance on prime time. But that is all they will get--they will not be asked to speak.

A Tentative Lineup

The schedule has taken Democrats anxious weeks to prepare, negotiate and renegotiate. Still, Democratic National Committee officials who are administering the convention stressed the lineup of speakers is still highly tentative and probably will be refined a number of times.

Television dictated this year’s scramble over the program when the three major networks decided to compress live coverage to only two hours on prime time, from 6 to 8 p.m. PDT. At least one network, CBS, will grow to three hours on the final night, Thursday, to accommodate acceptance speeches of Dukakis and his designated running mate, Texas Sen. Lloyd Bentsen.

Cable News Network will cover the proceedings from beginning to end--3 1/2 hours to 6 1/2 hours each day, according to the Democrats’ schedule.

A Favorite Target

Wright, whose business and constituent dealings are under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, has become a favorite target of political attack by Republicans in this year’s elections. Every time a Democratic candidate for office complains about legal actions and ethical investigations in or around the Reagan Administration, Republicans counter with mention of Wright.

That posed something of a complication for convention planners, who earlier selected Wright as chairman of the event.

The answer offered by the tentative schedule is to put Wright’s main address before the Democrats on Tuesday a half-hour before television goes live. Then, Wright adjourns the convention on Thursday. Unlike each preceding night when adjournment coincides with television’s planned convention sign-off, Wright’s adjournment is not scheduled until seven minutes after the networks return to regular programming.

Mike McCurry, the party spokesman for convention activities, acknowledged that Wright aides had complained about the schedule. “We heard a rumble or two,” McCurry said.

But he also insisted that no snub was intended. “He will be a very visible, very active convention chair,” he said.

In keeping with the down-to-business image for this convention sought by Dukakis and Democratic National Chairman Paul G. Kirk Jr., virtually all speakers are officeholders or those who once held office in the party.

Some Exceptions

Exceptions generally involve relatives and a scattering of entertainers. Jackson’s children will introduce him. Twenty-eight-year-old John F. Kennedy Jr., a law student and son or the former President, will introduce his uncle, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts.

Actress Olympia Dukakis will introduce her cousin for his nomination acceptance speech. And Harry Ellis Dickson, Michael Dukakis’ father-in-law and retired associate conductor of the Boston Pops, will conduct an orchestral performance of a special fanfare written in honor of the occasion.

CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS

MONDAY, JULY 18

6:24 p.m.--Keynote address by Texas state Treasurer Ann Richards.

7:08 p.m.--Remarks by party chairman Paul G. Kirk Jr.

7:34 p.m.--Address by former President Jimmy Carter.

TUESDAY, JULY 19

Note: In the course of the evening, chairman Kirk will introduce separately former Arizona Gov. Bruce Babbitt, Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (Mo.), Sen. Albert Gore Jr. (Tenn.), and Sen. Paul Simon (Ill.).

6:07 p.m.--Remarks by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (Mass.)

6:25-7:15 p.m. --Presentation of party platform by Michigan Gov. James J. Blanchard, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Jim Hightower, Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (Md.), Rep. William H. Gray III (Pa.) and others.

7:25 p.m.--Address by the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20

6:03 p.m.--Nominations for President of Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis and the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

6:48 p.m.--Remarks and roll call of the states by party Secretary Dorothy Bush.

7:40 p.m.--Announcement of results.

THURSDAY, JULY 21

4:55 p.m.--Nominations and roll call for vice president.

6:12 p.m.--Introduction of vice presidential nominee and acceptance speech.

6:53 p.m.--Introduction of Michael Dukakis by his cousin, actress Olympia Dukakis.

6:53 p.m.--Acceptance speech by Dukakis.