1988 Republican National Convention : Vasquez, Dornan Get to Share Glare of GOP Convention

Two Orange County Republican politicians who could not be more different--except that they both strongly support Vice President George Bush’s presidential candidacy--shared the national spotlight Wednesday night as speakers at the GOP National Convention.

County Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez, who at 33 is viewed as one of the most attractive up-and-coming Latino politicians in California, and Rep. Robert K. Dornan of Garden Grove, 55, a flamboyant conservative who is known for his fiery rhetoric, delivered addresses that were totally different in style while touching on similar themes of family values.

Dornan, in one of several seconding speeches for Bush’s nomination, spoke from notes he had scratched on a yellow legal pad and was revising right up to the last moment. In it, he decried “liberal permissiveness” and said, “Faith, family, freedom--that’s what George Bush is all about.”

Dornan delivered his speech from the convention floor, wearing a new suit he had bought for the moment and with his wife, Sallie, by his side. At one point, when he called Secretary of State George Shultz by Bush’s name, he explained to the other delegates: “I’m up-tight. Biggest two minutes of my life.”

“Sure we’re going to win another one for the Gipper,” he concluded. “But we’re also going to win it for ourselves and our children and for children who live for freedom all around the world.”

In a text prepared and rehearsed well in advance, Vasquez spoke early in the evening from the Superdome podium of his poverty-stricken childhood and his political rise as part of the “American dream.” His wife, Elaine, watched from the front row of the California delegation as her husband delivered his 10-minute address.

Vasquez spoke of his parents, Guadalupe and Eva Vasquez of Orange, who were migrant farm workers when he was born.

“We were poverty-ridden and lacked material goods but abounded with love and hope that someday we would emerge from our plight and capture a part of the American dream,” he said.

Though his parents are both Democrats, Vasquez told the convention that he is a Republican because he was “taught that less government was the best form of government--and I was raised on the belief that in time of need government was there to give a hand, not a handout.”

Vasquez also attempted to turn Democratic nominee Michael S. Dukakis’ fluency in Spanish--with which he electrified the Democratic Convention last month--against that nominee. While Dukakis may speak Spanish, “he doesn’t speak our language,” Vasquez said, earning the biggest cheer of his speech. “His actions and philosophy do not reflect the beliefs or the traditions with which we have been raised.”

Vasquez spoke briefly in Spanish himself: “Al pueblo Latino, la administracion de Reagan-Bush y el partido Republicano han demostrado liderazgo y han abierto las puertas de oportunidad para miliones de Latinos en los Estados Unidos,” Vasquez said.

(“To the Latino community, the Reagan-Bush Administration and the Republican Party have demonstrated leadership, and have opened doors of opportunity for millions of Latinos in the United States.”)

Speaking of Reagan and Bush, he said: “They didn’t just promise economic growth. They have delivered economic prosperity.”

He said that Bush “knows that the fabric of this nation will be made stronger by the many strands that weave the cloth of future America.”

Following the speech, Vasquez joined the California delegation on the convention floor. He said he was not concerned by Bush referring to three of his grandchildren, whose mother is Mexican-American, as “the little brown ones.” Bush was introducing the children to President Reagan as he left the convention Tuesday.

“I think he was intending to be affectionate,” Vasquez said. “I think it is unfortunate that anyone would suggest that their loving grandfather was trying to distinguish them in an inappropriate fashion.”

Vasquez has been a public speaker since he competed in speech tournaments in high school, and later traveled worldwide on behalf of the Apostolic Church to address young audiences about leadership skills and the development of their ideals.

He said Wednesday a few hours before his convention appearance that the speech he had prepared was “very significant and very important for me personally.” He said he had rehearsed it almost to the point of memorizing it, having heard tales about convention speakers who have been victimized by technical glitches with TelePrompTers.

“You worry about unforeseen errors that could occur,” Vasquez said.

His parents had planned to watch his speech in their home in Orange but missed it because convention coverage had not yet begun on the major networks when Vasquez took the podium.

“You mean they’re not going to show it again?” Eva Vasquez asked. “Oh, no. Did he do all right?”

While his wife was in New Orleans with him to hear the speech in the convention hall, the couple left their son, Jason, 9, at home in the care of a family friend. Jason, his father said, was not very impressed by the prospect of the speech.

“His response was, ‘Does that mean I’ve got to watch it on television?’ ” Vasquez said. “I said, ‘Well, Jason, this is a very special honor, and I would appreciate it if you would just watch.’ ”

Vasquez included his son in his speech: “I believe in the strength of America not only for the generation of today, but for the generation of 9-year-old Jason Vasquez and millions of other children who will take the reins of this great nation into the future.”

Dornan and Bush and Quayle

As for Dornan, he spent part of the day basking in the excitement created by the appearance of Bush and his running mate, Indiana Sen. Dan Quayle, at a California delegation rally.

At the midday rally, Bush paid tribute to Dornan, who was the first member of Congress to endorse Bush’s presidential candidacy and who has campaigned heavily for him.

“My affection for Bob knows no bounds,” Bush said as Dornan stepped from behind a curtain onto the raised platform with Bush.

Mentioning a TV program on which Dornan frequently appears, Bush added: “I love it when he gets on that ‘Crossfire’ or whatever it is and goes to bat (for the Republican Party).”