Dukakis, Bush Kick Off Campaign’s Final Drive : Republican Stresses Crime and Defense in Southern California

At Disneyland with Olympic athletes on display, on the San Diego wharf with men at work, threading through protesters and sharing the anguish of the death of a Los Angeles police officer, George Bush devoted his Labor Day campaign kickoff to the pleasures and pain of this critically important political place, Southern California.

In words and pictures spread across three Southland counties, the Republican presidential nominee on Monday revisited some of the enduring themes of his campaign--the economy, crime and national defense. And he spiced it with language hot enough to match the sweltering temperatures.

Equally significant was the Southern California setting.

Hope to Increase Turnout

Bush strategists hope to drive up the GOP turnout in conservative strongholds and deny Democratic presidential nominee Michael S. Dukakis a must-win victory in California.

Bush began his day talking with fishermen on the San Diego wharf about Dukakis. In the background of the carefully selected site were two aircraft carriers.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he thinks a naval exercise is something you find in Jane Fonda’s workout book,” Bush said.

In addition, Bush took a shot at former California Supreme Court Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird, a favorite villain of conservatives who was ousted from office nearly two years ago.

“To the people of California, I have to say: If you loved Rose Bird, you’ll love my opponent. They both hate and oppose the death penalty, no matter how brutal the crime that’s been committed.

“But I don’t worry, because I can’t believe the people who voted Rose Bird off the state Supreme Court would want a President who would put liberals like her on the United States Supreme Court.”

Loads Fish Into Bins

Wearing a tie but no coat, Bush boarded the trawler Westerly to load some yellowtail and shark into bins while cameras whirred. And he went into the Chesapeake Fish Co. processing plant and struggled to filet a freshly caught white sea bass. He posed for cameras with many of the varieties of Western fish.

“I’m overdressed for the occasion,” Bush joked as his tie drooped into a bin of seafood.

For all the care that planners put in positioning Bush for the right “photo op,” there seemed to be little interest in building up crowds at the scene.

The vice president was greeted in San Diego by only about 200 supporters--and a noisy group of 75 protesters. The pro-Dukakis protesters grew livid when Bush operatives formed a wall of cardboard to screen them from sight of the platform.

Shouts of ‘Cover-up!’

“More Republican cover-up!” screeched Ray Aragon of Chula Vista, holding up a Dukakis-Bensten sign.

Frank Collins, a Bush supporter in the audience, said the turnout was depressed “because Bush is going to win 60% or more of the vote here, so they are a little more apathetic.”

Bush moved next to Disneyland, where, in a farewell address to Seoul-bound U.S. Olympic athletes, he told of jotting down some thoughts about whom the youngsters were representing at the games.

“You’re representing a country of the little guy--the country where, no matter what the circumstances of your birth or background, you can go anywhere and do anything . . . . You’re representing a country where the sense of possibilities is so palpable you can almost breathe it in the air.”

Crowds Thin at Disneyland

Again, even at the amusement park, crowds were scanty, barely two deep in places to hear Bush, along with remarks by Gov. George Deukmejian and Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, who wished Olympic athletes well.

Deukmejian traveled with Bush during the day. He joked with one crowd about the gubernatorial image of blandness.

“I read that the governor is boring; that the governor doesn’t have any charisma,” Deukmejian said. “Enough about Michael Dukakis.”

Bush finished his campaign day in Los Angeles at a traditional union picnic. The union was the Los Angeles Police Protective League, which gave the vice president his warmest welcome of the day at the Police Academy grounds in Elysian Park.

Attended Police Funeral

Bush noted that only Friday outside Washington he had attended the funeral of a policeman accidentally killed by another officer in a raid on “these narcotics bums.”

“And then here . . . on the West Coast . . . we pay tribute to Officer (Daniel) Pratt,” Bush said somberly. He was referring to a 30-year-old officer gunned down Saturday night in continuing gang warfare in Los Angeles.

A hush fell over the audience at the mention of the lost officer.

Even though Bush’s campaigning in California lasted only one day, strategists for the vice president continued to insist publicly that this is one of the most important half-dozen or so battlegrounds of the election.

According to Bill Lacy, who is coordinating the campaign in California, Bush can claim a natural base here of about 44% of the electorate, judging from voter behavior in high-visibility statewide elections. An additional 16% is in the middle and about 40% belong to the Democrats, Lacey said.

Seek to Excite Stalwarts

Increasingly, Bush operatives are open in talking about their strategy for approaching the state--trying to drive down enthusiasm for Dukakis among his natural base of support while trying to excite the GOP stalwarts for Bush.

This is a plan for polarizing California, and it relies heavily on generating a massive voter turnout in Republican-rich Orange County.

“This Orange County thing is real,” adviser Charlie Black said. “You could get an extra 100,000 people out by just firing them up.”