Bush Vows to Heal Campaign Wounds; Dukakis Sees Upset

George Bush, talking like a man who expects to be President, vowed today to heal any scars left over from a campaign widely viewed as one of the nastiest in memory. Michael S. Dukakis said voter unhappiness over the tone of Bush’s campaign is fueling a Democratic comeback that will give him an upset victory.

“I would work my level best, if I’m elected, to heal any wounds that might be there . . . to assure the American people we’re going to pull together,” Bush said in an interview on NBC-TV’s “Today” program.

“I think the country will come together immediately behind whoever wins this election. It’s always done it in the past. It will do it again,” Bush said. “I’m not worried about that.”

Later, in Columbus, Ohio, Bush disputed critics who say he could be headed for a hollow victory because he has based his campaign on attacking his Democratic rival, rather than laying out his own agenda.

“What I’m asking from the American people . . . is to give me on Nov. 8, not just a political victory, but a mandate from mainstream America,” he said.

Bush also staunchly defended his choice of Dan Quayle as a running mate. Polls say many voters think the junior Indiana senator would be unprepared to assume the presidency in an emergency.

‘Very Hard 2nd Look’

Dukakis, in a CBS-TV interview, said: “I’m angry. I’m not happy with the Republican campaign and I don’t think a lot of people are.”

“That’s one of the reasons (voters are) taking a very hard second look at me and Mr. Bush and seeing very important differences,” Dukakis said on the “This Morning” program.

Dukakis, who celebrated his 55th birthday today, said the race is tightening and predicted, “This one’s going down to the wire and it’s going to be a real horse race.”

But most opinion polls show Dukakis trailing his Republican opponent by 10 or more points nationwide, and separate surveys of the state-by-state electoral votes that will actually determine the winner give Bush an even bigger lead.

Dukakis has mapped out an ambitious final campaign swing through 14 states that account for nearly half of the total electoral vote.

His own polls show him just 7 points behind Bush nationwide with a very close race in such key states as California, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania.

Competitive in 6 States

A variety of independent polls also show Dukakis competitive in those six states, which among them account for 175 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the election.

The problem for Dukakis is that Bush appears to have an iron grip on about 220 electoral votes, mostly in the South and Rocky Mountain states. The Massachusetts governor seems assured of only about 100 electoral votes. He would have to win virtually all of the close states to take the election.

In his television interview, Bush staunchly defended his controversial vice presidential running mate.

“It doesn’t scare me as much as having Gov. Dukakis as President and it doesn’t scare me at all,” Bush said when asked if Quayle should be a heartbeat from the presidency.

“You know, when steel is put in fire it gets tempered, tougher,” Bush said. “My running mate has been subjected to the darndest fire I’ve ever seen in politics . . . a lot of it, most of it, grossly unfair, and he has emerged stronger.”

Bush was referring to controversy over Quayle’s decision to join the National Guard during the Vietnam War and his mediocre academic record.

He called Quayle “strong and knowledgeable and able.”