Speech to Young Executives : GOP Strategist Says Atwater Will ‘Do All Right’

Veteran Republican strategist Stuart K. Spencer, a close adviser to presidents and governors over the last several decades, had some advice Tuesday for new GOP national Chairman Lee Atwater:

“He’s got to spend less time with (blues guitarist) B.B. King and more time with national committeemen and committeewomen,” Spencer said with a wink. “And he’ll do all right.” Then, directing his comments to two reporters, he added, “Put that in there: He’ll do all right.”

Spencer, who made his remarks at a breakfast meeting of the Orange County chapter of Young Executives of America, was referring to Atwater’s by-now-famous guitar playing with King and others at Republican events and night clubs during his first weeks as national chairman.

But it was also a reference to Atwater’s recent resignation from the Howard University’s board of trustees under heavy pressure from black students. Protesters at the predominantly black campus in Washington had contended that Atwater, who ran President Bush’s campaign last year, was insensitive to black concerns. They said a Bush campaign TV ad featuring Willie Horton, a black man who attacked a couple while on a work furlough from a prison in Massachusetts--where Bush opponent Michael S. Dukakis is governor--contributed to “anti-black sentiment.”

Spencer said Atwater “should have researched the Howard University thing a little more before he did it. Lee made some mistakes,” he said.

Quayle Adviser

Spencer, perhaps more than any other GOP political consultant in America, has a right to express his views about Atwater or anything else on the political scene. He and the late Bill Roberts--who together formed Spencer/Roberts--were the fathers of modern campaign consulting. Spencer’s advice has been sought by Bush and former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford, as well as hundreds of other Republican candidates. The Dana Point resident most recently was a top adviser to Vice President Dan Quayle during last fall’s campaign. Of that, he said the media’s “thirst for drama” and “gotcha journalism” became the story instead of Quayle’s qualifications for office.

Spencer, who talked about the Quayle campaign and others to about 50 people gathered for the sausage-and-eggs breakfast at the Pacific Club in Newport Beach, also touched on a wide variety of political topics.

For example, he said he disagreed with Republicans and Democrats who predicted that the selection of former California Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. as state Democratic Party chairman would harm Democrats.

“Wherever Jerry goes he’s going to stir things up,” Spencer said. “I think he’s a plus” for the Democrats.

Spencer said he does not believe that the rhetoric Republicans have used against Brown, including his appointment of the ultimately highly unpopular Rose Elizabeth Bird as California chief justice, would keep sticking.

Bird will be a good target only for a limited time, Spencer said. “I think Jerry Brown’s going to be an interesting foe.”