Clinton Advisers Woo Executives in Irvine : Politics: Two campaign representatives push the presidential candidate as a different kind of Democrat to about 60 high-tech business leaders.

Stepping up an effort to stage a political revolt in the Republican stronghold of Orange County, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton’s campaign advisers wooed a crowd of high-tech business executives at Western Digital Corp. here Monday.

Some executives attending the lunch were undecided, but many backed Clinton after Sunday’s debate because they said Bush had not yet recognized the depth of the nation’s economic woes and done too little to help struggling industries.

The high-tech field has been ripe for Clinton converts ever since Roger W. Johnson, chief executive of disk drive maker Western Digital and a past Republican supporter, threw his support behind the Arkansas governor earlier this year.

Al From, director of a Democratic Party policy group, and Rob Shapiro, Clinton’s economic adviser, hailed their candidate’s debate debut and pushed Clinton as a different kind of Democrat to about 60 high-tech executives.

Shapiro focused on Clinton’s willingness to help the nation’s businesses recover from the biggest recession since the Great Depression and compete globally while still supporting a free market system. “It’s neither hands-off government nor hands-all-over government,” Shapiro said.

Johnson said he felt Clinton’s performance in the debate clearly set apart the field of candidates.

“I’m convinced he is not a traditional Democrat and that he has moved the party toward the middle while my party has moved to the right,” Johnson said. “At some point, you have to take a leap of faith.”

Others at the meeting showed their support for Clinton.

Kathryn Thompson, a developer and one of the few real estate industry executives attending the meeting, said that Bush’s proposed solutions, such as his decision to put James Baker III in charge of his economic revival plan, were too little, too late.

Zak Kong, chief executive of Network Software Associates in Irvine, said the debate solidified his support for Clinton, particularly in his stand on social issues.

There were still doubts among other executives.

Rod Hasilyk, a Bush supporter and president of a portable computer accessories firm in Huntington Beach, said he wasn’t yet convinced that Clinton was more than just election-year political packaging for a well-worn Democratic platform.

“George Bush has the right basic philosophy but is going in the wrong direction,” Hasilyk said. “Bill Clinton seems to have the basic Democratic philosophy but he’s going in the right direction economically.”

Michael K. Noggle, president of BACE Plastics Group, a manufacturer of plastic molds in Anaheim, said he was alarmed about Clinton’s oversimplified remarks during the debate about the insurance industry’s greed contributing to the nation’s health-care crisis. A Republican, Noggle said he had not yet decided for whom he would vote.

From noted that Clinton’s legislative solution on health care was “still evolving.”