WASHINGTON INSIGHT

PRESIDENTIAL TRAITS: Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole is tireless, organized and a great role model--but not very convincing, or much fun to hang with. President Clinton is a salesman and better company on the road--but maybe the kids shouldn’t grow up to be like him. Such are the conclusions that can be drawn from answers to a series of offbeat questions asked as pollsters for U.S. News & World Report delved into the murky issues of presidential character and charisma in a recent poll. Among the results: Who would you rather your child grow up like? 42% said Dole, 33% chose Clinton. Who would you enjoy riding in a car with? Clinton, 59% to 31%. If you were going into business . . . who would devote more energy to making it a success? Dole, 48% to 33%; who would you rather keep the books? Dole, 55% to 24%; who would do better at selling your product/service? Clinton, 73% to 19%. So who gets to be president, the role model or the persuasive incumbent? Of those polled, 54% said they were more likely to vote for a candidate they agree with on issues, even though they have concerns about character, while just 31% would reverse that equation.

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A LITTLE QUIRKY: Energy Secretary Hazel O’Leary pulled out all the stops when she was grilled about her much-criticized foreign travels on Capitol Hill last week. Concluding her sometimes emotional three hours before a House subcommittee that has been investigating her trips for months, O’Leary lamented that the treatment accorded her may keep out of government others who are like her: “a little off-beat, a little quirky, a little daring, a little audacious.” Then, she said she was dismayed that her mother, who is in her 80s and was enormously proud when she was appointed Energy secretary, now worries because of what she reads in the press “that her darling baby daughter may be going to jail.” A senior Energy Department staff member was observed wiping tears from her eyes. And Rep. Joe L. Barton (R-Texas), who chairs the subcommittee, immediately offered to call O’Leary’s mother and reassure her.

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GOING TO DISNEY WORLD: At least one prominent fundamentalist Christian doesn’t intend to join in the Southern Baptist boycott of the Walt Disney Co. At a meeting of Los Angeles Times editors and reporters last week, Christian Coalition Executive Director Ralph Reed was asked about the decision by Southern Baptist leaders to urge their 16 million members to boycott Disney films, theme parks and merchandise because of policies and products they believe “disparage Christian values.” Reed, a Presbyterian, said the Baptists clearly had the right to call for a boycott if they wished, but “now whether the boycott takes legs or not--I mean I’ve already got reservations to go to Disney World in August with my family. It’s all prepaid, so I’m going.”

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EVER PRUDENT: Few agencies are held in higher public esteem than the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, whose duties are as vital and as free of politics as any in the federal government. If only the agency had the same high regard for the smarts of those it warns about looming storms. The agency, taking note of the popularity of the current disaster movie “Twister,” this week provided seven tornado safety tips. Capping a list that included such advice as, “If you are in a mobile home, leave it,” was the don’t-stick-a-fork-in-your-eye suggestion: “Protect your head and body from flying debris.”