Republicans’ Nominee-to-Be Preaches to Converted in O.C.

Just give a short speech chastising Bill Clinton and offer safe themes that have resonated in Orange County for decades--heartland, God and patriotism.

That’s all it took for Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole to lift a friendly and overwhelmingly conservative crowd to its feet Tuesday.

“Less government, less taxes, less welfare--those are the three things we want and he can do that,” gushed Rena Godshall of Corona del Mar, a member of the Balboa Bay Republican Women Federated.

It didn’t seem to matter that Dole’s speech before 1,000 people at the Irvine Marriott was short on specifics and avoided the incendiary abortion issue. What counted was the reassuring feeling from the words that Republicans love to hear:

“We are the party of opportunity,” Dole told the Orange County Forum. “We are going to reach out and bring more and more people into the Republican Party for the right reasons. . . . People who know a lot about . . . duty and self-reliance.”

Local party leaders were elated by Dole’s appearance before the forum, a 5-year-old, nonpartisan group that airs political views and discusses current events.

For party officials, this was an opportunity to get exposure and consolidate support in their drive to produce a winning margin of 300,000 votes in Orange County, a figure they believe will give Dole the critical edge to carry California in November.

“He was right on target,” said an exuberant Thomas A. Fuentes, the county’s Republican Party chairman. “He hit the issues right on the head for the audience in this county.”

Dole spoke as if he were among friends. And he surely was. In attendance were former Gov. George Deukmejian, California Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren, Irvine Co. executive Gary Hunt, Los Angeles Olympics organizer Peter V. Ueberroth, Assembly Speaker Curt Pringle (R-Garden Grove) and Lincoln Club of Orange County Chairman Doy Henley.

Everybody hung on Dole’s words as he promised to appoint conservative judges, create breaks for small businesses, champion capital gains tax relief and promote the national virtue of hard work.

Henley, a fund-raiser and political activist in Orange County, seconded Fuentes’ assessment of Dole’s speech and his ability to relate to the audience. “I think he knew what kinds of issues really resonate in Orange County,” Henley said. “He seemed very, very comfortable with this crowd.”

He was repeatedly interrupted by applause.

But not every one was approving.

Although the crowd was dominated by Republicans, the event was billed as a nonpartisan affair, so a sprinkling of local Democrats stopped by for a peek, including rancher and former state party Chairman Richard O’Neill of San Juan Capistrano and Jim Toledano, an Irvine attorney who is county party chair.

“This was typical Bob Dole, no yards and a cloud of dust,” Toledano scoffed. “He had nothing to say of substance. I think the question most people have is, ‘When is he going to have something to say?’ ”

And outside the hotel, despite the appearance of Dole supporters, was a mixture of 25 demonstrators ranging from Libertarians demanding a spot on presidential debates to Buchanan backers and anti-abortion activists.

Conspicuously absent was Buttman, the Democratic protester dressed as a giant cigarette who has dogged Dole for weeks, trying to make hay out of the candidate’s unwillingness to attack the tobacco industry.

Yet, for the most part, it was a cakewalk for Dole, who finished his nearly half-hour speech before noon, then roamed the room, shaking hands and schmoozing.

“The warmth from the people as we walked through the audience was amazing,” Fuentes said.

Dole actually made reference to the oft-repeated criticism that his campaign has so far offered little substance and no agenda. The Republican convention in San Diego next month will be his launching pad, Dole said.

“It’s too early to spell out an agenda,” Dole said. “Starting in San Diego, you will be informed precisely where I’m coming from.”

Instead, Dole won a rousing cheer by suggesting he would take on Clinton because of the president’s 1993 tax increase, “the biggest tax increase in the history of the world,” and his stance on education. Dole favors for vouchers in education.

Perhaps the biggest applause of Dole’s pilgrimage to Orange County came when he mentioned the Internal Revenue Service and the Supreme Court.

“When we get finished, you won’t even recognize the IRS,” Dole said, adding that judges who want to amend the Constitution “won’t be on my list. . . . We want judges who worry about victims as much as they worry about criminals.”

Gertrude Revert of Newport Beach said Dole speaks words she can believe.

“He has honesty, he has character,” Revert said.

And for Pat Buttress of Villa Park, seeing Dole in person offered a much different view of a man often described in the media as mean-spirited and nasty.

“I thought he was absolutely excellent,” Buttress said. “I really enjoyed his sense of humor.”