Some in GOP Don’t Like What They Hear When Dole ‘Listens’

All across the country, Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole is “listening to America”--presiding over round-table forums and cozy town hall meetings designed ostensibly to elicit views from “real people,” all of whom, it turns out, are handpicked GOP die-hards.

Yet even at such painstakingly choreographed campaign events, usually ringed by hundreds of vocal, sign-waving supporters, it doesn’t take much probing to uncover skepticism toward the central theme of Dole’s campaign so far--a proposal for a 15% cut in income tax rates.

“I like less government regulation. I like less government. I like less taxes. But how he’s going to do all that and balance the budget? I don’t know,” said attorney Foster Goldman, a Republican, as he stood near the back of a recent rally at a tennis equipment manufacturing plant in Pittsburgh, Pa.

A few days later, in Baker, La., Wilmot Zimmerman, a 58-year-old retiree, expressed similar doubts.

“I’d like to see the tax cut happen, but, no, I don’t think it will,” he said as he stood in the hot morning sun just outside of Baton Rouge. “I’d rather have politicians cut the promises and just take action,” said Zimmerman, a Dole backer.

Republicans like Goldman and Zimmerman may not be heard at Dole’s campaign events, but they are voicing the doubts about the GOP nominee’s economic agenda that are also reflected in national polls.

In recent interviews at “Dole for president” rallies and at his “listening to America” sessions in various regions of the country, many Republicans expressed concerns about the cuts in government spending that they believe almost certainly must occur to help pay for Dole’s six-year, $548-billion tax cut.

Their doubts underscore the difficulty Dole faces in selling the centerpiece of his “pro-growth” economic agenda--especially when he refuses to detail any spending cuts. Dole insists that such specifics are not needed because balancing the budget while cutting taxes is simply a matter of “presidential will--I have it and I’ll do it!”

He has angrily accused the Democrats of spreading “fear” about the spending cuts that his economic plan would require.

“They’re all negative ads,” Dole said during a speech at Georgetown College here, referring to the Democratic campaign.

“Bashing Bob Dole, bashing Jack Kemp, saying we’re going to cut Medicare, we’re going to cut Social Security, we’re going to cut student loans, we’re going to cut families. We don’t have a friend in the world, we’re against everybody, according to the negative ads. They spent probably $50 to $100 million on negative ads. . . .”

“Where are their positive ads? What are they for? What do they stand for? Not much. Not much,” Dole said, his voice dripping with contempt.

Speaking to nearly 1,000 people, mostly Georgetown College students, Dole went on:

“I’d like everybody to understand: All you’re going to see from the other side is a campaign of negativism, a campaign of fear--trying to frighten senior citizens. But I don’t think the people of America scare that easy, Mr. President.”

But neither Dole’s blasts at Democratic tactics nor his reassurances about presidential will have persuaded all Republicans--even some who are eager to vote for him. Nor has Dole erased concerns that programs serving the elderly and children will be hard hit.

“I hope [to get a tax cut] but let’s be realistic,” said James Robbins, a Fayetteville, Ga., resident who works as a telecommunications specialist for the Federal Aviation Administration.

Having come of age during the Vietnam War years, Robbins said on Monday, “I’m rather cynical. Over the years, how many promises have we heard?”

Also at the Georgia “listening” session was a Republican from Hilo, Hawaii, who was visiting a friend in Fayetteville. “Hard to believe everything politicians say,” said Mona Kanakamaikai, referring to Dole. “But he seemed very sincere. I’d like to think we will get it.”

But Kanakamaikai said she believes that there would have to be deep government spending cuts, adding: “I’m hoping they cut higher--not at the level where the average person is.”

Some, like retired Fayetteville Police Lt. Fred Evans, cited the elimination of the departments of Education and Energy as ways to defray the costs of Dole’s proposed tax cut.

Many, however, did not pretend to know where the cuts could come from.

“I don’t know where the cuts will come from. I just feel he’ll find a way,” said Jackson, La., resident Katie Hutchinson, a retired state accountant.

Kirk Harrison, a supervisor in a Baton Rouge waste management firm, is all for the tax cut, even though he fears that he will end up paying for it in some way. “It’s going to come from where it always comes from--us,” he said.

Mark Fee, a Zachary, La., retiree, agreed. “Somebody has to give up something,” he said. “As we go down to the wire, I’ll be listening closely how he’d deal with it.”

Skepticism about Dole’s proposal also surfaces at rallies for Jack Kemp, his running mate.

“I really don’t believe [Dole] is going to lower the taxes. I don’t see how we are going to cut the taxes . . . when the deficit is so ridiculously high,” said Bob Kruger, a production supervisor at the Silver Line glass manufacturing plant in New Brunswick, N.J., where Kemp spoke recently.

One of the few invitees to a “listening” event to directly ask Dole to detail the spending cuts was Tammy Bowman, who teaches economics at Dayton (Ohio) Christian High School.

Dole replied that it would simply take cutting “about 5 cents out of each dollar” in non-defense discretionary spending, adding, “I believe most Americans can look us in the eye and say: ‘Surely you can save 5 cents.’ ”

Bowman said afterward that she had posed her question because her class was actually in the midst of analyzing Dole’s proposal. But she ended up no more informed than when she arrived at the event earlier this month.

“I would have enjoyed knowing where the 5 cents was coming from,” Bowman said. “I would have liked more specifics.”

Still, she said she intends to vote for Dole. Although she was not happy with Dole’s answer, it was “not enough to swing my vote” to Clinton, she said.

Times staff writer Gebe Martinez contributed to this story.