O.C. Stop Meant to Aid Turnout, Woo So-Called Clinton Republicans

The Clinton campaign tried to capitalize on a host of political opportunities Thursday on the steps of the Old County Courthouse in Santa Ana.

The president stopped in Orange County partly to boost voter turnout but also to cozy up to what his strategists proclaim is a new political animal--Clinton Republicans, who are attracted to the president because of his position on abortion, the environment, gun control and other issues.

Clinton also used the presidential spotlight to push two local candidates for Assembly and Congress, both battling incumbents in seats that are key to Democrats’ hopes to recapture those houses.

In an effort to boost the visibility of Loretta Sanchez in her battle with longtime Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) and state Assembly candidate Lou Correa, who is running against Assemblyman Jim Morrissey (R-Santa Ana), the Clinton campaign invited each to speak just prior to the president.

But Clinton is also trying to help himself, by keeping GOP challenger Bob Dole from the 250,000-vote margin in Orange County that Dole needs to offset the large Democratic majorities in San Francisco and Los Angeles and win California’s 54 electoral votes.

Likening this stop to one he made in Costa Mesa four years ago that drew more than 18,000 people, Clinton told the crowd at the courthouse that he was visiting Orange County, “the most Republican county in the country,” because he believes the country can “go beyond the tired rhetoric of yesterday’s politics.”

Trying to define himself as a new type of Democrat was the heart of the Clinton sell in 1992. He is using it again, strategists say, to establish himself with key swing voters.

“He has done very well with Reagan Democrats and with what I will call Clinton Republicans,” said Bill Carrick, the Clinton campaign consultant in California. “These Clinton Republicans are the soccer moms, the pro-choice women who are worried about public safety and public education and tobacco and the environment and the assault weapons ban.”

Republican leaders ridiculed Clinton and dismissed the idea that he can make inroads in Orange County.

“Bill Clinton spewed his same failed liberal rhetoric,” Orange County GOP Chairman Thomas A. Fuentes said.

Others called the Santa Ana stop a waste of time.

“I do not see any evidence to support the notion that there is any Republican support for Bill Clinton,” said state GOP Vice Chairman Michael Schroeder of Santa Ana. “I am personally pleased to have Bill Clinton campaign on behalf of any Democratic candidate in Orange County. I would be glad to send a limousine to pick him up [any time].”

The UC Irvine 1996 Orange County Annual Survey done last month, however, showed Clinton running even with Dole in the county among likely voters and also showed the president with support from one in five Republicans.

Tustin Mayor Tracy Wills Worley was given a speaking slot, and told the rally that she and her entire family of Republicans would be voting for Clinton, in part on the abortion issue but also because of the environment, gun control and the need to reduce the deficit.

While Worley was publicly showing her Clinton Republican stripes, South Coast Plaza developer and philanthropist Henry Segerstrom was doing it quietly. Segerstrom and his wife, Renee, had a short, private meeting with Clinton inside the courthouse.

“I was pleased I was able to work that out,” said Santa Ana Mayor Miguel A. Pulido Jr., who hosted the rally in his home city and arranged the get-together with Clinton. “A lot of Republicans are going to be voting for President Clinton and Mr. Segerstrom told me he was.”

Segerstrom declined comment about whether he was supporting Clinton.

The rally also gave Clinton the chance to capitalize on public attention to Wednesday night’s San Diego debate with Dole, and use that to boost turnout among Democrats and Latinos, several party activists said.

To appeal to Latino voters, a small contingent--led by Correa, Sanchez and state Democratic Party Chairman Art Torres--gave bilingual speeches while Latino music, including the song “Bambeleo” by the Gypsy Kings, mixed with mainstream tunes played to the crowd.

“These are very important seats,” said former County Democratic Chairman Dick O’Neil. “We want to get the Latino vote out, and we need a tremendous turnout across the board to win.”

Clinton himself beat the turnout drum, concluding his speech with a direct appeal. “But I’m telling you, the big question in 19 days is: Who’s going to show up? Are you going to show up? Are you going to show up?”

Republicans predicted the Clinton visit would mean little, and Dole, now making a maximum effort in California, would win the state.

Dale Neugebauer, spokesman for the Dole campaign in California, charged that much of the crowd was brought in by bus from Los Angeles, a claim that Democrats involved in organizing the rally denied.

“Bill Clinton breezed into Orange County and brought his crowd with him,” Neugebauer said. “The key thing here is Bill Clinton didn’t talk about any of the issues that are key issues here. He didn’t talk about illegal immigration. He didn’t talk about the California Civil Rights Initiative. He didn’t explain why he supports racial preferences.”

Several campaign strategists for the Democrats said Clinton has a fondness for the county that extends back to 1992 when he drew support from a number of well-known Republicans.

“This is the center of Orange County and what better place than the old courthouse,” said Tom Umberg, who runs the Clinton California campaign. “It didn’t hurt that this was Bob Dornan and Jim Morrissey’s district.”

Lt. Gov. Gray Davis said Clinton’s goal of helping Sanchez dates from a July Democratic fund-raiser in Los Angeles County where Davis introduced Sanchez to Clinton. “I told the president she was going to retire Bob Dornan,” Davis said.

“Clinton replied: ‘My fondest dream is a Congress without Dornan. You let me know how I can help. I will fly Air Force One to Orange County,’ ” Davis said.

Sanchez gave the warm-up speech for Clinton. He shook her hand to the applause of thousands, providing her campaign with the perfect photo opportunity.

“When we send Bob Dole and Bob Dornan packing, Mr. President, you and I and so many others will build the biggest bridge to the 21st century we have ever seen,” she said.

The president also held a brief fund-raiser for Sanchez in the courthouse following the morning rally. He met with 20 supporters who paid $2,000 each to spend about 10 minutes in a room with him and the candidate, said Sanchez campaign chairman Wylie A. Aitken.

Well-known professional sports attorney Leigh Steinberg of Newport Beach was one of the contributors.

“It is lonely being a Democrat in Orange County,” he said. “Having an event like this helps excite people. It wasn’t so long ago that former Assemblyman Gil Ferguson was objecting to Barbara Boxer coming to Newport Beach.”