Dole Quits Red Cross Post; Alludes to ‘Other Duties’

Elizabeth Dole, wife of 1996 Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole, cracked open the door to a White House bid of her own Monday, even as Missouri Sen. John Ashcroft, a favorite of conservatives, appeared to be edging away from the race.

In announcing her resignation as president of the American Red Cross, Dole indicated that she intends to explore the possibility of seeking next year’s GOP presidential nomination.

Ashcroft, meanwhile, was due to announce his political plans today in Missouri. Although aides cautioned that he has not revealed his decision to anyone outside his family, some around him said signs suggested that he would likely forgo a presidential bid, and focus on defending his Senate seat in 2000.

Even at this early date, the impending decisions by Dole and Ashcroft could significantly reshape the geometry of the emerging Republican race. For most of 1998, the assumption in GOP circles was that the field in 2000 would be crowded with conservative candidates competing for voters on the right, and that Texas Gov. George W. Bush--if he decides to run--would have little competition for voters in the center. Now that equation could be essentially reversed.

Although little-known nationally, Ashcroft has built substantial support among grass-roots conservatives. If he opts not to run, it opens up considerably more space for such likely conservative contenders as magazine publisher Steve Forbes and former Vice President Dan Quayle. It’s the center of the GOP field that suddenly looks crowded--with not only Dole and Bush considering bids, but Arizona Sen. John McCain already forming a campaign committee, and former Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander due to announce his campaign panel on Friday, sources said.

Bush, who has led the pack in early polls, has said he won’t announce his intentions until later this year. Others considering the race include Rep. John R. Kasich (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Budget Committee, and two-time contender Patrick J. Buchanan. Also, social conservative Gary Bauer, president of the Family Research Council, said Monday on CNN that he plans to take a leave from the group as of today and soon will announce whether he’ll run.

Yet another conservative formally jumped into the contest Monday: two-term New Hampshire Sen. Bob Smith. Smith formed a campaign committee by filing papers with the Federal Election Commission, and said he would formally announce his candidacy in February.

“Americans want character and integrity from their leaders,” Smith, 57, said in a statement.

Few analysts expect Smith to create much of a splash, even in his home state of New Hampshire, the site of the first key primary. Recent polls--including one released last week--have found Smith drawing support from 5% or less of New Hampshire Republicans.

Dole could be a more consequential figure in the race. “At this important time in our national life, I believe there may be another way for me to serve our country,” Dole, 62, told a ballroom of Red Cross employees Monday in her resignation speech. “The Red Cross has been a glorious mission field, but I believe there may be other duties yet to fulfill.”

When asked by reporters whether those duties included a presidential bid, Dole said: “I’m going to give it serious consideration, along with other options.”

In an interview after her announcement, Dole said she is acutely aware that, if she decides to run, that decision “has to be made soon.” She emphasized that, because the Red Cross is a humanitarian organization divorced from politics, she did not even want to weigh a decision while still working there.

She plans to formally leave her job Jan. 15. “Then I’ll have the freedom to really look at it without restrictions,” said Dole, who has led the Red Cross since 1991. “I’ll take a good hard look at the political situation.”

Opinions vary widely in the GOP as to Dole’s potential as a candidate--or on whether she actually intends to become the first Republican woman since Maine Sen. Margaret Chase Smith in 1964 to seek the party’s presidential nomination.

On the one hand, Dole has extensive Washington experience--she served as Transportation secretary for Reagan and Labor secretary for Bush--and drew high marks for her high-profile role in her husband’s ’96 campaign. Polls both nationally and in the key early states of Iowa and New Hampshire have found she enjoys more name recognition than almost any of the contenders--virtually all of it positive.

But, on the other hand, Dole has never sought elected office, and she has a reputation for caution and control that makes many wonder whether she has the stomach for the tumult and contention of the campaign trail.

Given that, some GOP operatives believe Dole’s real goal in raising the possibility of a White House bid may be to increase her visibility as a potential vice presidential candidate.