At Reform Party Event, Ruckus May Be Inside

There is another political event coming to town this summer--and at this one the only riot could be inside the convention hall.

After six months of internal power struggles, Ross Perot’s Reform Party arrives in Long Beach this week to pick up the pieces and wrestle with the nomination of a presidential candidate.

For the second time in its short history, the party will hold its national convention in California’s fifth-largest city. About 3,000 to 4,000 people are expected to attend the four-day event, which starts Thursday.

Unlike the Republican convention in Philadelphia and the Democratic confab in Los Angeles, the Reform Party’s quadrennial nominating get-together may not be the dominant event of the summer in this city--fight or no fight on the convention floor.

Members of the press corps will not outnumber delegates 5 to 1.

Police are not bracing for tens of thousands of demonstrators--but tens of thousands of visitors for a host of major conferences, concerts and sporting events.

The downtown business community is at least as excited about the Jehovah’s Witnesses convention that also arrives this week with three times the participants and a lot more tourist dollars to spend.

But John Morris, owner of the popular Mum’s restaurant on Pine Avenue near the convention center, is not downplaying the party convention’s potential. “Anything we get is good,” he said. “As long as party members eat and drink when they are done for the day, that’s fine with us. It’s a positive no matter what.”

Long Beach police say they are prepared for any disturbance but do not anticipate serious problems, despite the internal strife surrounding the candidacy of Pat Buchanan. The party has held peaceful events in the city before, including its 1996 convention.

Planners say there are indications that representatives of gay and lesbian groups as well as members of the Jewish Defense League might demonstrate outside the convention. But officials do not expect the massive protests forecast for the Democratic National Convention in downtown Los Angeles.

“We are ready and able to respond if there is criminal activity,” said Sgt. Steve Filippini, a spokesman for the Long Beach Police Department. “If it happens to involve Reform Party members, we will take appropriate action.”

They might get the chance, given the organization’s recent history.

In February, Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura quit the party, saying he was disgusted that Buchanan might win the presidential nomination. A day later, forces loyal to Buchanan and founder Ross Perot ousted Ventura’s ally, Jack Gargan, from the party chairmanship.

The national committee stripped Gargan of his power during a meeting in Nashville that became so chaotic and vituperative, police repeatedly threatened to shut it down.

In June, Lenora Fulani, a Reform Party activist, quit too, resigning her post as Buchanan’s campaign co-chairwoman. Then the party’s executive committee met in Dallas last month and disqualified the ultra-conservative Buchanan from the nomination process.

Now, the fight club is heading to Long Beach, and party leaders would like everyone to behave. In case they don’t, security has been beefed up, at the expense of the stage show, to protect the conventioneers from each other.

Although the very public convention could be marked by good manners, strong disagreements over Buchanan’s disqualification threaten to disrupt a key meeting of party leaders set for Tuesday at the Westin Hotel in downtown Long Beach. Whether that conflict will carry over to the floor of the Convention Center across the street is unclear.

“It will be Nashville and then some,” said Russell Verney of Dallas, a founding chairman of the party who opposes Buchanan. “Aug. 8 could be the flash point. It will be a very contentious meeting, and there may be friction at the convention.”

Still, party leaders say they want to use the convention to resolve their conflicts and return to a civil discussion of national issues and government policy.

“I expect people to act professionally and voice their concerns without being disruptive,” said party Chairman Gerry Moan. “If they aren’t, they will not be in the meeting long. The last six months have been a nightmare. We aren’t serving the public. We should be out there in the debates.”

The party has reduced the size of its stage shows to help pay for an increase in private security on the convention floor. Long Beach police are responsible for crowd and traffic control outside the center.

“I’ve seen the news stories about all the political parties having trouble with various groups of demonstrators at their conventions,” Moan said. “I think we will have them all, including our own delegates.”

As the fractious group heads for the city, preparations are still being made at the convention center. Mayor Beverly O’Neill is planning a formal welcome, and representatives of the Long Beach Area Visitors and Convention Bureau have been helping conventioneers with planning and hotel accommodations.

“We’re pleased they are going to be in our city,” O’Neill said. “This is a good meeting place, and there are lots of places to go. The fact the Reform Party has been here at least twice shows they like the city.”

The party’s nominations will take place in the shadow of the Democratic convention, which is expected to draw about 35,000 delegates, members of the media and party members.

Reform Party officials say, however, that they timed their convention between the GOP and Democratic events to attract more attention from the public and the media. Among the scheduled speakers are economist Pat Choate, Perot’s former running mate; and Doris Haddock, better known as Granny D. Haddock, who walked across the United States to draw attention to campaign finance reform.

“In 1996, we had emotionalism,” said Judy Duffy of Westminster, a vice chairwoman of the party’s convention committee. “But nothing like it is today. Emotions are running very high.”