Candidates Look Westward

The California presidential primary campaign got underway Wednesday as the last New Hampshire votes were counted. Vice President Al Gore was California-bound and others were not far behind. For the first time in three decades, California is a pivotal state for Democratic and Republican candidates.

The opening aberrations of a presidential year--the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary--are over, and the campaigns now evolve from face-to-face politics into a nationwide battle for delegate votes. The nominating contest effectively ends March 7, when California and a dozen other states hold primaries.

Republican Gov. George W. Bush of Texas and Democrat Gore remain the favorites to win nomination this summer. Still, the magnitude of Sen. John McCain’s victory over Bush was persuasive. New Hampshire voters were clearly impressed by McCain’s experience and character; his win knocks down the notion of Bush’s inevitability and raises questions about the Texan’s depth and leadership ability.

Bush needs to do more than say that being a big-state governor has prepared him to be president. McCain’s job now is to swiftly translate a personal victory into a national challenge to Bush. Part of that effort means being careful about who his state campaign leaders are: McCain’s top strategist in South Carolina, according to a report in the New Republic, is editor of Southern Heritage, a magazine with plenty of racist apologia. Even if McCain carries South Carolina, the upset will have little meaning if he has not mounted a major effort in the delegate-rich states that vote March 7, notably California. McCain is scheduled to address California’s Republican state convention in Burlingame Saturday.

For the Democrats, Bradley’s strong second-place finish means that the former New Jersey senator’s campaign remains alive for at least five more weeks. California could be the ultimate battleground for Gore and Bradley, the first real Democratic slugfest since George McGovern defeated Hubert H. Humphrey in June 1972 and went on to win the nomination. Gore has the Democratic political establishment and strong union support. But California Democrats have been known to be rude to the establishment and presumed front-runners.

Bradley needs to win someplace, and the Democrats have no events before March 7. In California, the Gore-Bradley battle is likely to be fought in the media and in debates. There is no time for three-hour town hall meetings.

We hope Gore and Bradley end their personal jousting and start talking about a broad array of issues with the experience and expertise both have. In New Hampshire they often sounded like alley cats. Their exchanges were unpresidential and often irrelevant.

Let the California battles be tough, but leave the personal attacks in the snows of New Hampshire.