Trail Mix

Occasional morsels from Campaign 2000

Standing tall

In presidential campaigns it’s a truism that the tallest guy wins. But how important is height to the vice presidency?

George W. Bush, who is an inch or two shorter than the 6-foot claim made earlier in his campaign, joked with reporters about the weight he will give height in picking his vice president. While it was pointed out to the Texas governor that his father and Ronald Reagan were about the same height, as are President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore, Bush said he might take a different strategy.

“You guys are forgetting the Carter-Mondale model,” he said. Jimmy Carter was 5 feet, 9 inches, and his vice president, Walter F. Mondale, was 5 feet, 11 inches.

Was Bush signaling that he will pick Pennsylvania Gov. Thomas J. Ridge as his running mate? Ridge is 6 feet, 3 inches.

Politically correct

Comedian and “Politically Incorrect” host Bill Maher has never been shy about making fun of the first family.

Once, on the Clintons’ wedding anniversary, Maher observed: “They celebrated as they do every year--a traditional, quiet candle-lit apology.” This is also the man who said, “A terrible cold front has moved into New York--but enough about Hillary Clinton.”

So it was rather startling when Maher offered the president high praise while speaking at a Democratic reception over the weekend in Los Angeles. “History will show itself to be grateful for the effort and the fortitude and, I hope, mindful of the sacrifices that he has made,” Maher said.

Clinton, he said, “had the strength to fight the battles that this country needed to have fought” with one hand, while he “beat off the harpies who hated him succeeding with the other.”

The president was surprised--and delighted.

“I never thought I’d live to hear Bill Maher say those things,” Clinton said. “And he said it in front of the press, which means he’ll have to dump on me twice as hard next week. But it’ll be worth it. I love it. Thank you, Bill.”

The odd couple

The divorce court and the lawyers have yet to divide up the property, but voters on Tuesday gave Shirley Hinson her South Carolina Statehouse seat back.

In a bitter primary race that became entangled with their bitter divorce, the two-term state representative, defeated her estranged husband to win the GOP nomination for her suburban district about 20 miles from Charleston.

“I’m thrilled. I couldn’t be happier. And I’m glad it’s over,” Mrs. Hinson said. Mrs. Hinson captured 52% of the vote in the runoff for the Republican nomination. The win is tantamount to election because Democrats did not offer a candidate.

The defeated Hinson said he would do whatever he could to support his estranged wife.

“We had many years of a very good marriage,” he said.

Special occasions

Extending medical leave for working parents is not exactly the stuff of Hallmark cards, but Al Gore appears to have taken an unusual liking to combining policy with holiday wishes in television advertisements.

This month the Democratic National Committee aired an ad promoting Gore’s agenda for families and closed it with “Happy Father’s Day.” Last Thanksgiving, Gore featured his family in a commercial.

Gore spokesman Douglas Hattaway identified several upcoming holidays that Gore could commemorate.

“His grandson was born on the Fourth of July, so he’s got a certain affinity for that national holiday,” Hattaway said, “[and] he’s a candidate fighting for working families, so Labor Day holds great promise.”

But there would still be two months left before the election, and two holidays: Columbus Day and Halloween.

“Columbus was considered ahead of his time,” Hattaway said, “and Al Gore is the candidate who is moving the country forward while George Bush would take us backward.”

As for Allhallows eve, Gore’s spokesman said, “last Halloween he was the underdog and this Halloween he’ll probably be Superman, which would make for a nice before-and-after commercial.”

Quote file

“He’s new. He’s fresh. He should be listened to.”

--Bush campaign spokesman Ari Fleischer, praising Green Party candidate Ralph Nader

“Gore campaign: Presidential candidate plans to offer workers a new 401(k)-style savings program. free access to vault holding nuclear secrets.”

--From a garbled news update sent to pagers by USAToday

Compiled by Massie Ritsch from Times staff and wire reports