European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 14, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 columns the stars and stripes Martin Gottlieb none of the democratic candidates will do no. No. No. No. No. No. These Guys will not do. There is no Point in pretending any longer that Vot ers in democratic presidential primaries can find com fort in the fact that Walter Lippmann once though Franklin Roosevelt was a lightweight. Big Deal. Lippmann also wrote in the mid-1930s that Hitler had something to be said for him. Nor is it comforting that Many people did t really Sec John Kennedy As presidential at first. After All. The current crop of democratic presiden tial candidates is no longer an Enigma. To anyone who has Cable especially a Span and pays attention these Guys Are far More familiar than candidate Kennedy Ever became to the Public. They will not do no to Michael Dukakis. He does t know Beans about foreign policy. His main proposal on the deficit is to improve enforcement of tax Laws he talks about raising $100 billion in Revenue which is just simply absolute nonsense a Gross insult to the intelligence of the american body politic. If there was a Way to raise that kind of Money that easily it would have been found Long ago. His Massachusetts Miracle is a Mirage. Ronald Rea Gan launches a defense buildup tip o Neill directs i toward Massachusetts and Michael Dukakis runs for president. No to Dick Gephardt. He does t believe for a Sec Ond that unfair Trade practices by foreigners Are All that much More common than unfair Trade practices by americans or that they pose an enormous problem for this country yet he makes that Issue the Cen Ter piece of his Campaign. Nor does he believe that the government can take much harder measures against those practices than it has already taken without doing More harm than Good. He has t even proposed very hard measures. But he knows this is one Issue on which Public opinion is Strong and unmistakable so he says almost whatever is necessary. _ no. No. No. That s not leadership. No to Albert Gore. He is insufferable. Before one debate in Iowa he noticed that Michael Dukakis was leading in the polls. So he decided he would attack Dukakis. Every time Dukakis said something Gore would pounce on it no matter How Picky he had to be. By the end he was reduced to saying that what s wrong with Michael Dukakis is that he deals Only in generalities As if that somehow sets Dukakis off from the others. It was an James Kilpatrick embarrassing performance and it bespoke contempt for the intelligence of the debate s viewers. Core has been in the same pit Bull attack Mode Ever since. In one Effort to pin Gephardt Down on the merits of a 1981 Vole he sounded like he was running for bad cop in a Good cop bad cop routine. He repealed the same minor question Over and Over and Over As if its answer would resolve this presidential thing once and for he s 39 years old and should therefore be bending Over backward to convince people that he s mature enough to be president. But he s bending Over the other Way As if he s trying to present an inviting target. No to Jesse Jackson. He has a much higher opinion of himself than anybody should and he s a Mcgoy Vernite who would Lead the democrats to monumental defeat or failing that would Foster a National lurch to the left that would outdo its recent lurch to the right and would invite another one by creating monumental economic and foreign problems. No to Gary Hart who blew it. No to Paul Simon. If As he said he is one Guy who is always True to himself no matter what the or people advise then Why docs he keep saying he s the new Harry Truman when everybody in politics knows his real heroes Hubert Humphrey no no no no no no Cox news a Eric Jackson can demand High Price for his delegates from new Hampshire to Texas wherever a reporter has trav eled in this Campaign year the same question constantly has cropped up what does Jesse Jackson want after Jackson s stunning performance in the primaries of super tuesday the ques Tion will be asked with renewed con Cern. Stunning is the word for it. Jackson led the six Man Field in five states. He finished second in six others. He won at least 366 delegates and he gained the momentum that will keep him among the top three candidates All the Way to the Atlanta convention in july. He docs not seriously expect to win the presidential nomination himself but he May Well control enough delegates to say who that nominee will be. Jack son will ask a High Price for his Deci Sive bloc of Voles. What s the Price what docs Jesse Jackson want no one knows but Jackson. Would he accept the vice presidential Nomi nation if it were offered probably yes though if the ticket won he would hate the office. The Mere Chance of going Down in history As the first Black vice president of the United states serving within a car Leal of the Oval office itself would he too much to turn Down. Would he be offered a role As run Ning mate probably not. Four years ago Waller Mondale rejected the idea out of hand. Mondale said almost in so Many words that he could t live with Jackson on the ticket the two of them were  and of course Mondale was right. Historically vice presidential run Ning mates Are invisible spouses. All that presidential nominees usually ask of their companions is Don t Hurt  vice presidential nominees arc expected to be Loyal obedient and in conspicuous. De music in 1968 was playing Lebanon and Wilkes Baric while Hubert Humphrey was speaking to throngs in Philadelphia and Pitts Burgh. Running with Carter in 1976, Mondale was sleeping in Holiday inns Carter in More elegant Wyatts. The no. 2 Guy is required to go where he is told to go and to deliver Only those speeches approved by the candidate s staff. Slay out of the spotlight. That is the Rule. Jackson was not born to play Sec Ond fiddle. He could not meet these i in mum requirements. Assume that the democratic nominee is either Michael Dukakis or Albert Gore. The unfortunate truth from their Point of View is that Jackson has More Charisma More passion More magnetism than both of these Pale Fellows put to Gether. Four years ago Geraldine for Raro was far More interesting than Walter Mondale. As the first woman Ever to run on a major party ticket she had the great attraction of Novelty. As the first Black Jackson would have the same allure for the press. Personalities to one Side it is Politi Cally unrealistic to speak of Jackson on the ticket. If the democrats arc to beat George Bush in november they must reclaim the South. Jackson s spectacular performance on tuesday was performance among democratic Vot ers Only. He would drag the ticket Down in a general election. Every top democratic politician believes this though no one will say it in Public. If not the vice presidential role then what reporters who have followed Jackson for the past five years find it inconceivable that he would Settle for any Cabinet Post Short of Secretary of slate. For the same reasons that Nei ther Dukakis nor Gore would offer the vice presidency neither could tolerate the Prospect of Jesse Jackson in Fogg Bottom. Jackson has restrained his natural flamboyance in the 1988 Campaign but this is deceptive. He is Vola tile impulsive a Solo performer temperamentally Usu Ilid for the chorus. He has enjoyed some Success As a free Lance negotiator abroad but he knows no More of the complexities of Diplo Macy than a child knows of the prob lems of nuclear physics. Neither his education nor his experience has equipped him to be a president s vicar for foreign affairs. Lesser posts Jackson would scorn posts in Commerce labor Educa Tion or Energy. He is no Token Black. We have had a Token Black As Secretary of housing since 1981 and no one has seen him for the past five years. What then my guess is that what Jackson wants As the Price of his sup port is respect. He wants to be Consul Ted seriously consulted on any Mailer affecting his natural constituency. He wants unquestioned Access to the inner councils of the White House. Formally or informally he wants to be known As Counselor to the president Cabinet minister without portfolio. If this is All he asks this is what he will gel and the winning candidate will be Lucky to Settle at a bargain Price. 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