Tuesday, August 17, 1999
Newport's Bauer heartened by Iowa
BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Newport native Gary Bauer didn't finish first in Saturday's Republican presidential straw poll, but he said he still feels like a winner for finishing a solid fourth.
“I finished behind the son of a former president, the son of a tycoon and the wife of a former candidate for president,” Mr. Bauer said Monday from his Virginia campaign headquarters.
“That's not bad for a guy from Newport, Ky., who five months ago wasn't given a chance of being a factor in this race,” he said.
Mr. Bauer, 52, finished fourth in a field of 12 candidates with 2,114 votes. That put him behind Texas Gov. George W. Bush (7,418), son of the former president; Publisher Steve Forbes, the son of the late publishing magnate Malcolm Forbes; and Elizabeth Dole, the wife of 1996 GOP presidential candidate Bob Dole.
But Mr. Bauer finished ahead of other notables, including former Vice President Dan Quayle and former Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander, who dropped out of the race Monday.
And he beat other so-called social conservatives in the poll: commentators Pat Buchanan and Alan Keyes.
“(Mr. Bauer) did pretty well. He made the cut,” said Stu Rothenberg, the editor and publisher of a Washington-based political newsletter.
“He can continue on. And it looks like either Gary Bauer or Steve Forbes is going to coalesce as the conservative alternative to Bush and Dole,” Mr. Rothenberg said.
The conservatives
The pundits and national media are already starting to pit Mr. Forbes and Mr. Bauer against each other in the fight for the religious and social conservatives in the race.
Mr. Bauer, on leave from the conservative lobbying group Family Research Council while running for president, said he is anxious to show voters “who the true conservative is.”
“I'm challenging Steve Forbes to debate the issues anywhere, any time,” an exuberant Mr. Bauer said Monday. “Let people see us both, and they will conclude I've got the best chance to touch people's hearts.”
Mr. Forbes' press office did not return a phone call to comment on the possibility of debating Mr. Bauer.
Mr. Rothenberg credits Mr. Bauer's strong showing to a conservative platform that played well with Iowa Republicans, an articulate message and a well-organized campaign.
“He's one of the more articulate Republicans in a field where a lot of the people aren't very articulate,” Mr. Rothenberg said. “He can give a speech, do an interview, do a good job when he appears on TV. And that translates into being able to articulate your message and what you stand for.”
Connects with people
Boone County Republican Party Chairman Ed Moore said Mr. Bauer's conservative platform appeals to voters.
“He obviously does not have the money as some of the other candidates, but he has the right platform,” said Mr. Moore, who is precluded from officially endorsing any candidate because of his position in the party.
“When he announced his candidacy back in the spring at Newport High School, I was so impressed with his ability to address the issues and excite people,” Mr. Moore said. “I'm happy for Gary that he did so well in Iowa, but I'm not really all that surprised.”
Mr. Bauer said while campaigning for the past several weeks in Iowa, he worked hard at meeting, face to face, as many people as possible.
“We went to Iowa as much as we could, and people did feel comfortable with me,” Mr. Bauer said. “I do seem to be able to connect with people.”
Mr. Bauer said he is now putting campaign organizations in eight key states. He knows that even with his Iowa success, he is still far behind Mr. Bush in public opinion polls and fund raising.
“I'm going to spend a few days with my family at the beach, but then it's right back to work,” he said.
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