Forbes Says Dole's Character Outshines Clinton's

Aired March 14, 1996 4:28 pm

JUDY WOODRUFF, Anchor: Well, as we've reported, Steve Forbes has quit the contest for the GOP presidential nod and he's endorsed Bob Dole. I interviewed the magazine publisher and flat tax advocate shortly after his announcement. I began by asking whether he was sad to be leaving the race.

STEVE FORBES (R), Former Presidential Candidate: Well, it's always sad when something you've poured heart and soul in for six months suddenly comes to an end, but I did know enough about politics to know that that's how these things do end if you don't succeed, and I knew from the beginning that the odds were long by definition. I think we gave a good account of ourselves. We did change the debate, we did get our issues out there, and I think we will be able to move these issues on how to get America growing again forward in the months and years ahead.

WOODRUFF: You said you will support Bob Dole wholeheartedly, but it almost sounded perfunctory. You said he got the most votes, and therefore we'll support him. Will you be enthusiastic about that support?

FORBES: Yes, I thought in the Q & A, I made very clear that I thought that even though we might have disagreed on certain issues, we agreed on far more than we disagreed on, and most importantly, I felt when I said that he has character, which I don't believe can be said of the current occupant of the White House. And I think it's critically important that he win this contest for the future of America. That's more important than any individual. We have an economy that is very poorly performing today, and this is supposed to be an expansion, and we have some very real crises coming up in foreign policy, and I'd certainly trust Bob Dole far more in dealing with those crises than what we have in the White House today.

WOODRUFF: Well, in that regard, you talked about the United States being a nation in trouble with regard to values and economics, and you said you thought the Republican Party was closer to being able to address those problems, but my question to you is do you think Bob Dole is fully addressing that right now?

FORBES: I think he's moving forward in that direction. Obviously, we're a party with many diverse opinions, but I think the fact that we are having this debate about the course of the country is absolutely necessary for a democracy, especially now as we're entering a new era, as I said, that is altering the way we live and the way we work. In the aftermath of the Cold War, both parties have to make major adjustments, and I think we're further ahead in the Republican Party in that debate than the other party.

WOODRUFF: What more do you think the Republican Party and Bob Dole need to do now?

FORBES: Well, I think continue to move forward on an optimistic, pro- growth agenda. We can disagree on the specifics of tax changes, but we do need to overhaul the tax code. We badly need a tax cut. We need a tax cut right now just to get us through 1996.

WOODRUFF: Well, Mr. Dole has not been very enthusiastic about a tax cut until now.

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FORBES: Well, the fact that he's coming around to it shows, you might say, a great capacity for growth.

WOODRUFF: You also said that if the two political parties don't re- establish their purpose with the American people, then we shouldn't be surprised if a third party or an independent candidate comes along and prevails. Do you mean this year that could happen?

FORBES: No, I think this takes several years - a party decays and a new one arises in its place. As I said, I think the Republicans are far ahead in the process of re-establishing their purpose and legitimacy in the eyes of the American voters. A debate in a democracy is not the kind of clear-cut, crisp thing that we read about in the history books and civic books. It is sometimes a noisy, messy process. But it's part and parcel of a party renewing itself, of a country re-establishing its sense of purpose, both at home and overseas.

WOODRUFF: If you had this race to run over again, Mr. Forbes, what would you do differently?

FORBES: Oh, I'm sure, in the days ahead, as I look back, I'm sure there'll be a lot of things I'll say, `Gee, if we'd only done this.' But something you always have to remember when you do lookbacks like that and that is to remember you had real, live opponents running against you, and if you'd done something differently, they might have done something differently. It- the political world is not static, just as the economic and social worlds are not static. You do have these interchanges and it would probably take a super-duper computer to figure out all the what-ifs.

WOODRUFF: Do you wish you hadn't run many television ads, talking about Bob Dole having raised taxes 16 times in 14 years?

FORBES: Well, I probably should have done more to establish our own issues rather than worrying about Senator Dole, but again, you do what you can at the time. The thing is not to look back and mope and grope. The thing is try to- try to get some lessons from the past, but always have your eyes fixed to the future. That is the essence of America - don't be burdened by the past, don't let it poison you. Look forward and move forward.

WOODRUFF: Your supporters were chanting, `Steve, 2000.' Would you like to run in four years?

FORBES: I'm just going to wind up the campaign of '96 and see how we can help get our principles across and-

WOODRUFF: You're not ruling it out?

FORBES: I don't rule in or rule out anything. I've learned that in politics.

WOODRUFF: What do you do next, Mr. Forbes?

FORBES: Right now, simply thank all those who helped out personally and by letter, pay the bills, even though it's going to hurt my Scottish heart to do it.

WOODRUFF: No vacation?

FORBES: Maybe do some of that, maybe do some of that.

WOODRUFF: Even people of Scottish descent can go on vacation.

FORBES: We do have to learn how to enjoy them.

WOODRUFF: Well, Steve Forbes, we thank you very much for joining us.

FORBES: Thank you, Judy.

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