Strategists Grunwald, Deaver Evaluate Dole's Resignation From Senate

Aired May 16, 1996

JUDY WOODRUFF, Anchor: Well, joining us now to talk about that announcement and its strategic implications for Campaign '96, Michael Deaver, one of the architects of Ronald Reagan's presidential image, and Mandy Grunwald, one of the media gurus of the '92 Clinton-Gore campaign. Thank you both for being here.

Mike Deaver, can Bob Dole turn himself into a new person?

MICHAEL DEAVER, Republican Strategist: Well, I don't think anybody can turn themselves into a new person. I think what we saw yesterday was Bob Dole coming to terms with where he was in life and what he wanted to do, and how he was going to do it in this campaign. You saw- I mean, I remember Reagan used to always say, you know, you can't fool the camera. The camera doesn't lie. Yesterday you saw a guy who was kind of at peace with himself. A guy who had settled down and settled into something. And, boy, as Mandy can tell you, that's very important for that candidate to be comfortable, because if he's not comfortable, which he hasn't been, we know it. And we have known it.

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WOODRUFF: Is this something that's going to sell - that's going to work - with the American voters. Mandy?

MANDY GRUNWALD, Democratic Strategist: I don't think it's enough yet. I thought is was a very eloquent speech, and, as Mike said, very genuine. The problem is not location for Bob Dole. It's not whether he's on Capitol Hill or in Chicago. The problem is his record and his message. And what he has yet to do is find a way to come to terms with how unpopular the last year and a half has been of the Gingrich agenda, which he has been side by side with Newt Gingrich championing. That's where his problem comes from. And he has yet to find a message that either takes that Gingrich agenda and says, I'm for it, I don't care if it's popular, or walks away from it. And that's- that's where the focus should be.

WOODRUFF: Well, he did start to take a stab at it, anyway, today, Mike Deaver, in that he talked about he wants to restore integrity to government, restore vigor to the economy. Are these the kinds of things that are going to be sufficient?

DEAVER: Well, I think that's part of it. There are two other things that are important to remember here. Twenty years ago before Bob Dole last was on the national scene, he really needs to frame himself to the American voter because he hasn't been framed other than by the Clinton White House.

WOODRUFF: What do you mean, frame himself? What does that mean?

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DEAVER: Well, I think that some of the research that I've seen is less than 30 percent of the American people even know about his war record. We don't know- Most Americans don't pay a lot of attention to all this stuff that you and I and Mandy pay attention to. They don't know. We know everything about Bill Clinton because he's been top, center, every night on television described by opponents and friends alike. And every magazine we pick up has got something about he and his family and his administration. We know all about that. All we know about Bob Dole, if we know anything, was that he was majority leader of the Senate. He has to go out there and frame that.

WOODRUFF: So, Mandy, should the Clinton-Gore team be worried that Bob Dole is now seriously focusing on nothing but getting elected as president and doing the sorts of things that Mike is describing here?

GRUNWALD: Well, I don't know about that. I don't know if that's what they should be worrying about. They should be focused on the president doing his job and making his case for his own administration and against Bob Dole. I think what they've been doing so far is very effectively reminding people that Bob Dole has been Newt Gingrich's Siamese twin for the last year and a half in policy. And in reality it was an amazing thing yesterday - I don't know what Mike thought of this - that as he walked away from the Senate, there was Newt grinning over his shoulder, once again reminding people what they don't like about what Bob Dole's been championing. I think the White House has to stay focused on that contrast. Clearly, from what Dole said today he wants to remind people not of the last year and a half, or even his last 35 years in the Senate, but of Bill Clinton's first two years. That seems to be where the battle's going.

WOODRUFF: Mike, can Dole successfully separate himself from the Reagan - I'm sorry, from Reagan? - from the Republican Congress of the last year and a half?

DEAVER: Part of it is that the Republicans because of their primary process have been fractured and split. And it's allowed the White House - and they've done it very wisely - to be the only person out there that's painting the picture of the Republican Party; in fact, presenting themselves as Republicans. So, if in fact Bill Clinton is more popular today than he was in the first two years, a lot of it seems to be because he's adopted Republican positions. If Bob Dole goes out there and reminds them, you know, this is a president that I think a lot of Americans would like to have an option with. He's got 40 negative ratings. Yes, his job approval ratings are higher than it has been, but he still is- People have real questions about him. And I think part of what Bob Dole's got to do is go out there and remind them of that.

WOODRUFF: All right. Mike Deaver, Mandy Grunwald, thank you both for being with us.

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