A Math Lesson For Lamar?

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Feb. 28) -- Lamar Alexander may know his ABC's. But the former Tennessee governor's critics say he's having trouble with arithmetic in the wake of his continuing also-ran finishes in the early Republican primaries.

Alexander, 55, repeated his assertion today that Sen. Robert Dole (R-Kan.) should quit the race, despite the fact that Dole finished ahead of Alexander in all three primaries Tuesday, in Arizona and the Dakotas.

Still looking for his first victory, Alexander said Dole was seriously injured by finishing second to publisher Malcolm S. "Steve" Forbes Jr. in Arizona.

"The person who lost yesterday was Bob Dole," Alexander insisted during a visit to his home town of Maryville, Tenn. to vote absentee in March 12 primary. "He's the one who ought to be thinking about stepping aside."

"After yesterday in Arizona things have changed, there's not a front-runner anymore and our front-runner can't be a front-runner if he doesn't win primaries and he hasn't been winning," Alexander told Associated Press.

Alexander has constructed his presidential bid on the slogan ABC, for "Alexander Beats Clinton," but it's becoming more difficult for him to sound convincing when he is running fourth or fifth in the contests at hand.

Alexander finished fourth in Arizona with a measly 7 percent, behind Forbes, Dole and Pat Buchanan. Even more embarrassing, Alexander finished fifth in North Dakota behind Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Tex.), who quit the race too late for his name to be taken off the ballot.

Alexander's only hope is to do well in upcoming southern primaries, including South Carolina on Saturday, Georgia and the so-called "Yankee Primaries" on March 5.

"What happens after yesterday is that we're going to have a barn-burning, rip-snorting election, an old-fashioned election,'' Alexander said. In New England, he is airing new TV ads that promote privatizing welfare and creating a new branch of the military to try to stem illegal immigration.

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