Her Husband "The Better Man," Says Mrs. Dole

SAN DIEGO (AllPolitics, Aug. 14) -- Microphone in hand, Elizabeth Dole waded into America's living rooms from the floor of the Republican convention to extol the virtues of her husband, again proving herself one of his best advocates.

The Oprah-like performance, warm and well-staged as she strolled among the audience like a talk-show host, allowed Mrs. Dole a chance to articulate what she calls the clear choice the nation faces come November.

In a 20-minute talk long on family stories, the candidate's wife recalled how Dole once told her mother that she should see "his problem" -- his withered arm injured in World War II.

Her mother, though, told Dole: "That's not a problem, that's a badge of honor."

"My fellow Americans, I believe that in the years to come, future generations will look back to this November and say, 'This is where America earned a badge of honor,'" said Mrs. Dole. (160K WAV sound)

"This is where we elected a president who gave us more opportunities and smaller and more efficient government, and stronger and safer families," she said. "Here is where we elected the better man who led us to a better America, because here is where we elected Bob Dole." (224K WAV sound)

Mrs. Dole had no trouble connecting with the audience from the podium, and she put into words the themes that often elude her plain-spoken husband.

As she has done many times on the campaign trail, she used a wireless microphone to walk on to the convention floor, introducing people important in Dole's life and talking lovingly about her husband. One of those she introduced was Alice Kelikian, the widow of the surgeon who operated on Dole after his wartime injuries.

Dole with the man who inspired the Dole foundation

In the crowd, there were clusters of signs -- "We love Liddy" and "Liddy -- North Carolina's Pride."

As Dole and running mate Jack Kemp watched from a nearby hotel suite, Mrs. Dole described her husband's early life on the Kansas plains.

"While they were perhaps poor in material things, they were rich in values, values like honesty, decency, respect, personal responsibility, hard work, love of God, love of family, patriotism," she said. She described her husband as "my own personal Rock of Gibraltar." (256K WAV sound)

Mrs. Dole painted a picture of a man who has done quiet charity work on behalf of the disabled and inner-city poor in Washington, D.C. She recalled, too, the bipartisan tributes when Dole stepped down from the Senate to run full-time for the White House.

"He wants to make a difference, a positive difference for others, because he cares, because that's who he is," she said.

In one of the most partisan parts of her talk, Mrs. Dole contrasted her husband's attempts to reform Medicare, only to have White House respond with "a multi-million-dollar ad campaign to scare our senior citizens." It got some of the biggest cheers of the night.

Dole was introduced by California Gov. Pete Wilson, who was not supposed to speak to the convention after a dispute over the timing of his planned speech.

Before Mrs. Dole spoke, Dole's daughter, Robin Dole, painted her own loving portrait of her dad. "I wish every child could grow up as I did, with a father she knew would love her without condition, keep her safe from harm, glory in her independence and drive deep in her soul an unshakable understanding of right and wrong," Robin Dole said. (192K WAV sound)

Her Husband "The Better Man," Says Mrs. Dole

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