Reform Party to Nominate Candidate

By Tony Clark/CNN

VALLEY FORGE, Penn. (Aug. 17, 1996) -- Ross Perot or Dick Lamm -- the Reform Party is expected to announce its 1996 presidential candidate this evening during the second half of its split convention in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

Last Saturday, in Long Beach, Calif., the convention was devoted to speeches about and by candidates Lamm and Perot. Then the convention adjourned while party members cast their ballots by mail.

Party coordinator Russell Verney said there were some problems with the balloting process, but over all "we're extraordinarily proud of it."

Lamm complained from the start that he was disadvantaged, running for the nomination of a party started by his opponent. He said his workers were refused access to computer records, and that the balloting problems were worse than Verney indicated.

"I feel optimistic but sober," Lamm said of his chances. "I'm not fully myself but on the other hand I think that anything could happen.

Lamm has already picked former congressman Ed Zschau as his running mate, should he upset Perot. Perot is having a tougher time. He reportedly asked Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, a Democrat from Ohio, to join him on the ticket, but she declined.

Four years ago, Perot turned to a political unknown -- Admiral James Stockdale -- as a running mate. And analysts speculate he will likely have to turn to a political novice again this year.

Saturday's convention session will be part pep-rally, kicking off the Reform Party's presidential campaign, and part fund-raiser, asking supporters to pay for the campaign.

Gerald Posner, author of "Citizen Perot" suggests, "If Dick Lamm happens to pull off one of the great political surprises by winning this nomination...he'd better start raising money real quick. I don't think he'll find a check coming from Ross Perot's office."

Ironically, billionaire Perot may want financial help as well. If he decides to take the available $30 million dollars in federal campaign funds, he will be limited to spending $50,000 of his own money. That would give him less than half of the $64 million he spent on his last presidential race.

But Perot can decide not to take that federal money and instead dip into his own pocket book, and if that's the case, he can spend as much money as he wants to. The company that is handling the Reform Party balloting should have those votes that have been cast counted by tomorrow afternoon, and we should know who is going to head the Reform Party ticket by then.

This piece originally appeared on CNN's "Inside Politics."

Reform Party to Nominate Candidate

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