Clinton, Dole Restless For Debate To Start

(AllPolitics, Oct. 5) -- The day before their first debate, President Clinton hung out at a bookstore and Bob Dole basked in the Florida sun.

Both candidates appeared anxious to get on with their initial televised face-off Sunday in Hartford, Conn., which has the potential of influencing the opinions of millions of voters. The two get a second chance Oct. 16 in San Diego.

Dole indicated Saturday he's as ready as he'll ever be, tossing papers into the sunny sky from the balcony of the condominium where he has spent the past couple of days in intense preparations.

"You know how you reach a point you just stop and that's it," the Kansas Republican said. "It's like filling up your tank with gas. It only holds so much."

Clinton got a bit of a late start himself Saturday morning, stopping by a bookstore in Chautauqua, New York. He signed copies of his book as well as his wife's. Later in the day, the Democrat worked in a round of golf.

Clinton said he was doing better in practice sessions, and wanted the debate to be "a positive thing."

"There will be, obviously, some clear contrast between Senator Dole and me, but my belief is that people want us to try to talk about building the future, and that's what I'm going to try to do," Clinton said.

Clinton taking cues from Reagan

Aides said Clinton has no trouble with the issues, but is showing some frustration at having to crystallize them in 90-second answers, as required by debate rules. Pithy answers are key.

The president's deputy campaign manager said he has been given a number of videotapes to watch, including some of Republican Ronald Reagan.

"We've said for some time that we thought the 1984 Reagan campaign was just a brilliant example of the re-election of an incumbent, and we tried to find some ideas for that in our structure," Ann Lewis said.

The Clinton campaign is releasing a new television ad in the Reagan "Morning in America" style. The ad was timed to coincide with the debate and will run next week in some areas.

Bush drops in on Dole

Former President George Bush showed up at Dole's Florida condominium Saturday. Bush privately may have offered advice, but publicly confined himself to moral support.

"He's all ready. He doesn't need any tips from me," Bush said. "He'll do well."

While Dole was expected to spend some time polishing his opening and closing statements, he's largely finished his homework.

"Getting sun is part of my preps," the tan candidate joked.

What the Dole camp fears most are pre-debate expectations, and how they will play in the post-debate analysis. His staff is trying to keep the stakes modest, telling reporters that while the debates are important, they will not represent the last word.

Still, hopes run high. Aides point out that each time Dole has received broad public attention, such as when he resigned from the Senate and gave his convention speech, the polls have swung his way.

Dole gains ground in tracking poll

The latest numbers in the CNN/USA Today/Gallup tracking poll show Dole closing the gap with Clinton in some areas.

Clinton's lead over Dole settled down to the low teens after a week featuring the president prominently at a White House summit on recent Middle East violence. That's about where the race was before the fatal clashes in Israel.

Clinton wins support from 51 percent of all likely voters, to Dole's 39 percent and independent Ross Perot's 5 percent in interviews with 736 likely voters conducted Thursday and Friday.

However, notably, on the eve of the first debate, Clinton's favorable rating has been dropping while Dole's has risen.

Last weekend, 63 percent of likely voters said they had a favorable opinion of Clinton; today, that figure stands at 58 percent. During the same period, Dole's favorable rating has risen from 50 percent to 55 percent.

Correspondents Jill Dougherty and Candy Crowley contributed to this report.

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Clinton, Dole Restless For Debate To Start

Clinton taking cues from Reagan

Bush drops in on Dole

Dole gains ground in tracking poll

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