BRADLEY AND GORE: Campaigning and Complaining in California
While campaigning in California last week, Democratic presidential candidates Bill Bradley and Vice President Al Gore took the opportunity to lob criticism at each other. Gore charged that Bradley's health care plan would "leave Latinos, African Americans and victims of AIDS at risk." Countering, Bradley said, "(Gore is) going down constituency by constituency: 'This is terrible. That is terrible.' Attack, attack, attack, attack. After awhile, you'll find some people who will be offended by the fact that he's using race or ethnicity to try to scare people. Scare tactics are what you use when you're not confident of your own positive vision." Chris Lehane, Gore's spokesperson, said, "The vice president has been working on health care since Day One in the administration, when Bradley was MIA. Senator Bradley has only found this issue as a candidate for president." Bradley also answered criticism about his current television commercial that touts legislation he sponsored to allow women longer hospital stays after giving birth. Gore's camp alleged that the ad is misleading because the legislation took effect after a woman featured in the ad had her child. Bradley said, "I have absolutely no problem with the ad ... I do not intend to withdraw it" (Marinucci, San Francisco Chronicle, 11/19).
Californians Pick Gore
Californians would choose Gore over Republican contender Texas Gov. George W. Bush if they faced off in the presidential election, according to a new survey by the San Francisco Examiner ans KTVU. Respondents also overwhelmingly chose Gore over Bradley and Bush over opponent Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). In a Bradley-Bush race, Californians chose Bradley by one percentage point. Political analysts are predicting that Californians will favor Democrats in the 2000 election and say "if Bush emerges as the Republican nominee, he'll have to overcome several factors to win" in California. Del Ali of Research 2000, which conducted the poll, said, "It's going to be a very tough state for Bush to win." The survey also indicated that Bradley and Gore have more female supporters than Bush. And although Gore won the most support in the poll, he also earned the highest unfavorable rating at 42%. About 35% of respondents gave Bush an unfavorable rating. Of the 802 registered voters polled, 46% were Democrats, 36% were Republicans and 18% belonged to a third party or declined to give party affiliation. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 5 points (Salladay, San Francisco Examiner, 11/21).