THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 17, 1996 TAG: 9605170015
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A16 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
``I will seek the presidency with nothing to fall back on but the judgment of the people and nowhere to go but the White House or home,'' said Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole as he announced his decision to resign his Senate seat after 27 years to focus exclusively on his effort to unseat President Clinton.
Dole has been widely criticized for wasting valuable time on the arcane nuts and bolts of legislating when he should have been out in the country campaigning and articulating a vision. Often the same critics admitted he was a master at the legislative duties and a surprisingly lame campaigner.
Most expected Dole would retain the Senate seat but turn the duties of leader over to his second in command, Trent Lott of Mississippi. The decision to resign is far more dramatic, but it makes sense. At 72, the winner of his party's presidential nomination, Dole really does have nowhere to go but up or out.
If he were to lose in November, would he really return to take up his Senate duties? Would his party even want him there? Not likely. Better to close the Senate chapter gracefully and pursue the top job single-mindedly, free from the distractions of trying to achieve legislative victories in a hopelessly partisan atmosphere.
With Democrats dedicated to his undoing, Dole would have had little chance to succeed. Just this week, Dole had to pull the plug on an effort to roll back the gas tax. Instead of looking like a leader, he was at risk of looking like a loser, constantly pummeled by the opposition.
Now Dole is free to take on Clinton full time. Though he's presently trailing the president by 20 points in most polls, Dole's cause is far from hopeless. The race will get much tighter by November. The electoral-college map favors the Republicans. The president has huge liabilities of his own.
Dole has been faulted for having little to say and not saying it well in what has been a lackluster campaign until now. The nation will be listening to see if that changes. Dole has got six months to make the sale. The presidency is his to win or lose. by CNB