Bush, Gore court swing voters in key states

Bush, Gore court swing voters in key states
REUTERS

WASHINGTON, OCT 23: George W Bush enlisted fellow Republican governors on Monday while Democrat Al Gore returned to kitchen table issues as the presidential race tightened again in the Reuters/MSNBC tracking poll.

The Texas Governor's lead over the Vice-President closed to two percentage points among likely voters in the November 7 election. Bush's lead of 44 per cent to 42 per cent in the latest poll remained well within the statistical margin of error. Bush had led by four points in Sunday's poll.

Gore, speaking on his campaign plane, said he had recaptured momentum. ``The reason I have the momentum now is not because of me, it's because of the people I'm fighting for ... We are really coming on strong because they care a lot about the future of this country,'' he told reporters.

Green Party candidate Ralph Nader was still hurting Gore in the poll by taking five per cent of the vote. Eighty-seven per cent of the respondents said they had already made up their minds.

The state-by-state battle for the Electoral College, where 270 votes are needed for election, also remained tight. One count by veteran political observer Hal Bruno had Bush ahead in 25 states worth 213 electoral votes; Gore had 186 potential votes in 13 states and the District of Columbia. Twelve states, with 139 votes, remained too close to call.

``This is the big week. One of them will make a move. Bush has to be on guard that Gore does not dominate the news this week,'' said Scott Reed, who was campaign manager for Republican Bob Dole in his unsuccessful 1996 presidential campaign.

Political sources said one possible Gore tactic was to have his vice-presidential nominee Joseph Lieberman take the offensive against Bush.

``I think we may see Lieberman come out hard against Bush, this week. It's certainly not too late to turn this race around,'' said one source, who asked not to be named.

President Bill Clinton, in New York to boost his wife's Senate bid, also weighed in for Gore. ``Al Gore understands the future,'' he said at a fund-raiser for Democratic Representative Maurice Hinchey in the Hudson Valley town of Kingston.

``How are you going to keep the prosperity going ... Al Gore will,'' Clinton declared.

Gore has decided to take a non-traditional approach to the campaign's closing stage. Instead of whisking from one campaign rally to the next, he will meet voters in their homes and deliver a few more policy speeches.

``Gore has always believed this campaign will be decided on the issues and he will believes that,'' said communications director Mark Fabiani.

Pennsylvania's Republican Governor Tom Ridge said Bush's main asset remained his personality. ``People like George Bush. They're comfortable with George Bush. They believe in him. They want principled leadership and they believe they're going to get it from him,'' he said.

Republican consultant Rick Davis said Bush was doing the right thing by bringing Republican governors into the fray to excite the party-base and boost turnout on Election Day.

Davis said Gore's return to the kitchen was the sign of a campaign lacking a clear direction for the crucial closing days of the campaign.

``Gore's small, intimate meetings are a buzz-killer at this stage. He needs to get out and stump and galvanise his supporters instead of chatting over cups of coffee. Where's the excitement in that?'' the Republican consultant said.

The Vice-President began his final push in Portland, Oregon, touring a `New Age' designer tea and coffee company where the Vice-President took credit for a healthy economy in which people can spend $3 for a cup of latte or Oregon chai.

``One of the things I want to talk to you about this morning is the connection between our prosperity and the kind of policies that helped you succeed in starting this business,'' Gore said, as he sat with Heather Howitt, owner of the business.

Bush set out on a `Barnstorm for Reform' campaign, heading to three key Midwestern states -- Missouri, Iowa and Wisconsin -- to talk about his plans for government reform and Social Security.

His first stop was in Kansas City, where he stood alongside four fellow Republican governors at an airport rally and told several hundred people of his goals.

``Strengthening the military, reforming education, reforming our tax-code, reforming social security and medicare, are all major challenges for our country,'' Bush said. ``Reformers need partners and I've got some of the best. I trust these governors, and I thank them for trusting in me.''

``I believe this is not only a Barnstorm for Reform -- I think it's a barnstorm for victory,'' Bush said. ``I feel great. I want you to know my spirits are high, I'm ready for the next few weeks.''

Twenty-eight Republican governors were fanning out in a blitz campaign of 48 cities in 25 states over three days.