SHE’S GOT NEXT The Other Dole Campaign

BEFORE her wedding, on December 6, 1975, Elizabeth Hanford rehearsed her vows again and again; the groom, Bob Dole, just winged it. The speeches each gave during the 1996 presidential campaign followed the same pattern: his were off-the-cuff, hers polished to translucence. As a result, he would trample through a bog of half-sentences and insider shorthand, while she would wow audiences with her articulateness and poise.

Hard work and thorough preparation have brought Elizabeth Dole to a political height unprecedented for an American woman of her generation. As she considers whether to run for the summit in 2000 or to stay on as president of the Red Cross, she is likely to weigh her options just as methodically as she has done everything else. According to polls, she would be one of the Republican Party’s strongest candidates. She appeals to Christian conservatives and the party establishment, a rare combination. She can raise funds; everyone knows her name—her candidacy would have everything. Everything, that is, but a rationale.

About the Author

Ramesh Ponnuru

Ramesh Ponnuru is the editor of National Review, a columnist for the Washington Post, and a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

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BEFORE her wedding, on December 6, 1975, Elizabeth Hanford rehearsed her vows again and again; the groom, Bob Dole, just winged it. The speeches each gave during the 1996 presidential campaign followed the same pattern: his were off-the-cuff, hers polished to translucence. As a result, he would trample through a bog of half-sentences and insider shorthand, while she would wow audiences with her articulateness and poise.

Hard work and thorough preparation have brought Elizabeth Dole to a political height unprecedented for an American woman of her generation. As she considers whether to run for the summit in 2000 or to stay on as president of the Red Cross, she is likely to weigh her options just as methodically as she has done everything else. According to polls, she would be one of the Republican Party’s strongest candidates. She appeals to Christian conservatives and the party establishment, a rare combination. She can raise funds; everyone knows her name—her candidacy would have everything. Everything, that is, but a rationale.