The Week

■ Slogan for a Dole-Powell ticket: Extremism in defense of liberty is not nice.

■ When Bob Dole announced that he would not “seek or accept a retreat” from the anti-abortion plank in the Republican platform, but that he wanted to add a “declaration of tolerance” acknowledging differences of opinion among Republicans, he hit upon a compromise that satisfied nearly everyone. But he could not leave well enough alone. Most pro-lifers thought this declaration should appear in the platform’s preamble: plenty of other planks inspire disagreement among Republicans, so why single out abortion? Dole campaign officials assured pro-lifers that their point was well taken. A few days later, Dole gratuitously remarked that the declaration should go in the abortion plank. Ralph Reed, Gary Bauer, Pat Buchanan, et al. instantly promised a convention fight. Dole retaliated with a counterproductive attack on Gary Bauer. In less than a week, what had seemed a political masterstroke was transformed into a debacle. A convention fight over this issue would be the worst of all worlds. Viewers would be left scratching their heads as Dan Rather told them that intolerance had prevented Republicans from finding common ground. Ideally the issue should be resolved before then. Pro-choice Republicans must decide whether their aims are to raise money and get free publicity, or to help Bob Dole get elected by keeping the social conservatives on board. And Dole must force himself to engage this issue at the principled level it demands. Until he gets a grip, he and his party will continue to fumble.

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Presidential Election

Mike Huckabee

Arkansas

Education

William F. Buckley Jr.

Hillsdale College

■ Slogan for a Dole-Powell ticket: Extremism in defense of liberty is not nice.

■ When Bob Dole announced that he would not “seek or accept a retreat” from the anti-abortion plank in the Republican platform, but that he wanted to add a “declaration of tolerance” acknowledging differences of opinion among Republicans, he hit upon a compromise that satisfied nearly everyone. But he could not leave well enough alone. Most pro-lifers thought this declaration should appear in the platform’s preamble: plenty of other planks inspire disagreement among Republicans, so why single out abortion? Dole campaign officials assured pro-lifers that their point was well taken. A few days later, Dole gratuitously remarked that the declaration should go in the abortion plank. Ralph Reed, Gary Bauer, Pat Buchanan, et al. instantly promised a convention fight. Dole retaliated with a counterproductive attack on Gary Bauer. In less than a week, what had seemed a political masterstroke was transformed into a debacle. A convention fight over this issue would be the worst of all worlds. Viewers would be left scratching their heads as Dan Rather told them that intolerance had prevented Republicans from finding common ground. Ideally the issue should be resolved before then. Pro-choice Republicans must decide whether their aims are to raise money and get free publicity, or to help Bob Dole get elected by keeping the social conservatives on board. And Dole must force himself to engage this issue at the principled level it demands. Until he gets a grip, he and his party will continue to fumble.