On the Record

■ Why are Democratic pols lukewarm about Gov. Bill Clinton’s presidential candidacy? He’s 45, attractive, verbal, electable (five times), voted most effective governor by his fellow governors, Democrat and Republican. A look at conservative New Hampshire provides an answer. New Hampshire’s Democratic machine has just denied a charter to Clinton’s moderate Democratic Leadership Council (DLC). Claibourne Darden Jr., a Southern pollster, explains: “I don’t think the core of the party,” dominated asitisbya coalition of labor unionists, liberals, and feminists, “is going to let him raise his head,” says Darden, even though Clinton could bring back Southern Democrats who have deserted the party in droves since Ronald Reagan’s first election. . . . William Schneider, political analyst at American Enterprise Institute, says Democratic National Committee is deeply suspicious of DLC’s moderation. This moderation is defined in Christian Science Monitor article as “support for welfare reform, a strong defense policy, and tax breaks for the middle class.” . . . Everett Carll Ladd of Roper’s finds part of Democrats’ problem in fielding an attractive candidate is what he describes as the lack of appetite in America for new government initiatives that would mean higher taxes. These, says Ladd, might have gone over last year, but “the latest round of tax increases—the federal hike last fall, and the major new increases introduced in many states—has brought much of the country to a tax revolt.” … So where do the Democrats go? “Besides [Mario] Cuomo,” says Ed Rollins, a leading GOP strategist, “there really is no one else.” Cuomo’s vulnerabilities were illustrated last week in full-page ad about his nine-year stewardship of New York’s affairs. Ad was placed in Cape Cod Times during annual mayors’ conference by CHANGE-NY, the conservative N.Y. group founded by Lewis Lehrman and Herbert London, both of whom have run against Cuomo. . . . Commenting on Jay Rockefeller’s decision not to run, Charles Black, a Washington Republican insider, said: “It’s another big-name Democrat who got all prepared, got up to the starting gate, blinked, and backed up.” . . . One Californian might be interested. When asked about 1992, former Gov. Jerry Brown commented that he was “not unthinking” about running. . . . Gov. Douglas Wilder of Virginia has authorized his organization to start polling in New Hampshire. Wilder says that he is “encouraged by what I hear,” and is expected to announce in September. . . . Former Massachusetts Sen. Paul Tsongas, at this writing the only Dem formally in the race, is pretty much folding his campaign in Iowa on assumption that Sen. Tom Harkin, pin-up boy of the Democratic Left, will be unbeatable in home state if he decides to run. . . . And Matthew Rothschild, editor of The Progressive, has set up committee to nudge Connecticut resident Ralph Nader into entering the race. But he doesn’t know whether Nader should run as Democrat or independent. (More independents Connecticut doesn’t need, as it goes into its third month without a budget, independent Gov. Lowell Weicker having just vetoed his third budget since May.)

“Would you say you’ve bottomed out?”

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Presidential Election

■ Why are Democratic pols lukewarm about Gov. Bill Clinton’s presidential candidacy? He’s 45, attractive, verbal, electable (five times), voted most effective governor by his fellow governors, Democrat and Republican. A look at conservative New Hampshire provides an answer. New Hampshire’s Democratic machine has just denied a charter to Clinton’s moderate Democratic Leadership Council (DLC). Claibourne Darden Jr., a Southern pollster, explains: “I don’t think the core of the party,” dominated asitisbya coalition of labor unionists, liberals, and feminists, “is going to let him raise his head,” says Darden, even though Clinton could bring back Southern Democrats who have deserted the party in droves since Ronald Reagan’s first election. . . . William Schneider, political analyst at American Enterprise Institute, says Democratic National Committee is deeply suspicious of DLC’s moderation. This moderation is defined in Christian Science Monitor article as “support for welfare reform, a strong defense policy, and tax breaks for the middle class.” . . . Everett Carll Ladd of Roper’s finds part of Democrats’ problem in fielding an attractive candidate is what he describes as the lack of appetite in America for new government initiatives that would mean higher taxes. These, says Ladd, might have gone over last year, but “the latest round of tax increases—the federal hike last fall, and the major new increases introduced in many states—has brought much of the country to a tax revolt.” … So where do the Democrats go? “Besides [Mario] Cuomo,” says Ed Rollins, a leading GOP strategist, “there really is no one else.” Cuomo’s vulnerabilities were illustrated last week in full-page ad about his nine-year stewardship of New York’s affairs. Ad was placed in Cape Cod Times during annual mayors’ conference by CHANGE-NY, the conservative N.Y. group founded by Lewis Lehrman and Herbert London, both of whom have run against Cuomo. . . . Commenting on Jay Rockefeller’s decision not to run, Charles Black, a Washington Republican insider, said: “It’s another big-name Democrat who got all prepared, got up to the starting gate, blinked, and backed up.” . . . One Californian might be interested. When asked about 1992, former Gov. Jerry Brown commented that he was “not unthinking” about running. . . . Gov. Douglas Wilder of Virginia has authorized his organization to start polling in New Hampshire. Wilder says that he is “encouraged by what I hear,” and is expected to announce in September. . . . Former Massachusetts Sen. Paul Tsongas, at this writing the only Dem formally in the race, is pretty much folding his campaign in Iowa on assumption that Sen. Tom Harkin, pin-up boy of the Democratic Left, will be unbeatable in home state if he decides to run. . . . And Matthew Rothschild, editor of The Progressive, has set up committee to nudge Connecticut resident Ralph Nader into entering the race. But he doesn’t know whether Nader should run as Democrat or independent. (More independents Connecticut doesn’t need, as it goes into its third month without a budget, independent Gov. Lowell Weicker having just vetoed his third budget since May.)

“Would you say you’ve bottomed out?”