Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Clinton talks of rebuilding Date: Wed, 28 Oct 92 15:01:10 EST Message-ID: \SE A;NATION \HD Clinton talks of rebuilding \BY Ronald A. Taylor \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES \DT TAMPA, Fla. TAMPA, Fla. - Bill Clinton wore the hat of an economic populist yesterday as he roamed the Southeast looking for votes. "No president can be a dictator and no president can succeed without the support of the American people," the Democratic presidential nominee said here yesterday, painting himself as an ally of working-class America and the man who would make the rich pay the lion's share of economic recovery. "But I want to say one thing in all seriousness. You and I know we didn't get into this mess overnight and we aren't going to get out of it overnight. What we have to do is to work together to rebuild America from the grass roots up," Mr. Clinton told a midday crowd warmed up for him by singer-author Jimmy Buffett. "Economic populism is the best way to reach the Reagan Democrats," said Clinton campaign strategist Paul Begala. Mr. Begala said Mr. Clinton is returning to themes first advanced a year ago when the Arkansas governor read position papers at Georgetown University describing his vision of America. He labeled his idea for governing the "New Covenant." Now, as Mr. Clinton opened the last week of the campaign with a Southern blitz through Georgia, Florida, Louisiana and Texas, he is telling crowds about solving problems through a politician-voter joint venture. The voters he touched yesterday in those four states represent 79 electoral votes, nearly 30 percent of the 270 needed to win the presidency. They are also part of what political professionals predicted would be an element of the Bush-Quayle voter coalition. But Mr. Clinton now claims them. The latest Washington Times/Mason-Dixon poll shows the Democrat with a narrow lead in Georgia and Louisiana and nearly deadlocked with Mr. Bush in Florida and Texas. It is in these states that Mr. Clinton is talking about achieving national economic restoration through a joint venture between a responsive, innovative president and a re-energized middle class. Mr. Clinton has used that theme of cooperation to tell organized labor to expect a style of leadership that pushes for family-leave legislation but demands more productivity. He has also used that approach to tell corporate America that he will fight for open markets around the world but allow no more tax breaks for moving companies overseas. At this stage of the campaign, all the possible irritants to voters - that have been pricked by his opponents - have been ironed out of the basic stump speech. For instance, the word "spend" is not used frequently by Mr. Clinton. Instead, the word is "invest," as in "invest and grow our way out" of the nation's economic doldrums. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM