Politics

Bradley Needs Wash. 'Beauty'

February 22, 2000 / 9:46 AM EST / CBS/AP

Bill Bradley, hoping for a breakthrough that could boost his flickering chances of catching Al Gore, has decided to set up camp in Washington state.

The former senator from New Jersey is pinning his hopes on next week's nonbinding Democratic presidential primary.

It's just a "beauty contest," the Leap Day equivalent of a straw poll, and none of the Evergreen State's 94 Democratic national convention delegates will be allocated until the caucuses one week later.

But They Were Together...

If a reception Monday night in Washington state for Tipper Gore and Ernestine Bradley was any indication, Bradley's insurgent campaign hasn't made much headway among the party foot soldiers.

In back-to-back appearances, the women served as advance guards while at a party event while their husbands debated in New York.

Mrs. Gore drew cheers and star treatment, including a gubernatorial escort. But people talked right through Mrs. Bradley's speech.

But Bradley plans to spend six days in the state, beginning Wednesday evening, hoping to drum up enough support ahead of the Feb. 29 primary so that he can do well on March 7, when California and 15 other states are voting.

Bradley has taken note of the state's independent streak, with primary victories by insurgents like Gary Hart, Paul Tsongas and Jerry Brown over establishment favorites in previous years.

"The state of Washington and I are in real sync," Bradley said recently.

Gore backers had a different take.

"He is desperate for a win," state Democratic Chairman Paul Berendt said Monday night. "He has to win someplace or his campaign will die. It is high risk what he's doing, but what choice does he have?"

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Berendt said the vice president remains a solid favorite in both the primary and caucuses here, but acknowledged that Bradley can't be counted out in a state known for its maverick ways.

He's decided to put all of his eggs into this basket, believing he can beat Gore in a state the vice president has been counting on.

Stuart Elway, a Seattle-based independent pollster, said Bradley's chances could hinge on how well Republican Sen. John McCain does among independents. In Washington, voters do not register by party and may vote for anyone on the ballot.

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