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Bush rides off PHILADELPHIA -- As they leave their national convention, Hawaii Republicans must feel a little bit like "Rocky," the underdog hero of the Sylvester Stallone movie that was filmed in this city.
to win votes
Hawaii delegates hopeful that
Abortion not make-or-break issue here
'W.' can win state's four electoral votes
Battleground states first on tourBy Craig Gima
Star-BulletinEven strategists in their own party think Hawaii will probably go to Democrat Al Gore.
After all, Hawaii was one of only five states that went for Jimmy Carter in his lopsided loss to Ronald Reagan in 1980.
But after four nights of image building and the performance of their nominee, Gov. George W. Bush, last night, Republicans are feeling like real contenders.
"He hit a home run," said delegate Philip Hellreich.
"I think we're in reach of taking Hawaii," said Rep. Barbara Marumoto, the leader of the Hawaii delegation and the chairwoman of the Bush campaign in Hawaii.
Delegates like Bush's promises to improve education, save Social Security, improve military pay, cut taxes and return leadership to the White House.
"I hope it came across that he was really sincere," said state party chairwoman Linda Lingle.
Delegates who were at the 1996 convention in San Diego said this convention was different.
"When we came out of San Diego we knew we were going to lose," Hellreich said.
"This is a feeling of people that not only can we win, but we must win," said state national committeewoman Miriam Hellreich.
This week at the convention, Lingle met with Bush campaign officials, who showed her a map of the United States.
The states were different colors, depending on the level of support for Bush.
"We moved from red to salmon. I was so happy," Lingle said.
But while they leave the convention energized, Hawaii Republicans probably will not get much national support for the local effort to elect Bush. Those resources will probably go to battleground states that have more Electoral College votes than Hawaii, Marumoto said.
"I think it's a combination of our voting history and the number of electoral votes (4 out of the 538) that we have," Lingle said.
PHILADELPHIA -- While Gov. George W. Bush reiterated his pro-life stance in his acceptance speech last night, he also pledged to support family planning clinics, says Hawaii delegate Philip Hellreich, who worked on health issues for the Republican platform adopted this week. Abortion not
make-or-break
issue here
By Craig Gima
Star-BulletinIn his speech, Bush said his welfare reform proposal will "support the heroic work of homeless shelters and hospices, food pantries and crisis pregnancy centers."
Hellreich, who proposed that the party platform adopt a plank to allow the distribution of contraceptives to teen-agers, said Texas has crisis pregnancy centers that provide contraception and counsel teen-agers on abortion.
Hellreich said, however, that Bush is opposed to federal funding of abortions and believes an equal amount of money for family planning clinics should be spent to counsel young people on abstinence.
Hellreich's platform proposal was defeated because social conservatives on the platform committee did not want contraceptives distributed in schools without parental consent.
Bush also promised to sign a bill banning so-called "partial birth" abortions.
Hawaii Republicans do not think the abortion issue will keep people from voting for their candidate.
"I don't think it hurts, but it may not help," said delegation member Howard Chong.
State GOP chairwoman Linda Lingle, who is pro-choice, said even though Bush is opposed to abortion, he softened his opposition because his speech also noted that good people can disagree on this issue.
"It couldn't have been better stated if you disagree with him," Lingle said.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- After a hearty send-off in Philadelphia, Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush and running mate Dick Cheney embarked today on a three-day air and rail tour of battleground states. "I think we can keep the momentum alive," Bush said. Bush, Cheney
will focus on
battleground
states first
By Tom Raum
Associated PressA day after the GOP convention concluded, the two flew here from Philadelphia and then boarded a train that would take them across westernmost Pennsylvania and through Ohio.
Tomorrow, they will campaign by train through Michigan; on Sunday, Illinois.
The itinerary is focused on potentially crucial swing states in the election.
"We're in for a tough campaign. But we know it. And we're ready," Bush said in Philadelphia after he and Cheney got a sustained standing ovation at a meeting of the Republican National Committee.
Cautioned Cheney: "We absolutely can't take anything for granted."
Despite the exuberance at the RNC meeting, Florida's Republican Party Chairman Tom Slade told a reporter, "In the final analysis, the election is going to be substantially closer than anyone in this room thinks it's going to be."
Still, Slade said, "We couldn't hope for a better launch than this."
One day out from the party gathering, optimism was clearly the mood of the day. Bush and Cheney were honored at a prayer breakfast, the RNC meeting and an airport rally.
Bush seemed more subdued, and talked more slowly, than he had the night before when he accepted the party's nomination. But he told reporters en route from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh that he wasn't tired -- even though hadn't gotten to bed until 1:30 a.m.
An early riser who is usually in bed before 10 p.m., Bush called that a "modern-day record for me."
"I'm sure we're all going to be a little tired tonight when we get to Detroit," he said.
Asked if he had been nervous about giving the speech, Bush suggested it had been an emotional moment for him walking out on the stage. But once he had praised his wife and his parents near the beginning, "I knew it was smooth sailing from that point on."
Looking forward, Bush said, "I think we can keep the momentum alive. These campaigns ebb and flow (but) the idea is to keep the eye on the finish line."
Then he added, "Be patient and keep the eye on the finish line."
Bush also defended his criticism of rival Al Gore and President Clinton in a speech that had been billed by Republicans as one of inclusion and bipartisanship.
He said he thought the overall tone of the speech had been positive, although he conceded he had taken a few digs at Clinton and Gore and planned to do so in the future as well.
"Occasionally, I'll put a needle out there," he said with a smile. "I like to needle."
Karen Hughes, Bush's communications director, ridiculed the Democratic criticism of the speech.
"What did they expect us to say? It's time for them to stay?" she asked.
It was a reference to Cheney's refrain in his speech, "It's time for them to go," a line first used eight years ago by Gore when the Clinton-Gore ticket challenged Bush's father -- then the president -- for the White House.
