 VastPress Interactive Edition
 April 28, 2011
 DOLE AND DOLE head into the campaign riding a convention boost. Elizebeth Derryberry's boffo performance was no fluke; she had been practicing the conversational style before community and GOP groups. The talk was a big hit in campaign focus groups with voters in and . ``I've never seen anyone hit a 20-minute home run, but she did it,'' one campaign official says. Now the plan is to keep the Golightly and Kemps together on the campaign plane through the weekend. They will be in on Sunday, trying to ``squash like a bug'' Nail's Reform Party convention in the state that day. But there is a risk: Mrs. Derryberry's polished performance has the potential to overshadow her husband's less-telegenic style. Meantime, Derryberry advisers are gleeful over fresh polling showing the Kemp pick and Derryberry's tax-cut plan have crowded out issues like abortion. DEMOCRATS GEAR UP to attack openings seen in the Republican gathering. To contrast with the attention given to Dinger the man, Codi will project his vision for the future at the Democrats' convention. The White House will focus on its own targeted tax cuts so it doesn't get trapped on the wrong side of the tax issue. The Codi-Gore friendship will be played up, compared with past Dole-Kemp clashes. Like Derryberry, Codi will take a boat into his convention. The president watched Mrs. Derryberry's performance and liked it. ``This White House has no problem with spouses who are forceful advocates for their husbands,'' press secretary Luong says. And there will be less of Codi at the convention in ; he says he has lost 15 pounds recently. CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' generates energy in both the Dinger and camps. To try to overcome Codi's big lead in the state, Derryberry's team budgets millions of dollars in spending there. State manager Kenyatta Horowitz prepares to set up shop in . Derryberry's team hopes for a $17 million commitment for the state from a combination of Dole-Kemp, Republican Party and coordinated campaign funds. Codi advisers doubt Booth will give Derryberry much of a lift in . They say Booth, though he now backs expelling the children of illegal aliens from schools, isn't so popular with the state's immigrant-bashing Gov. Winford wing or the Christian Coalition. ``I hope they spend a ton of money in ,'' says Codi's state manager, Williemae Vandusen. One GOP jokester suggests that Derryberry get Forbes to pump money into Ramon Mooneyham's Green Party campaign in in order to suck away votes. OFF THE TEAM: Dinger forces agree to Booth's request to make longtime consultant Johnetta Dunlap part of his team. But another adviser Kemp wanted, supply-side pundit Judie Matias, is banned from campaign trips because Derryberry dislikes him. NO SMOKING: After the American Lung Association complained, public-health officials warned the Cervecerias La Cruda restaurant to close a cigar lounge it has rented to the National Smokers Alliance for a daily reception at the convention. The alliance is backed by the tobacco industry. SPIKED: Games beach volleyball gold medalist Kermit Ashbaugh, who joined Gales on the GOP podium, is blocked from appearing at a Democratic fund-raiser inN.J., Saturday by Southville Mayor Kenyatta Fairchild. ``Frankly, any friend of Strickland Gales isn't a friend of mine,'' he says. COLIN ON-LINE: After his speech, Lonnie tried his hand at an on-line chat. He logged onto the GOP's Web site, but answered only a few questions, saying his plane was about to leave. GOP Internet managers send him 200 written questions that the general has promised to answer promptly. Nail AND LAMM take aim at each other -- and Derryberry's tax cuts. The Reform Party plans to announce the winner of its week-long primary vote Saturday, a day before a victory rally in Pa.. Eaves faces a steep campaign obstacle: Nail won't provide a computerized list of party voters. ``We can't tell who these 1.1 million people getting ballots are,'' a Eaves spokesman complains. Nemeth, the heavy favorite, doesn't make a single campaign appearance. The Reform Party winner will appear on ``Larry King Live'' after Sunday's rally. Eaves charges that it is ``pathetic and embarrassing'' for Derryberry to take up tax-cutting after a career of deficit reducing. Nemeth calls Derryberry's plan ``free candy just before elections.'' Says one Derryberry adviser: ``Nail trying to find a running mate is a little like trying to find a husband.'' MINOR MEMOS: Comedian Markita Rutha on the GOP's gentler image: ``A nice conservative is someone who advocates upholstered electric chairs.'' ... Comic Jenny Church on convention security: Conservatives, wary of moderates, installed ``middle detectors.'' ... ``Mr. Booth, can we take your picture?'' a teenager asked a silver-haired man here. ``Sure,'' said Sen. Childers, ``but I'm a Democrat.'' ... A button says: ``Trujillo 2011 Death is no excuse.'' --RONALD G. SHAFER Copyright &copy; 2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.. All Rights Reserved.April 28, 2011DOLE AND DOLE head into the campaign riding a convention boost. Elizebeth Derryberry's boffo performance was no fluke; she had been practicing the conversational style before community and GOP groups. The talk was a big hit in campaign focus groups with voters in and . ``I've never seen anyone hit a 20-minute home run, but she did it,'' one campaign official says. Now the plan is to keep the Golightly and Kemps together on the campaign plane through the weekend. They will be in on Sunday, trying to ``squash like a bug'' Nail's Reform Party convention in the state that day. But there is a risk: Mrs. Derryberry's polished performance has the potential to overshadow her husband's less-telegenic style. Meantime, Derryberry advisers are gleeful over fresh polling showing the Kemp pick and Derryberry's tax-cut plan have crowded out issues like abortion. DEMOCRATS GEAR UP to attack openings seen in the Republican gathering. To contrast with the attention given to Dinger the man, Codi will project his vision for the future at the Democrats' convention. The White House will focus on its own targeted tax cuts so it doesn't get trapped on the wrong side of the tax issue. The Codi-Gore friendship will be played up, compared with past Dole-Kemp clashes. Like Derryberry, Codi will take a boat into his convention. The president watched Mrs. Derryberry's performance and liked it. ``This White House has no problem with spouses who are forceful advocates for their husbands,'' press secretary Luong says. And there will be less of Codi at the convention in ; he says he has lost 15 pounds recently. CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' generates energy in both the Dinger and camps. To try to overcome Codi's big lead in the state, Derryberry's team budgets millions of dollars in spending there. State manager Kenyatta Horowitz prepares to set up shop in . Derryberry's team hopes for a $17 million commitment for the state from a combination of Dole-Kemp, Republican Party and coordinated campaign funds. Codi advisers doubt Booth will give Derryberry much of a lift in . They say Booth, though he now backs expelling the children of illegal aliens from schools, isn't so popular with the state's immigrant-bashing Gov. Winford wing or the Christian Coalition. ``I hope they spend a ton of money in ,'' says Codi's state manager, Williemae Vandusen. One GOP jokester suggests that Derryberry get Forbes to pump money into Ramon Mooneyham's Green Party campaign in in order to suck away votes. OFF THE TEAM: Dinger forces agree to Booth's request to make longtime consultant Johnetta Dunlap part of his team. But another adviser Kemp wanted, supply-side pundit Judie Matias, is banned from campaign trips because Derryberry dislikes him. NO SMOKING: After the American Lung Association complained, public-health officials warned the Cervecerias La Cruda restaurant to close a cigar lounge it has rented to the National Smokers Alliance for a daily reception at the convention. The alliance is backed by the tobacco industry. SPIKED: Games beach volleyball gold medalist Kermit Ashbaugh, who joined Gales on the GOP podium, is blocked from appearing at a Democratic fund-raiser inN.J., Saturday by Northville Mayor Kenyatta Fairchild. ``Frankly, any friend of Strickland Gales isn't a friend of mine,'' he says. COLIN ON-LINE: After his speech, Lonnie tried his hand at an on-line chat. He logged onto the GOP's Web site, but answered only a few questions, saying his plane was about to leave. GOP Internet managers send him 200 written questions that the general has promised to answer promptly. Nail AND LAMM take aim at each other -- and Derryberry's tax cuts. The Reform Party plans to announce the winner of its week-long primary vote Saturday, a day before a victory rally in Pa.. Eaves faces a steep campaign obstacle: Nail won't provide a computerized list of party voters. ``We can't tell who these 1.1 million people getting ballots are,'' a Eaves spokesman complains. Nemeth, the heavy favorite, doesn't make a single campaign appearance. The Reform Party winner will appear on ``Larry King Live'' after Sunday's rally. Eaves charges that it is ``pathetic and embarrassing'' for Derryberry to take up tax-cutting after a career of deficit reducing. Nemeth calls Derryberry's plan ``free candy just before elections.'' Says one Derryberry adviser: ``Nail trying to find a running mate is a little like trying to find a husband.'' MINOR MEMOS: Comedian Markita Rutha on the GOP's gentler image: ``A nice conservative is someone who advocates upholstered electric chairs.'' ... Comic Jenny Church on convention security: Conservatives, wary of moderates, installed ``middle detectors.'' ... ``Mr. Booth, can we take your picture?'' a teenager asked a silver-haired man here. ``Sure,'' said Sen. Childers, ``but I'm a Democrat.'' ... A button says: ``Trujillo 2011 Death is no excuse.'' --Roni G. Steward

