Making Hart Stew

The ads for Burger King used to cry "Have it your way," but as a political campaign slogan that would be foolish. Spoken by one candidate to another, "You deserve a break today," the old McDonald's line, would also be too kindhearted. But Walter Mondale's repetition of a hamburger chain's advertising slogan, "Where's the beef?," has proved a remarkably successful political putdown.

Mondale uses the question to suggest that Gary Hart's policy ideas, while impressive sounding, lack substance. Mondale's campaign manager, Robert Beckel, urged the candidate to use the slogan during the Atlanta debate a week ago Sunday. "When I hear about your new ideas," Mondale told Hart, "I'm reminded of the ad 'Where's the beef?' " The audience cracked up, and Mondale took the slogan out on the hustings, more than once using a hamburger bun as a prop.

Hart's earnest rebuttals and belated attempts to deflect the barb with humor (he held his book, A New Democracy, between hamburger buns) did little to stem the damage. For Mondale's purposes, it was almost as if a subtle anti-Hart ad campaign had been running nationally for two months. The Wendy's chain has spent more than $8 million broadcasting its "Where's the beef?" TV ads (see ECONOMY & BUSINESS). By comparison, Mondale and Hart between them have spent $2.2 million on TV advertising. Has an adman's whimsy been carried too far? Said Campaign Dropout George McGovern: "I think there's enough beef in both of them, if they don't turn each other into hamburger."