Why Not a Woman?

Monday, Jun. 04, 1984 By LANCE MORROW
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Hart and Mondale have both made enthusiastic noises about the idea of a female running mate, but naturally enough, neither has made any commitment. Hart frequently mentions that he has picked Schroeder, his campaign co-chairwoman, to head his vice-presidential search force, and adds: "You can bet that there will be several well-qualified women on the list she draws up." Says Schroeder (who could not run with Hart because she is from the same state): "The odds are getting better [for a woman] because the polls are starting to show that a woman would actually help the ticket."

Until Mondale lost the Ohio and Indiana primaries to Hart a few weeks ago, it was assumed that he would choose a safe, "geographical" running mate—perhaps Lloyd Bentsen, to help him carry Texas, or Fritz Rollings, to give him some appeal in the South. But there is a certain bloodlessness in Mondale's campaign that leaves Democrats with a sinking anticipation of defeat in November. Some now believe that Mondale might put spirit and excitement into his race by bringing a woman onto the ticket. At least the right woman might bring a feeling of something fresh and new to a campaign that so far has sounded like a large, heavy suitcase being tumbled, slow motion, down an interminable flight of stairs.

Says one Democratic expert on Capitol Hill: "There are two imaginative choices for Mondale—a woman or Gary Hart." The idea of a Mondale-Hart ticket interests many Democrats. One problem is that Hart, if he loses the presidential nomination, might decide he would be better off sitting this one out. He could campaign for the ticket, but still separate himself from a losing effort—if it loses— and thus retain his political integrity and be well positioned to chase the presidential nomination in 1988. In any case, many Mondale advisers are cool to the idea of having Hart on the ticket. They see him merely as an anti-Mondale magnet with little constituency of his own.

Some analysts believe that Mondale's political health at the time of the convention will determine his choice. If he appears to be running close to Reagan, they theorize, then he will play it conservatively and choose a man. But if Mondale is far behind in the polls, he may decide to take a chance on a woman's galvanizing effect. Says one political consultant: "If he's six or eight points down in the polls, he'll go with the conventional choice. But if he's 15 to 20 points down, he may say it's time to roll the dice. That's where Ferraro comes in at convention time."