Marathon Man

(7 of 7)

As that untidy process lurches along and as Dukakis tries to navigate between competing factions, his strategy is clear on one point: it is time to focus as much fire as possible on the departing President and the Republican who would succeed him. Like all other Democrats, the Duke has already been blasting at a variety of targets, from the misadventures of the hapless Ed Meese to the federal deficit to mismanagement in the Pentagon. That makes partisan sense; while the Democrats have been sniping at each other, Bush has enjoyed relative immunity from attack since he locked up the Republican nomination.

Going after the opposition serves another purpose as well. One way to encourage peace in the family is to focus hostility on the tribe across the street, and political parties operate on the same principle. Until the convention in Atlanta confirms last week's verdict in New York, and until Dukakis, Jackson and the Southern Tories discover whether the Democratic Party is big enough to contain them all, the common enemy may help concentrate their attention wonderfully. And as the Democrats' marathon man heads toward even bigger hurdles, some of his fellow runners must help him along.