Bill Bradley '65 came up short in his drive for a win in the Washington Democratic primary yesterday, despite intense campaigning in the last week. Though the candidate has pledged to remain in the race and turn his attention to next week's primaries, this fourth straight loss to Vice President Al Gore casts an ominous shadow over Bradley's campaign.
Bradley's decision to focus his energy on Washington was seen widely as a sign of desperation by a flailing campaign. A non-binding referendum, the Washington primary is generally considered marginal and often gets lost in the final push before the 13 primaries to be held next Tuesday. The state's 75 delegates to the Democratic National Convention are chosen in a series of caucuses March 7.
With the media preoccupied with Republican surprise sensation Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), however, Bradley was searching for a flash of national attention to carry him into Super Tuesday. He decided that a win in Washington might offer the spark his campaign so desperately needed, and spent six straight days campaigning in the state.
Bradley campaign Washington press secretary Mo Elleithee explained in an interview yesterday the motivation for spending so much time on a contest that offers no prize for the winner. "We came in here pretty strongly and are hoping for momentum into Super Tuesday," he said.
Unfortunately for Bradley, the hoped-for win proved elusive.
Bradley needs to develop some sort of momentum to carry him into the 13 primaries March 7. His campaign has been hurt recently by McCain's success, which has drawn the attention of the national media and left the Democratic challenger clamoring for press, University politics professor and presidential scholar Fred Greenstein said.
Greenstein said he saw shadows of desperation in Bradley's Washington campaign. "It seemed to me that it's a last-ditch effort," he said.
"I think for someone who was already running like a dry creek bed," campaigning in a state with no delegates at stake means that Bradley saw Washington as "the last chance to light a spark under his campaign," Greenstein said.
McCain also has drawn some of the independent voters that otherwise might have supported Bradley. "McCain has sucked the oxygen out of the non-partisan middle that would be Bradley's natural constituency," Greenstein said.
Spending so much time in Washington rather than in any of the 13 states with March 7 primaries was a gamble for Bradley, and one that frustrated many supporters.
In particular, New York supporters — including Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.) — have complained that the candidate has jeopardized his chances at the state's 243 delegates by not campaigning there this week. New York, a key Super Tuesday primary, has been considered by many to be Bradley's best chance for a big win.
Elleithee disagreed that the focus on Washington will hurt Bradley in New York. "This campaign has treated New York as if it is one of the linchpins of this campaign," Elleithee said. "We are playing very hard there and I think we're going to win."
Bradley is set to debate Vice President Al Gore in Los Angeles tonight and has purchased prime-time national television time on CBS Thursday night.
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