Texas Gov. Bush Leads Gore in Time Poll; Alexander to Join Republican
Race
Bush Leads Gore in Time Poll; Alexander to Run (Update1)
(Adds Bush quote in paragraph 3.)
Washington, March 7 (Bloomberg) - Texas Governor George
W. Bush would defeat Vice President Al Gore if the 2000
presidential election were held today, a new Time/CNN poll
said as Bush announced he's taking a step that lets him
raise campaign funds.
Republican Bush would defeat Democrat Gore by 52
percent to 41 percent of 1,071 people who responded to the
March 4 survey, Time said. A similar survey by Newsweek
showed Bush ahead of Gore by 57 to 36 percent.
''If America pursues limited government, low taxes,
free and fair trade and free markets, our country will
continue to be prosperous,'' Bush said at a news conference
in Austin where he formally announced creation of his
committee to explore a Republican presidential bid.
Separately, Tennessee Republican Lamar Alexander said
today he's seeking the Republican presidential nomination
and will focus on fixing the nation's education system.
Former Red Cross President Elizabeth Dole, wife of the
1996 Republican nominee Bob Dole, also will announce this
week she'll form a committee to test the waters for a
presidential run, the Washington Post reported.
Almost half of Republicans polled by Time said they
would vote for Bush if the elections were held today.
About 48 percent of Republican respondents chose Bush
for president, 17 percent chose Dole, 8 percent chose former
Vice President Dan Quayle, and less than 5 percent each
choose political commentator Pat Buchanan, publisher Steve
Forbes, and Arizona Senator John McCain, according to the
Time/CNN poll.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3
percentage points.
'Compassionate Conservative'
Bush describes himself as a ''compassionate
conservative'' who seeks to show a Republican party ''that's
open, that is diverse.''
He has asked former Representative Bill Paxon, a New
York Republican, for campaign advice, Time reported in its
edition due tomorrow. Maria Cino, an ally of Paxon's who
helped Republican candidates take over the House of
Representatives in the 1994 elections, will be Bush's
political director, Time said.
Bush said another adviser is former secretary of State
George Shultz.
Alexander, a former Tennessee governor, was Secretary
of Education under Bush's father, President George Bush. ''I
want to be a president on the side of parents raising
children,'' Alexander said on the NBC News television show
''Meet the Press.''
Alexander proposes sending money directly to schools,
and tripling the tax credit parents get per child to $8,000.
Other Republicans seeking the presidential nomination
include Gary Bauer, who headed a group that promotes family
issues.
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