Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, September 26, 1994                   TAG: 9409260037
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ALEC KLEIN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

COLEMAN STRIVES TO BE THE LITTLE CANDIDATE THAT COULD

RICHMOND - Prowling for votes in standard gray suit and red tie, the candidate offers a hand and a smile. "Hi. I'm Marshall Coleman."

A blind, elderly woman pauses and asks, "Are you supposed to be famous?"

Not when you're 20 points down in the latest polls, as is Coleman, the only remaining independent candidate in Virginia's U.S. Senate race.

Fewer than seven weeks before the election, Coleman still is fighting to grab attention. "I don't really know much about him," said a young woman who shook his hand in downtown Richmond.

Still, Coleman projects a sense of faith that belies his predicament.

"I can campaign and eat at the same time," he quips.

Coleman, however, has to do it mostly by himself: He doesn't have advance workers or a traveling entourage, and it's been more than a dozen years since he held statewide office, as a Republican attorney general.

Yet it seems another matter - indeed, more encouraging - when Coleman walks the campaign trail, glad-handing with receptive, polite folks.

"Hey, how you doing?" he calls out on the streets of downtown Richmond. "Tell all your friends!"

"Marshall, glad to see you," a man waves.

"Nice to meet you, Marshall," a woman nods.

"I've got two more voters here," Coleman says, peering down the street.

He isn't a back-slapping politician, nor is he a stiff policy wonk. He approaches voters casually but doesn't force the issue. Wit is his weapon.

"I'm preparing myself for leadership," he says, ordering a low-fat burger for lunch.

"I think he's very charming," says his waitress, Jennifer Layman.

The candidate has reason to be more hopeful in the wake of recent developments: The only other independent candidate - former Gov. Douglas Wilder - has withdrawn from the contest, Coleman has launched his first radio commercials, and there is a silver lining in the latest polls.

While his numbers have dropped steadily since June, voters consistently give him the lowest negative ratings. And many of them remain undecided.

But in an arena where perception often is reality, Coleman is at a disadvantage. When Republican nominee Oliver North works a crowd, adoring supporters line up for his autograph. When Democratic incumbent Sen. Charles Robb hits the campaign trail, most instantly recognize him.

Coleman's stance on defense (strong), crime (tough) and taxes (conservative) have not distinguished him from his opponents. And on the road, he can't match their celebrity draw. During a sidewalk news conference last week, only a few passers-by stopped to listen from a distance.

"I thought he was announcing he was dropping out of the race," said Robert Nelms, a Crestar Bank manager who watched the minor spectacle. "I'm glad that he's in the race. I think we need more choices."

Coleman is banking on it: "The big issue here is not how you'd vote on a bill, but who you are."

The message apparently has made some headway. "I was a registered Republican, but I'm not crazy about Oliver North," said Joe Rehbein, toting a lunch box to work at the Reynolds Aluminum plant in Richmond. "I have a problem with somebody claiming to be a Christian and lying to Congress."

But Rehbein wouldn't say how he would vote. Coleman, though, did: "I guarantee he'll vote for me," the candidate whispered after the two had a chat at the factory gate.

Others encountered on the trail are rooting for the long-shot candidate, even if they aren't sure they'll vote for him. "I think he's very good, but he's got an uphill road; that's the trouble," said retiree Isabel Mackenzie.

"He needs to be more aggressive," added her bridge partner, Lucy Johnson.

That's already beginning to happen. Coleman unleashes a pointed attack in his radio ad, in which a twangy-voiced announcer says Robb attended "some pretty wild shindigs down at the beach" and that North was "into lyin', destroyin' evidence, taking a few goodies on the side."

More salvos are inevitable in early October when Coleman said he would begin airing television commercials. In the meantime, he continues to walk the campaign trail.

"I like being in the middle of things," Coleman said. "But I will say this: Serving is better than campaigning."

Keywords:
POLITICS