ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, August 15, 1996 TAG: 9608150073
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-8 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Convention Notebook
DATELINE: SAN DIEGO
There weren't a lot of true Sonny Bono fans from the old Sonny & Cher days but Trixie Averill, an exuberant delegate from Roanoke County counts herself among the rare ranks.
So imagine her excitement when she encountered Sonny - now known as U.S. Rep. Bono, R-Cal.- on the convention floor this week.
"Sonny!" she exclaimed.
"Trixie!" he exclaimed back, obviously taking note of the name on her credential.
A moment later, Averill was forcing her camera on someone she'd never seen before to take pictures of her and Bono.
"He's a real little guy," she said.
So many weapons, so little fight
Imagine getting a gleaming new toy and then hardly getting the chance to use it.
So it is with the Christian Coalition, which developed a computer system that allows it to poll the 1,990 delegates on the convention floor in less than an hour.
The system - code named ``Zark'' - works like this: Thirteen delegates, or regional whips, have hand-held digital computers that put them in constant contact with the Coalition's ``War Room'' on the 21st floor of the Marriott Hotel next to the convention center. Each whip has eight assistants. Each assistant is assigned to communicating with 20 delegates.
The coalition developed the system because its leaders were concerned there would be a floor fight over the GOP's abortion platform.
So much for girding for battle.
When call came, Kemp slow to answer
Jack Kemp was at a birthday party for his son-in-law in Orange County when he got The Call.
Bob Dole wanted a meeting right away, his campaign said.
Sorry, said Kemp. He was busy attending a family gathering.
A few minutes later House Speaker Newt Gingrich called. After a second call from the Dole campaign, Kemp decided to cut short his stay at Scott Andrews' birthday party and meet with Dole.
That's the way Northern Virginia businessman and 1997 lieutenant governor hopeful Coleman Andrews recalls last week's events at his Virginia farm.
Jennifer Andrews of Middleburg, Kemp's 33-year-old daughter, said he gave her no indication the vice presidency was on his mind when he left.
Compiled from reports by staff writers Robert Little and Warren Fiske and by wire services.
LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICS PRESIDENTby CNB