ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, October 28, 1996 TAG: 9610280091
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: SPRINGFIELD
SOURCE: WARREN FISKE STAFF WRITER
An exuberant crowd of about 10,000 greeted President Clinton as he stopped in Virginia on Sunday, hopeful of becoming the first Democrat to carry the state in 32 years.
With polls earlier this month showing Clinton ahead in the state by up to 9 percentage points over Republican Bob Dole, Clinton campaigned for almost two hours at a Northern Virginia park.
He also endorsed Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mark Warner.
``Most people of Virginia have been voting against my party for three decades,'' Clinton told a crowd waving red, white and blue Clinton-Gore placards. ``I know how hard it is to break habits. But one of the things we teach our kids is that some habits have to be broken.''
His appearance came eight days after Dole stumped in Norfolk and signifies that Virginia, after years of being written off in national campaigns as a GOP safe haven, is suddenly up for grabs.
Dole is sending his wife and daughter to the Old Dominion this week. His wife, Elizabeth, is to address a rally Tuesday at the state Capitol. His daughter, Robin, is expected to campaign Thursday in South Hampton Roads.
Reform Party candidate Ross Perot is to speak today at Virginia Tech.
Clinton's appearance in Virginia is part of a last-minute effort to contest the South, which GOP presidential candidates practically owned for 44 years. This year, however, polls have shown Clinton with leads or running competitively in all of Dixie except South Carolina and Texas. Clinton has Southern stops scheduled during six of the final 11 days of the race.
Two Clinton campaign workers said privately that the goal in contesting Virginia and other Southern states goes deeper than trying to demoralize Dole.
They said an overwhelming victory Nov. 5 would give Clinton a mandate to enact his economic and social agendas.
They also said victories in Virginia and other Southern states could provide much-needed momentum for future Democratic candidates.
Clinton promoted his ``family agenda'' during a 35-minute speech. He renewed calls to expand the Family Leave Act and to allow up to $10,000 in tax deductions a year for college tuition. ``This race is not about party,'' he said. ``It's about our visions for the future.''
He said his goal is ``to give this country the finest education in the world when I leave office in the 21st century.'' He said he hoped to have every public school and library hooked to the Internet ``so that, for the first time in this nation's history, the poorest schools will have access to the same information as children in the very richest districts.''
``That's my vision,'' he said. ``What's the other side want to do? What they want to do is abolish the Department of Education.''
Clinton lauded Mark Warner, who stood at his side, as a leader ``for the future.'' Clinton made no disparaging remarks about Republican incumbent John Warner, who is running for his fourth term.
Mark Warner said he is narrowing the gap in that Senate race.
``I don't know how long the president's coattails are going to be,'' said Warner, who has endorsed almost all of Clinton's agenda. ``Ultimately, this race is going to come down to Mark Warner versus John Warner.''
AP U.S. Senate candidate Mark Warner (right) stands next to President Clinton on Sunday during a rally in Springfield also attended by Rep. Jim Moran, D-Alexandria (far left) and U.S. Sen. Charles Robb. color.
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICS CONGRESSby CNB