THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, September 5, 1994 TAG: 9409050023
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: REALPOLITIK
Occasional dispatches in the offbeat side of Virginia's 1994 U.S. Senate race
SOURCE: By Kerry Dougherty
Staff Writer
LENGTH: Long : 105 lines
IF OLLIE NORTH is the Senate campaign's designated liar (but not under oath), absolutely no one can say the Robb folks are anything but honest.
For instance, when Robb's communications director told the media that the campaign had done little advance work before the senator's one-day tour of the Eastern Shore last week, he spoke the truth.
Which would explain why Robb was touring the Accomack County Courthouse at 12:25 last Thursday afternoon - when virtually every potential voter in the building was out to lunch. And touring a restaurant at 11:25, when no one was lunching.
``Anybody home?'' Robb called into one empty office after another at the Accomack Courthouse.
A receptionist, hunched over a tuna sandwich and seated at a desk with ``Billie Jean Williams'' on the nameplate, was the sole occupant of the county administrator's head-quarters.
She politely wiped her hand on her napkin and shook hands with the senator.
``Tell the others we're sorry we missed them,'' Robb said, striding out into the empty corridor.
Robb, trailed by about a dozen members of the media, headed over to former state Sen. Bill Fears' law office across the street.
A receptionist looked perplexed by the motley crew on the doorstep.
``Mr. Fears is out,'' she said.
(Mr. Fears was not AWOL when Doug Wilder came knocking the next day. In fact, Wilder aides say the powerful Eastern Shore Democrat entertained the former governor at his home Friday night.)
At the Little Italy restaurant in Nassawadox, owner Franco Nocera was ecstatic to find the senator in his establishment. His ebullient workers compensated for the dearth of diners.
``You're a very lucky man,'' Robb said to Nocera, shaking his hand and smiling at Nocera's wife, Cathy, and daughters, Annette and Joanne, who work behind the counter. ``Your daughters are beautiful and take after their mother, just like my girls.''
Over at the Nassawadox Post Office, Robb was accosted by 89-year-old Mag Whiting, who said she was a Robb supporter.
``My father was a great fan of Harry Flood Byrd,'' said the diminutive gray-haired lady in a pink seersucker dress. ``My father always said politicians should never throw dirt.''
``That's good advice. Do you charge for all your consulting?'' Robb inquired good-naturedly.
Buoyed by his encounter with Whiting, Robb impulsively headed toward a florist shop.
He seemed speechless inside the almost-empty store.
``This place is lovely. It has a very clean, attractive look,'' Robb said as the sole employee, Dianne Birch looked up, clearly puzzled.
``I'm not much of a decorator, and I really admire people who can do things like this,'' Robb added.
``Well, let me give you one of our cards, in case you ever want to send flowers to the hospital,'' said Birch, handing the senator a business card.
At Roses in the Onley Shopping Center, Robb introduced himself to the back-to-school shoppers.
``Hi, I'm Chuck Robb. Getting ready for back to school?'' he asked a woman with a cart containing two packages of Luvs diapers and a 2-year-old boy.
``No I'm not getting ready for back to school,'' the woman replied pointing to her purchases.
``Whoooaaa, he's too young,'' Robb said, focusing on the boy. ``My mistake.''
Leaving the Eastern Shore in midafternoon, Robb boarded his fire engine red Plymouth Voyager for the trip to the Newport News Shipyard gates in time to make the 4 p.m. shift change.
The only outward sign that this was a campaign vehicle was a singular Robb bumper sticker in one rear window. In the other window, scrawled in dust, someone had written ``Robb.''
Half a dozen volunteers, wearing red Robb T-shirts joined the senator as the hard hat and lunch pail brigade spilled out of the gates.
No sooner had Robb stationed himself at the entrance than George Sweet, the 6-foot 8-inch Republican challenger to Democratic Rep. Norman Sisisky, appeared with a half dozen teenage campaign workers armed with literature.
``I had no idea Chuck Robb was going to be here, honest,'' Sweet said, shrugging.
We believe him.
As the flow of workers became a torrent, campaign literature flew as the dueling candidates and their volunteers elbowed each other, gripping and grabbing and politicking. Several shipyard workers appeared weary of being used as media props in the annual political stakes.
William C. Mitchell, a sweaty fitter who had just finished his shift and was waiting for the bus, chided Robb loudly.
``Hey Chuck, you gonna be here at the gates when the layoffs come?'' he yelled.
``I`m trying to help you keep your jobs,'' retorted Robb.
At a nearby trash can, R.L. Davis was depositing literature from both candidates.
``These guys need to come when it's not an election,'' Davis said. ``The only time you see 'em is when they want your vote.''
Davis said he usually votes Democratic but was undecided this time between Robb and Wilder.
``I just know the one person I'm not voting for,'' he said, smiling mischievously. ``I'm from the South, so I'm not voting for North.''
KEYWORDS: CANDIDATES U.S. SENATE RACE by CNB