Vice President Gore, mindful of the political calendar and the state's No. 1 issue, gave his first major policy speech here, on education. Several GOP candidates are talking about military readiness, contending that the nation does not have the military capabilities it should. Millionaire publisher Steve Forbes, scheduled to spend more than a month in Iowa this summer, hired a former Christian Coalition bigwig and retooled his pitch to highlight his opposition to abortion. Each party aims to attract up to 100,000 people on caucus night, a turnout that hinges on good races and good weather. Early endorsements and money don't necessarily prevail.
Organization is critical.
He had a dismal, dismal showing, and he soon dropped out. That's because he had no organization. This year's front-runners, Democrat Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush, aren't making that mistake. Republican Bush, after some hesitation, snared a couple of the state's best organizers and visits Iowa June 12 . Top organizing marks so far go to former vice president Dan Quayle and former Tennessee governor Lamar Alexander, who has been building his network for six years.