Simon Seeks Support From County Democrats

U.S. Sen. Paul Simon (D-Ill.) met with two Orange County Democratic support groups Friday in an effort to boost his campaign for the presidency in a state where votes will not be needed for a long time, but financial support will.

Facing crucial primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire early in 1988, Simon said he made his first foray into Orange County to meet with potential donors and political leaders.

“I hope to get a little exposure and have some people saying, ‘This fellow, Paul Simon, might make a pretty good President,’ ” Simon said.

He first attended a reception that drew about 150 members of the Democratic Associates, a $100-a-year support group for the county’s Democratic Party, and later had dinner with about 60 members of the Democratic Foundation, a $1,000-a-year support group.

Reiterates Message

Simon, the bespectacled intellectual in the current field of Democratic candidates, reiterated his message of cutting back defense spending and beefing up education and care for the elderly. Responding to a question, he got a round of applause when he spoke about his stand on abortion, which he said should be a matter for a woman and her physician to decide.

Speaking to both groups of Democrats at UC Irvine’s University Club, Simon recalled President Reagan’s classic campaign question: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” That, Simon said, is the “wrong question.”

“The question really ought to be, ‘Are we building a better, brighter future for our children and the generations to come?’ ” Simon said.

Although mostly dismissed as a no-win candidate when he entered the race in May, Simon has done well in public opinion polls following a credible performance in a debate with his fellow Democratic candidates in July. His somewhat old-fashioned appearance, with his bow tie and wing-tip shoes, has earned him respect, if not the kind of excitement generated by other candidates, such as Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis and Delaware Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr.

‘Gaining Solidly’

“We’re not surging forward, but we’re gaining pretty solidly,” Simon said.

He said he expected the decision of who will be the Democratic candidate to be settled before the California primary next June.

Simon is the latest in a string of Democratic presidential candidates who have appeared before the Associates and the Foundation, which hope to have all the Democratic candidates as speakers before the year is out. Next up will be Dukakis and Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-Colo.) in October and Biden in November.

“And in December, we’ll have Gary Hart,” said Associates President Chris Townsend, drawing a laugh from the crowd as he referred to rumors this week that Hart, who dropped out of the race in May, might be returning as a Democractic presidential candidate. Townsend, a strong supporter of Hart, quickly added, “That’s just a test to see if you’re listening. It’s a joke. A bad joke.”