Dole’s Bold Action Boosts His Chances

Bob Dole’s eloquent, emotional departure from the U.S. Senate should silence, for a few minutes anyway, those who mock his homespun speaking style. With one bold decision, the Kansas Republican made it more likely that President Clinton will get a run for his money and the voters will get a choice in November.

Clinton does need a vigorous foe and voters do need a real choice. In recent days, it had appeared both candidates in the coming presidential campaign would just insult the public with cheap, single-issue abuse of their respective powers. When a seasonal jump in crude oil prices caused an entirely normal jump in gasoline prices, President Clinton pledged to investigate oil companies, while Senate Majority Leader Dole maneuvered to cut federal gasoline taxes. Both reactions had everything to do with politics and nothing to do with economic reality.

Clinton, of course, will keep using the White House as a campaign device, tailoring his policies to the latest opinion polls.

But Dole, in a decision that clearly was painful to make, sacrificed his power and forced himself to stand above the trench warfare of Beltway bickering. Finally, he can make clear the large values, the vision, the objectives he proposes to bring to the White House. If he does, he may stand in pleasant contrast to President Poll-Chaser.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = John Webster/For the editorial board