Dole on Own Campaign Trail

Elizabeth H. Dole has never been one to stand on the sidelines.

But as a member of the Nixon, Reagan and Bush administrations, her talents were displayed behind the scenes. Even as the president of the Red Cross and as the wife of form Senate majority leader Bob Dole (R-Kans.,) she remained outside the political spotlight.

Then, in 1996, she took time off to campaign with her husband during his bid for the presidency. During the Republican National Convention, Dole took to the floor like a talk show host, winning accolades for her performance.

Suddenly, Elizabeth Dole was America's new political sweetheart.

Many thought her charisma and charm overshadowed the stoic personality of Bob Dole, leading some to question why he was the candidate, not she.

"She is far more skilled at communicating than her husband," says Michael D. McCurry, former White House press secretary and assistant to the president.

Now, as Bob Dole has faded into the realm of Visa commercials and Viagra advertisements, his wife is hitting the campaign trail.

Today, as Dole addresses the Business School class of 1999, she is no longer simply the supportive wife of a significant political leader.

She is not solely the leader of the world's largest humanitarian organization or the assiduous cabinet member. She is a leader in many spheres and could conceivably be America's first female president.

"From her leadership of the U.S. Departments of Transportation and Labor in two administrations to her presidency of the American Red Cross, she has shown the good that one can do when they are committed to serving others," says IBM Professor of Business and Government Roger B. Porter, who worked with Dole in both the Reagan and Bush administrations.

The Southern Belle

Dole was born Elizabeth M. Hanford in Salisbury, N.C. in August 1936, daughter of one of the small town's most prominent families. During her childhood she made the rounds of a well-born Southern woman: piano and riding lessons and debutante balls.

She received her undergraduate degree from Duke University and started a political career by holding the position of student government president.

The only political science major in her entire class, Dole seemingly maintained the Southern belle mentality by being elected as the May Queen, an award for popularity and beauty.

After college, she enrolled in Harvard's Graduate School of Education, and continued on to Harvard Law School after she received her degree. As one of only two dozen women in the HLS Class of 1958, she was forced to contend with a certain degree of prejudice.

She recalled, during a commencement speech at Smith College a year ago, how one man approached her and demanded a reason for her presence at the Law School.

"He said, 'Elizabeth...don't you realize that there are men who would give their right arm to be in this law school--men who would use their legal education."

Despite such sentiments, Dole was able to make use of her education. After graduation, she took on a government job as a White House consumer affairs lawyer. This was the first of many public sector jobs for Dole, who started her political life as a Lyndon Johnson Democrat and soon became a stalwart in the Reagan Republican cabinets.

In 1975, she married rising political star Bob Dole, at that time a divorced Senator from Kansas.

Eventually, Dole's legal experience and political saavy helped her to jump to the top of the executive branch as President Ronald Reagan's Transportation Secretary.

Following her role in the Reagan administration, President George Bush tapped her to be his secretary of labor.

Once again, the determined Dole was thrown in the middle of the traditionally masculine world of coal-mine strikes and labor negotiations.

Her life in government seemed to reach completion in 1992 after President Bush was defeated. Dole left political life to take over the top position at the Red Cross, one of the world's largest charitable organizations.

The former cabinet member declined to accept a salary during her first year at the Red Cross as an attempt to provide an incentive for others to volunteer for charitable organizations.

During her reign, she emphasized the value of improving technology used by the organization, dramatically improved the methods of collecting and distributing blood and raised over $562 million to assist victims of natural disasters.

Dole's efforts were widely recognized for significantly improving the capabilities of her organization.

"The Red Cross has made a huge investment in improving the quality of its own oversight and of the blood supply," said Donna Shalala, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, in 1998, according to a news release from the Dole campaign. "In her leadership of the Red Cross, few have done more to alleviate human miseries and save lives."

Playing Catch-up

Although Dole formed an exploratory committee in March and began fundraising efforts, she has yet to officially announce her bid for America's highest elected office.

In the past, Dole has spoken publicly about the type of president she believes the country deserves.

"We must rekindle a spirit in our hearts--something very American," she said at the 1996 Republican National Convention. "We must renew faith in the goodness of our nation."

After a burst of enthusiasm surrounding her announcement that she was considering a bid for the presidency, Dole's campaign thus far has been lackluster.

Her fundraising has been meager, she places second to Gov. George W. Bush in virtually every poll and she has failed to receive any high-profile endorsements, including her husband's.

In an interview with the New York Times last month, the former Senate majority leader admitted that his wife's campaign "had growing pains [and] was slow to raise money."

Dole also said he considered donating money to Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) campaign in an effort to "keep good people in the race."

The former presidential candidate is also reluctant to predict his wife's chances.

"It's too early to tell," Dole said.

Dole's inability to jumpstart her bid could stem from her lack of political campaign experience. While her commitment to public service has been clearly demonstrated, Dole has never had to win an elected position.

"She's got to catch up after eight years in the Red Cross," said her husband to the New York Times last month. "She needs a little breathing time. You can't expect her to walk out the door and say, 'Now, I'm going to answer every question in the world about whatever.'"

McCurry also questioned whether Dole can handle the rigors of a presidential campaign.

"I think she has got an enormous capacity to contribute to this debate," he said. "What people are going to wonder about is fire in the belly."

Thus far, Dole has avoided taking firm stances on many controversial issues--extolling traditional Republican issues like cutting taxes and maintaining a strong military.

Dole realizes that in order to be successful, she must tackle more dynamic issues and create a political identity independent of her husband.

"It's important for me to establish that this is my campaign," she said in a recent New York Times interview. "It's important that I go solo here for a while. Bob will certainly be willing to do his share of campaigning, but I'll be making the decisions."

On the Stump

While most of the attention Dole receives nowadays is related to her possible presidential campaign, she was offered the chance to speak at the Business School's Class Day before her political aspirations were made public.

According to Mandee Heller, Class Day chair of the Business School's graduating class, Dole was chosen to speak for reasons unrelated to her possible campaign.

"She is a successful business leader and we are proud of the fact she is a Harvard grad. She has made a difference in the business world," Heller says. "She is an international leader, a woman and a trail-blazer. Running for president is an added bonus but in her own right she has had many business successes."

Dole is expected to steer clear of campaign promises during her lecture and give "advice on what it takes to survive as graduates," Heller says.

Dole will also address America's policies toward China, emphasizing the importance of human rights, the protection of defense secrets and the significance of international finance, says Ari Fleischer, Dole's press secretary.

While Dole will use her time in the limelight to address a variety of topics, there is no doubt that the large business school audience will be filled with potential voters for the upcoming presidential election.

This fact has not gone unnoticed, according to Fleisher.

"Well, Harvard is her alma mater and it is a prestigious university of course. Any candidate who doesn't accept a speech offer from Harvard must be stupid or a graduate from Yale."