April 26, 1999
Web posted at: 2:59 p.m. EDT (1859 GMT)

DES MOINES (April 26) -- Her potential to appeal to women is one of the strengths of Elizabeth Dole's campaign in 2000, and that appeal was on display Friday in the early caucus state of Iowa, where Dole continued to test the waters for a possible White House bid.

What could make Dole the Republican Party's presidential nominee? Girl power -- the kind of raw enthusiasm that money can't buy and political professionals can't fake.

Elizabeth Dole joins a kick line Friday with fellow Tri-Deltas at the University of Iowa

Dole stopped at Iowa State during her first real campaign swing through the state. The trip got off to a slow start as her entourage was fogged in at Chicago's O'Hare Airport and Dole missed her first two events, including one at the University of Iowa, where supporters turned out more than 800 students.

Much in evidence: members of Dole's old college sorority: Delta Delta Delta.

"Yes, I think definitely just today I saw, like, I saw, like, a bunch of interest sparked by, you know, people in my house that usually, maybe aren't interested in politics," said tri-Delta Jennifer Donovan.

In Iowa, Dole is trailing Texas Gov. George W. Bush in the polls, and she's not yet as well organized as Lamar Alexander or Dan Quayle. She's also off to a slow start in national fundraising.

On this campus however, Dole has no shortage of enthusiastic volunteers.

"I was the same way with Reagan. I was 100 percent. Reagan was my idol, so, yeah," Shanna Wycoff, president of the school's Students for Elizabeth Dole organization.

It's not just college women. Dole volunteer Susan Greenwalt never worked in a presidential campaign before, but she's doing it now.

"I guess I would be wrong to say that it's not because she's a woman, but that's not the reason. I admire her. She has had fabulous accomplishments," Greenwalt said.

And her daughter, Colleen Nielsen, currently registered as a Democrat, says she'll go to the Republican caucuses to support Dole.

"It's a very big plus for me that she happens to be a woman on top of that. And I think that it's time that we see a change in how certain things are approached," Nielsen said.

Iowa political experts say Dole has a real chance here.

Iowa State University's Stefan Schmidt says: "She has incredible appeal to independent women, to some women Democrats. There is excitement about the fact that she is the first person who really could be the first woman president.

The question is whether Dole can organize quickly enough to translate popularity into political action.

Drake University's Hugh Winebrenner told CNN, "We've had some very famous people through Iowa who failed in the caucuses -- John Glenn, Ted Kennedy drew huge crowds here, but were never able to convert that into caucus support."

Friday, at the Iowa state capital, she introduced her leadership team, another step in the right direction.

Dole has been criticized for being slow to raise money and slow to organize. But here in Iowa, she has an ample supply of goodwill and is starting to build on it.

Monday, April 26, 1999

• White House not giving up on Social Security
• G-7 to work on world economic growth
• Former President Bush honored at emotional ceremony renaming CIA headquarters
• Dole slow to organize, but has her share of supporters
• School district elections face Supreme Court scrutiny
• Lawmaker proposal would regulate Internet gun sales
• GOP pressured to raise minimum wage
• Judge authorizes deposition of Chung
• Jackson to lead delegation of clergy on visit to Yugoslavia
• GOP plans discussion on youth
• Clinton to propose new gun-control measures
• Limits on Y2K lawsuits spark feuds
• Former Nebraska senator dies in Omaha hospital
• Gore preaches racial justice to NAACP chapter
• GOP group ponders 2000 endorsement
• Forbes pushes abortion ban
• Push on for vote on campaign reform
• Some bills just won't be killed
• Report says watch for misleading sales pitches for assisted living

Election briefs:
• Cautionary advice for Mrs. Clinton
• Kaptur rules out Senate bid
• Rogan 2000?

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