Four more years?

National | Political analysis: Will Dole also drag down the Congress?

For better or worse, Bob Dole is going to be nominated in San Diego in August, but the question is: Can he get elected?

There are several factors that will influence the answer. First, there is the state of the Dole campaign. While better organized than the Bush effort in 1992, the Dole campaign generates no enthusiasm from even Dole supporters. Moreover, the campaign itself is not in control of the situation. In late March, Mr. Dole met with 39 senators in a group put together by Senate Steering Committee Chairman Larry Craig of Idaho. Senator after senator told Mr. Dole that he belonged out in the countryside. "When you are the Republican presidential nominee you are Bill Clinton's equal. When you are dealing with matters in the Senate, you are diminished," Georgia Senator Paul Coverdell told Mr. Dole. Senator after senator agreed, and when the meeting was over, Mr. Dole said, "Good plan. We'll do it."