CAMPAIGN ’88 : Democrats Less Eager for North-South Ticket

Not long ago, Democratic Chairman Paul G. Kirk Jr. called the South “vital to the party’s success nationally” and urged the Democrats to pick a Southerner for their 1988 presidential or vice presidential nominee.

But now that Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis is slated to receive the presidential nomination at the party’s convention in Atlanta this month, Kirk, who comes from Boston, no longer thinks it is necessary to have a Southerner on the ticket.

The South is still important, Kirk told reporters at a breakfast session in Washington, and Dukakis plans to campaign extensively and be competitive in all regions of the country.

But Kirk indicated he no longer considers balancing the ticket geographically to be a top priority. He said Dukakis already is getting near-solid support from Democratic officeholders in the South.

The voters today, Kirk declared, are looking for change. “Show business is over,” he said. “People are ready for somebody who will roll up their sleeves and say: ‘We’ve got a job to do.’ And that’s what Dukakis is saying.”