Portsmouth Herald
11/9/95 Pg. A1

POWELL WON'T BE CANDIDATE
DECISION NARROWS GOP RACE
by Steve Haberman, Herald Staff

   After months of ``prayerful consideration'' that captivated the nation,
Colin Powell awkwardly embraced the Republican Party yesterday, but said
he would not run for president in 1996 because it was ``a calling that I
do not yet hear.''
   Powell's decision leaves Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole as the clear
front-runner in the New Hampshire primary. While recent polls showed Dole
running even with Powell in the state, without the retired general in the
race, all polls show the Kansas senator leading the field by as much as 27
percentage points. 
   Dole solidified his edge by garnering the endorsement of Gov. Stephen
Merrill yesterday (see story below.) ``It's a very exciting day for Bob
Dole,'' the Kansas senator said at a press conference in Manchester at
which Merrill announced his endorsement. 
   Texas Sen. Phil Gramm, also considered to be a serious contender for the
Republican nomination with strong showings in recent Iowa and Maine straw
polls, said that Powell's decision leaves him as one of only a few candidates
qualified for the Republican nomination.
   Gramm has not fared well in New Hampshire polls, however, despite
fielding a number of television commercials recently. Many feel his early
move endorsing Arizona's bid to become the first primary state has hurt
his chances in New Hampshire. 
   Ending an extraordinary political mystery, Powell ruled out seeking any
elected office next year. Instead, he said he would dedicate himself to
restoring ``the spirit of Lincoln'' to a Republican Party he said was a
lot more diverse than many conservatives would care to admit. 
   ``I'm sorry I disappointed you,'' the retired general said in a
poignant tribute to the thousands of everyday Americans who had urged him
to run - in person, through letters and by joining draft Powell efforts. 
   ``We're devastated,'' said James Lynch, a New York lawyer involved in
the draft effort. Said Tim Bush, an organizer in New Hampshire: ``I think
really the country is the loser.''
   Such support brought him to the brink of a candidacy, Powell said, but
in the end he stepped back from elective politics - for now anyway. 
   To run for president, he said, would demand ``a passion and commitment
that, despite my every effort, I do not have for political life, because
such a life requires a calling that I do not yet hear.''
   If an informal telephone poll conducted by the Herald is any
indication, however, most Seacoast voters did not know enough about Powell
to care about his decision not to run for the presidency. 
   ``There wasn't enough known about him for me to be disappointed,'' said
John Farrell of Durham.
   That lack of information about Powell's positions on issues important to
New Hampshire voters was also evident in the response of Georgia Gilbert of
Portsmouth.
   ``I think he might have something to say, but I don't know if he knows
what that is yet,'' she said.
   To Diana Fanning of Hampton, Powell's announcement did not come as a
shock. ``I'm not surprised,'' she said. ``I got the feeling he wouldn't
run from the interviews I've seen with him, and the articles I've read.''
   Mrs. Leon Faust of Portsmouth thought the issue of race would have
negated Powell's chances at the nation's highest office. ``We're not ready
for a black president,'' she said. 
   However, several potential primary voters expressed disappointment at
the general's decision not to run. 
   ``I thought he would have been good for politics, and would have
considered him,'' said David Peterson of Somersworth. 
   Joan Folger of South Berwick said she was very disappointed. ``I would
have voted for him,'' she said. 
   Only five of the 20 Seacoast residents randomly called expressed
disappointment. Many expressed views similar to those of Norma Harris of
Exeter. 
   ``I think he's a wonderful man, but he wasn't quite ready to be
president,'' she said. 
   Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.