Portsmouth Herald Published: 08-25-95 Page: A6 ALEXANDER STOPS IN BRENTWOOD CANDIDATE MAKES PITCH FOR LESS GOVERNMENT AT COOKOUT Byline: Liane Evans
BRENTWOOD - Former Tennessee governor and U.S. education secretary Lamar Alexander, on the fifth leg of his 90-mile walking campaign across the state, was greeted by a live Dixieland band when he stopped at a Crawley Falls Road residence last night for a cookout with supporters. A candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, Alexander, 55, hopes to win support from New Hampshire by greeting people and attracting as much attention as possible during his Concord to Portsmouth trek. A Republican polling firm released figures Wednesday showing Alexander has moved into third place, behind Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., and former candidate Pat Buchannan, with a five-point increase since the May poll. Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Tex., was in fourth place. The poll, provided by Alexander's campaign manager, also showed his ``favorable'' rating has moved up 11 points. Yesterday evening, Alexander stopped at the home of Roger and Gwen Rice, 159 Crawley Falls Road, for a barbecue attended by at least 100 supporters. ``He has good family values,'' said state Rep. John Flanders Sr., R_Kingston/Newton. ``He wants to give money back to the states and let them run themselves, there's no middleman.'' Alexander, wearing his trademark red-and-black plaid shirt, said that, if elected, he would focus on job growth, freedom from Washington and an increase in personal responsibility. ``A lot of things the government can't do, we can do ourselves,'' Alexander said. Brad Lown, a Portsmouth attorney and a Republican, said he's supporting Alexander because ``he is a moderate Republican candidate, he was an effective governor, he's an outsider, and he's a little younger than Dole. I think he stands a better chance of beating Clinton than Dole does.'' Alexander's hike began July 5 in Concord at Big Al's Capital City Diner. Each day the former Bush Administration cabinet member, followed by up to 60 supporters, volunteers and staffers, walks about five miles and shakes hands with about 300 people, according to campaign worker Scott Tranchemontagne. Currently, he is heading east on Route 111. He stops to meet people at gas stations and convenience stores along the way. Alexander's message has been threefold: Jobs and growth; reduction of the role of federal government; and increased personal and state responsibility. Tranchemontagne said Alexander walks two or three consecutive days, chalk-marks his end spot on the road, flies off to attend to other business, then returns to New Hampshire to take up where he left off. Alexander is expected to finish his current leg Friday in Kingston. He will return the first week in September to make his way to Exeter. Eventually he'll reach Route 1, then head north to Portsmouth. Alexander's intermittent walk will continue through September and October, Tranchemontagne said, then slow down so he can make a dramatic ending Feb. 19, the day before the New Hampshire primary. Alexander intends to finish his journey by stepping into the Atlantic Ocean in Portsmouth, Tranchemontagne said. Alexander, an author, lawyer and businessman, has said he is ``pro-life.'' He has steered away from the GOP platform for an amendment outlawing abortion by saying the federal government should stay out of the abortion debate. Alexander has advocated giving federal control back to the states, which has gained him support among some segments of the voting population in New Hampshire. =============================================================================