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gas interests. The ads clearly hurt, Globokar glumly admitted, adding
that some voters even called their campaign headquarters wanting to
know if Adams was a spy. The Post-Intelligencer’s Shelby Scates wrote that
“two talented guys are behaving like a couple of turkeys, allowing the
campaign to degenerate into a shabby travesty of the real qualities of
these two people.”^18
theono g Rt cAMpAign was conflicted over a White House offer to send
in Reagan down the stretch. Most Republicans were going to vote for
Slade regardless, Excell and Newman said at a strategy session. Having
his back slapped by Reagan wasn’t going to win him more votes from
Democrats. “But many on the finance committee said they needed the
president to raise big dollars to ensure we were ready for anything down
the stretch,” Excell says. Others were worried about the “base.” Having
Reagan appear with Gorton would help solidify his standing with conser-
vatives—and they shouldn’t forget his appeal to “Reagan Democrats.” Na-
tional polls indicated that fully 8 percent of those who described them-
selves as likely Republican voters weren’t going to show up on Election
Day. Ralph Munro, Washington’s secretary of state, projected the turnout
at a sluggish 55-60 percent, well below the previous comparable midterm.
The election could turn on the turnout.
“With the waste dump such a hot potato, Paul and I were worried
about what Reagan might say,” Excell recalls. “The Senate staff said it was
impossible to guarantee a positive announcement on Hanford. So as ad-
vice goes, it was a fine mess. The campaign team was Balkanized.” Gor-
ton listened intently. Finally, he sided with the majority: Bring the Gipper
to Spokane. “There comes a time when you have to turn mother’s picture
to the wall,” Newman sighed. At least Reagan would be appearing in a
smaller media market.^19
The Adams campaign was craftily amping up expectations, predicting
Reagan would try to rescue Gorton with an “October surprise” by an-
nouncing a halt to the dump-site testing process and ordering a fresh
start on the whole process. Gorton said that was ridiculous. “We are sim-
ply going to be getting to the president with some information he doesn’t
have.There’s no way we’ll get a decision on the spot, but we’ll get his...
ear.” Hoping to steal some of the thunder from Reagan’s visit, Adams and
Gardner also headed for Spokane for a Labor Council rally with home-
town Congressman Tom Foley.^20
On October 30, a chartered jet carrying 130 members of the national
press touched down at Geiger Field just west of Spokane minutes before