This class of Republican presidential candidates does not go light on the pageantry. Even their kickoff announcements or, in the case of George W. Bush and Elizabeth Dole, the announcements of their formation of an "exploratory committee," came with campaign-caliber fanfare.
CANDIDATE GEORGE W. BUSH
PRELUDE Rehearses speech with local reporters
VENUE Ballroom (Austin, Texas)
FLANKED BY George Shultz; Rep. J.C. Watts; Rep. Henry Bonilla
SPEECH Likens own "compassionate conservatism" to Lincoln's politics
AMERICANA Stage lined with Texas and American flags
MESSAGE Step aside and make room for the juggernaut
ELIZABETH DOLE
[PRELUDE] Resigns from Red Cross post; hires campaign...
