The Grand Tour

LOS ANGELES: Hoping to gain prestige from Ronald Reagan's mantle, Bob Dole met with the former president at his California home Wednesday. Dole spoke with Reagan, who suffers from Alzheimers disease, for 40 minutes and the former president was later described as alert, if a little subdued. Stressing the importance of this meeting, TIME's Barrett Seaman says it is critical for Dole to capture as much of the Reagan mystique as possible. "Reagan represents getting people together," says Seamen. "That is something Republicans have lost control of since 1992. When Reagan last spoke publicly at the 1992 convention, he was inclusive, avuncular and belied the image of the GOP as nasty, exclusive and self-interested." Seaman says that for Dole to have a fighting chance in November, he must open up the Republican party, something he is already trying to do with the abortion issue by supporting tolerance and suggesting he would chose a running mate who does not oppose abortion "He must also find ways of appealing to more voters by setting an agenda on issues like race and education." -->