Publisher is no pushover on politics

By Jill Zuckman, Globe Staff, May 23, 1999

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- For Joseph W. McQuaid, the new publisher and president of the Manchester Union-Leader, the challenge during this political cycle will be deciding which of the 11 Republican candidates for president to back.

It's likely McQuaid and the Union-Leader will be closely scrutinized this campaign season for any hints of which candidate will receive the paper's blessing, and which ones will feel its wrath.

During an interview, McQuaid, 50, expressed skepticism about the hype surrounding Texas Governor George W. Bush. "Let's see how Mr. Bush does when he gets up here in June," he said. "Let's see if he takes any positions. He seems to be trying very hard not to do so, so far."

And he is sarcastic about Governor Bush's refusal to take a stand on a hate crimes bill before the Texas Legislature. "That's the kind of leadership I like to see," McQuaid said. "He hasn't taken a position on it because he might tick off people to the left or the right and his 6 million advisers haven't told him what to do yet, apparently."

On Patrick J. Buchanan, the paper's longtime favorite, McQuaid noted that many people who worked for the commentator in 1996 are supporting other candidates this time. And he was mildly irritated that the Buchanan camp sent him a press advisory on a Monday at noon for an event that was supposed to take place on Sunday. And the event, he added, hadn't even happened.

"He doesn't seem particularly well organized this time around," said McQuaid.

He called Steve Forbes "the nicest billionaire" he's ever met. Gary Bauer is a very nice man, he said, and so is Dan Quayle.

He admires John McCain for holding up under torture in a North Vietnamese prison camp and refusing early release, but he said his positions on Kosovo "are loopy." John Kasich, the Ohio congressman, is "a little too young," said McQuaid, though he likes his tax-cutting ideas.

"And then there is Bob Smith, who has not yet taken my advice to pull a reverse Jesse Ventura and not only get out of the presidential race, but get out of politics altogether and go into big-time wrestling," he said.

He said Republicans are so desperate to prevent Vice President Al Gore from becoming president that they are coalescing around an untested candidate, Bush.

"It would be nice to look and see who the guy is before you crowned him," he said. "So that's what New Hampshire will be about."