HILADELPHIA - Want to talk to the man who's running against Ted Kennedy?
That's the pitch Jack E. Robinson's press secretary was making this week, shopping his candidate around to the local and national radio talk show hosts. And it was working. A lot of these people love to hate Senator Edward M. Kennedy, and they've got ample air time to fill. New York gabber Sean Hannity asked to shake Robinson's hand, and then agreed to put him on the air. A crew from a Texas station set up an interview in minutes.
But getting attention is easier than getting respect, as Robinson learned from his 15 minutes with syndicated radio host Armstrong Williams. The black conservative tried to give Robinson a dose of harsh reality, scoffing at his belief that Kennedy would debate him and howling at his refusal to ask Republican bigwigs for money or endorsements.
''Brother, I'm trying to help you,'' Williams said. ''You don't realize how badly you need help. But you're not willing to ask these people. What's wrong with you?''
Robinson took the drubbing in stride, but then, he's no stranger to harsh truths. Ever since embarrassing facts about his personal life emerged in the spring - and the state GOP abruptly withdrew its support - Robinson has been waging an uphill fight for legitimacy.
Things seemed to be turning his way this summer, when the courts blessed his efforts to get on the ballot. And with a hefty donation to the National Republican Senatorial Committee - Robinson says it was $3,000 - he won a pass to the convention, and with it a chance to schmooze with potential donors from across the nation.
But so far, it has been a week of mixed blessings: a national radio appearance, but no softball questions; a connection to the Massachusetts contingent in Philadelphia, but no easy access to state delegation events; an impromptu tete-a-tete with Governor Paul Cellucci of Massachusetts, but no endorsement.
And a skeptical media horde that, at times, seems to want to help Robinson behave more like a candidate. A news conference yesterday deteriorated into an awkward back-and-forth as reporters asked Robinson to address the contention that endorsements might actually help his cause.
For all of his difficulties, though, Robinson has been carrying himself as someone with big prospects. He says Kennedy is afraid of him. He vows he'll raise $7 million in the next 90 days.
But he also insists that he won't ask any GOP leaders for money or endorsements: ''I don't like the idea of going hat in hand to anybody but the voters.'' Instead, he plans to seek donations by repeating his Web address on every radio and TV show he can.
So far, Robinson says, he has raised about $20,000, in the week he has been actively seeking money. His press secretary, Tom McCuin, said most of it has come from out-of-state Republicans, such as the two Arkansas men who handed him $20 apiece the other night and promised to send more.
''I just tend to believe that most of the money is going to come from the hard-core Republicans across America,'' he said. ''To them, Ted Kennedy is one of the last living monoliths of liberalism that they would love to see out of the Senate.''
Support from within Massachusetts so far has been an iffier proposition. At a party on Sunday, one delegate shook Robinson's hand politely, but rolled his eyes when the candidate was out of sight.
''It's unfortunate, because he seems like a nice guy,'' said the delegate, who asked not to be identified. He said he had declined to sign Robinson's nominating papers lest he encourage Robinson to squander his own wealth on the campaign. ''Why throw money down a rat hole?'' the delegate said.
Still, Robinson's perseverance, and his very presence in Philadelphia, have earned him accolades.
Massachusetts delegate Steve Leahy, who noted that he hopes to volunteer for Robinson's campaign, said the candidate has ''that kind of fortitude and that kind of background, always sending out a positive message. I respect the man.''
If only Robinson could get such praise from the governor. But Cellucci talks about the candidate the way he might a wayward child. ''He's doing OK; the guy got on the ballot,'' Cellucci said earlier this week. ''It's good sport for him to be in.''
Cellucci took the same approach when he wound up face-to-face with Robinson yesterday morning. A crush of reporters demanded to know whether Cellucci would give an endorsement. The governor smiled.
''He's got this persona of being independent,'' Cellucci said. ''It's helping him a lot. So I don't want to mess things up for him.''
