Speech Praised for Style, Not Content: Democrats Who Voted for Bush in f988 Express Mixed Rea<
TIMONIUM, . Md.ÛÓBefore President Bush began his State of the Union address Tuesday .night, the ll men and women gathered hereÛÓall of them Democrats who had backed Bush in 1988ÛÓsaid'in urgent tones that they hoped he would speak to their concerns about the recession and unemployment, imports, education, health care and homeless: ness.	,V	,,	.	.</br></br>When he, had finished, most of them said he hadnÛªt really done thatÛÓor done it as well as they had hoped. But they liked the speech and the man who gave it because he was "real positive,Ûª"'confident,Û ÛÏvery strong.Û nbw it was up to.the Democratic CongressÛÓa body for which. they expressed great disdainÛÓto rise above partisanship and do its job. Speaking of the members of Congress, Jean Taylor, a Towson State University employee, said, ÛÏThey have got to help him. He cannot do it by himself.Û</br></br>Bush's effort to deflect blame to the lawmakers worked far better with this group than did key parts of, his own policy message. Only six of the 11 thought BushÛªs proposed tax cuts would benefit themÛÓand several of the six were uncertain. Only two or three said they got a message from Bush that his plan would make their health care more affordable.</br></br>These "message gapsÛ leave a political opening for the Democrats in this election year. But for now, the Timonium voters said they are not hear-See VOTERS, A8, Col. 1</br></br>ing any better ideas from the DemocratsÛÓindeed not hearing from the Democrats at all. ÛÏThere is nobody running against him that is showing me anything different,Û said 49-year-old Will Gardner, a General Motors scheduler and the lone black in the group. As a result, all of them came away from the speech confirmed or strengthened in their inclination to vote for Bush againÛÓunless an unexpectedly attractive alternative appears.