Never Too Early

by Howard Altman

³You’re not going to ask me the question,” says Dan Fee. It is less than an hour since his boss, Ed Rendell, became governor-elect. But I have to ask the question.

"Any thoughts about the White House?"

Fee glowers. I can't blame him. He helped engineer one of the most overpowering gubernatorial campaigns in the history of Pennsylvania. Talking about the White House before moving into the governor's mansion does not exactly make sense for him.

He glowers some more.

"The Waffle House," he says, with a sly laugh. "That's the only thought we have."

Fee, one of the best campaign spokesfolk I've dealt with, continues to glower. But, seeing that he is still standing in front of me, in one of the few quiet spots in the room, away from the crush of the cameras trailing the governor-elect, I press the point.

"Seriously, how many times have you been asked that question?" I ask, taking a reality check.

"Seriously? Only once."

"But nobody's thinking about that at all?" I ask.

"Nobody is thinking about it," says Fee. "Ed is all set to be governor."

"All eight years?"

"Oh," he says, pausing for effect, as is his way. "I just know he is all set to run for re-election."

It is a dumb question to ask Rendell at this point, whether he thinks he can be president.

Ever drive around Pennsylvania? This is one seriously hurting state. The man has his work cut out for him.

I have no doubts Rendell is completely geared up to try and turn Pennsylvania around.

It is way too early to ask Rendell. But it is not a dumb question.

So maybe he didn't cover the pre-game spread, which was as high as 19 points, according to published reports. But the 9-point margin of victory over Mike Fisher (with 99 percent of polls reporting, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) is a nice number, worthy of considering Ever Ready Eddie's future beyond Harrisburg. Especially so given that the White House managed to gain big ground in a mid-term election, taking the Senate and bolstering its margin in the House behind a stupefyingly popular post-9/11 president.

Philadelphians -- Jewish ones from New York no less -- do not make an instantly easy sell in places like Ephrata and Dushore and Waynesboro and other conservative bastions around the state.

There are hundreds and hundreds of towns like those around the nation. If Rendell can make it in the Keystone State, why not the United States?

Rendell for President is a concept that is starting to catch on.

In more than 12 hours of driving around the city, I meet dozens of people who think that's not such a bad idea.

At polling places from Holy Cross Church in Mount Airy to the Frankford home of a deceased former Filipino attorney general, voters and campaign workers -- if not the politicians -- dare to believe (OK, often with a little prodding) that Rendell should run for president.

"I think so," many people say.

"I hope so," say many others.

Not everyone needs prodding.

Gene Stilp walks around the ballroom of the Radisson Yadda Yadda Plaza carrying a modified Rendell for Governor sign, replacing the pre-printed gubernatorial aspiration with a pencil-drawn presidential one.

At first he expresses mild indignation that I don't know he's Gene Stilp. Then he explains that the Democrats really need Rendell, ready or not, considering the current denizen of the White House.

I later learn, through the wonders of Googling, that Stilp is a public relations gimmick-meister. He's been lauded in print by Ralph Nader for his "keen advocacy sense." He once brought a 30-foot ear of corn -- built out of chicken wire, 1,000 recycled milk cartons and twine, according to Nader -- to a Food and Drug Administration hearing on genetically altered foods. And he's sued Barbara Hafer, Tom Ridge and the state in opposition to the low-level radioactive waste disposal act.

So it's interesting that he should want Rendell in the White House.

"The Democrats really should raise money for Rendell in '04," says Stilp.

And why not?

Otherwise, they'll probably throw the money away on much worse.