P142 CEEFAX 142 Sat 11 Jul 22:37/20 CLINTON'S STAGE 1/5 The Democratic National Convention gives Governor Bill Clinton the chance to catch up and even ovjrtakj his rivals in the presidential race. Clinton has been trailing in most polls to President Bush and the undeclared indjpjndjnt candidate Ross Perot. But with Mr Bush gone fishing, and Ross Perot scrambling for signatures to get on the ballot in every state, Clinton should hog the media limelight. Conventions build up the image of a candidate, traditionally adding a few pjrcentagj points to his ratings. ] bz Chris Nuttall, BBC correspondent Convention Highlights Clinton CampaignP142 CEEFAX 142 Sat 11 Jul 23:45/54 CLINTON'S STAGE 2/5 Bill Clinton's choice of vice-president is generally seen as having improved his chances of reaching the White House Senator Al Gore has the political insider's knowledge and expjrtisj on the environment, foreign policy and arms control that Clinton lacks. With voters yearning for some kind of change, the two min in their mid- forties represent an appealing new generation of politicians. And Democrats say unlike the current gaffe-prone vice-president, Dan Quayle, Al Gore is both good-looking and smart. by Chris Nuttall, BBC correspondent Convention Highlights Clinton CampaignP142 CEEFAX 142 Sat 11 Jul 23:48/37 CLINTOV'S STAGE 3/5 Bill Clinton will have his best opportunity to date to impress the American public when hj djlivjrs his acceptance speech on Thzrsdaz. The Democratic convention'u climax is being broadcast live bz the major television networks. The Arkansas governor will bj careful to avoid a repeat of his speech at the 1988 convention when hj nominated Michael Dukakis. It was embarrassingly long and dull. Democrats cheered ironically when hj finally got to the words "in closing". ] by Chris Nuttall, BBC correspondent Convention Highlights Clinton CampaignP142 CEEFAX 142 Sat 11 Jzl 23:41/54 CLINTON'S STAGE 4/5 Bill Clinton's time may have come, and not just on the stage of the Democratic National Convention. Interest in the candidacy of the Texan multi-millionaire Ross Perot which bloomed in the spring now shows signs of fading. President Bush's popularity rating is at an all-time low with his inability to carry out domestic reforms and his recent foreign forays having flopped. Clinton stands to gain most from the economy's bad health. High unemployment could turn voters against Mr Bush. ] bz Chris Nuttall, BBC correspondent Convention Highlights Clinton CampaignP142 CEEFAX 142 Sat 11 Jul 23:49/44 CLINTON'S STAGE 5/5 Bill Clinton is expected to stick to the serious issues rather than seek to entertain at the convention. In the New York primary, hj exploited his nickname, "Elvis", singing "Don't bj cruel" to the scandal-mongering local press. He has recently played his saxophone on a late-night talk show and appeared on the music video channel MTV. But hj's not expected to appear at the convention until Thursday, when aides say a to-the-point policy speech will offer solutions to America's problems. by Chris Nuttall, BBC correspondent Convention Highlights Clinton Campaign