Photo Op.

His week was picture-perfect

It may have been a bumpy week for Democratic hopefuls, what with squabbles over the party platform and delegate-selection rules, but for the opposition presidential candidate it was all smooth sailing. Ronald Reagan just breezed along, stroking an elephant here, downing a catfish there and most of all relishing his most recent in-house poll showing him outpacing Walter Mondale, at least for the shining moment, by a thumping 54% to 39%. Said a top aide: "There's no question that Reagan is on a high right now."

So while the Democrats were sorting through the debris of their primary battles, Reagan spent the week doing what he does best: starring in a series of photo opportunities. It started on Long Island, where the President visited the International Games for the Disabled. He watched as more than 1,700 participants from 45 nations paraded past, many in wheelchairs, others on crutches. Among them were delegations from Poland, Hungary and East Germany, all countries that are boycotting the Summer Games. Reagan passed a flaming Olympic torch to Swimmer Jan Wilson, 28, an amputee from Winston-Salem, N.C., and said, "You are proving that a disability doesn't have to stand in the way of a full and active life."

Next it was back to Washington for a state dinner for Sri Lanka's President, Junius Jayawardene (entertainment by Frank Sinatra), and a ceremonial trunk-shake with an 18-month-old baby elephant, a gift from Jayawardene. Reagan was told that the elephant's name was Jayathu, which in Sinhala means victory. Said Reagan: "In view of her name, I appreciate your fine sense of timing."

Even when the President turned his attention to a serious domestic issue, teenage drunk driving, the scenes were scripted to be picture-perfect. Reagan traveled to the River Dell High School in Oradell, N.J., site of an ambitious anti-alcoholism program. Flanked by photographers, he cracked, "I don't drive much any more," then climbed into a simulator designed to test the reflexes of vehicle operators. Why this trip? Explains an aide: "We're trying to create an overall image that he's on the side of the angels."

Back at the White House, Reagan hosted an outdoor fish fry attended by 800 Congressmen and seafood-industry officials. The fare included salmon, lobster, oysters and catfish. Conspicuous by his absence was House Speaker Tip O'Neill, whom White House aides had invited to join Reagan at the head picnic table. O'Neill's aides said the event had never been on the Speaker's schedule. Ventured an observer: "He had other fish to fry."