For those of you that haven't been paying much attention to the presidential campaigns up until this point, the debates of Tuesday night were probably a rude, but revealing awakening. While Al Gore kept to the issues, clearly explaining his positions, George W. Bush spent more time mudslinging than he did actually informing the voters about his stance on the issues.
Al Gore clearly came off as the more likable candidate, at one point even saying that he would not respond to Bush's personal attacks with counterattacks of his own, while Bush came off as a badgering candidate and generally rude person. In a recent visit to Tufts, Matt Bai, a Tufts alum and political columnist for Newsweek magazine, said that these debates are "largely a test of George W. Bush." This was a test Bush failed miserably on Tuesday night.
The strategies of the two candidates during Tuesday's debate were quite obvious. While Gore sought to inform the voters about his stance on the major issues, George W. Bush attempted to tie Gore to "the last seven years" as much as possible while also attacking Gore's character. Bush's mudslinging quickly degenerated into generalizations that were outright wrong. Apparently Bush never took a philosophy or communications course while he was pulling C's at Yale because he failed to form proper arguments several times during the debate, and instead elected to make more groundless attacks on Gore. For example, Bush said about half way through the debate, "Sounds like the vice president is not very right tonight." As if a man that says "'at risk' children means they basically can't learn," has a right to criticize! In fact, Bush is the one that wasn't very right through much of the debate, and when he was wrong, he just refused to answer the question.
Take the issue of abortion, for example. Although both candidates have said abortion will not be a litmus test for who they appoint to the supreme court, Gore admitted that his view of appointing justices who support the idea that the "constitution should be a dynamic document that changes with the times" would most likely mean that he would appoint justices that support Roe v. Wade.
However, in response to Gore's argument that Bush's rhetoric was code for the fact that he would appoint justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade, Bush simply said that he supported strict constructionists of the constitution, failing to give an honest answer to Gore's query. Apparently, he assumes that we, the voters, are all stupid and that we don't know that strict constructionists would overturn the Roe decision in a heartbeat.
Additionally, Bush failed to answer Gore's question as to why he would spend more on a tax cut that benefits the wealthiest one percent in America then he would on health care, education ,and social security combined. Instead Bush responded, "the man [Gore] is practicing fuzzy math, folks." Oh, George W. Bush, what a profound statement! How about you justify that accusation instead of making blind attacks?
The pinnacle of Bush's mudslinging came near the end of the debate when the candidates were asked how their moral character should affect people's vote. Bush, once again, did not answer the question. Instead, he made an attack on Gore saying, "I feel like this administration has turned the phrase 'the buck stops here' into 'the buck stops at the Lincoln Bedroom'." Is this mudslinging politician really the kind of person you want running this country? Someone who cares not about his fellow man or about public service but is content with making a mockery of the process? I hope not.
Clearly Gore took the high ground in this debate. Using a combination of mudslinging rhetoric and non-answers to some very important questions, Bush demonstrated his utter inability to lead this country. The obvious holes in Bush's policies and in his intellect were revealed in this debate. Bush made it eminently clear that he was governor of the second largest state in the union during the debate. What he didn't tell you is that the Governor of Texas is granted very little power in the state's constitution. I say George W. Bush should stick to what he knows - being a weak governor of one of the largest states in the union.
Justin Krypel is a freshman who has not yet selected a major. He is a member of the Tufts Democrats.
