UMASS-BOSTON - Vice President Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush squared off last night in the first of three presidential debates, each disputing specific policy issues while sticking to the main themes of their campaigns. In their first meeting of the campaign, both candidates seemed to bicker more than discuss, frequently interrupting one another and violating the agreed-upon one minute limit for rebuttals.
With election day only a month away and the two candidates in a dead heat, Bush and Gore sought to present a firm grasp of the issues and a dynamic, experienced leadership style. A host of politicos shared their reactions after the debate, some touting Gore's agenda and others favoring Bush, but no decisive winner could be named.
"George Bush couldn't get his facts right," said New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen last night. "He just didn't seem to understand the situation in Serbia."
New York Governor George Pataki found similar faults in Gore's debating tactics.
"Al Gore was grossly misrepresenting the governor's proposals," he said, calling Bush "a person of character and commitment."
The two men hit upon a wide range of issues and disagreed on almost everything, each citing his own statistics, numbers, and examples - many that involved families from swing states such as Florida. While Governor Bush promised to give the projected $25 trillion federal budget surplus back to the American people and to cut government bureaucracy, the vice president vowed to fight "powerful interests" and use more targeted, middle class tax cuts to "keep the prosperity going."
Governor Bush appeared relaxed, smiling and joking freely, while his opponent was less affable, and often gave rambling answers that drifted away from the moderator's question. Bush, playing upon his role as an outsider, called himself a "different kind of leader," and continually attacked what he called the "fuzzy" math used by the Gore camp.
"I am not of Washington. I'm from Texas," he said. "I'm beginning to think that not only did [Vice President Gore] invent the Internet, but he invented the calculator."
Poking fun at the vice president's liberal use of statistics and examples, Bush repeatedly accused the current administration of "squandering" the budget surplus and promised to "empower Americans to make decisions for themselves on their own lives."
The debate held special significance for Governor Bush, who needed to prove to voters that he has a solid grasp on important issues. He worked hard last night to present a strong, decisive front to the vice president's more intense debating style.
"He just has to show that he's in the same caliber as Gore," said Chicago Sun-Times columnist Bob Novak before the debate. "And he can do that."
Gore displayed his usual familiarity with specific policies and complicated issues. He took every opportunity to discuss the recurring themes of his campaign: balancing the budget, paying down the debt, shoring up social security, giving tax breaks to the middle class, and reforming education. The vice president repeatedly cited statistics in efforts to show that Bush's tax cut plan would primarily benefit the rich. Gore is a practiced debater, and scored the symbolic last word on several key questions.
The next president's ability to appoint at least three Supreme Court justices makes the outcome of this year's election especially pertinent. Bush warned the millions of American T.V. viewers that his opponent would appoint "liberal, activist judges," and promised instead to stick to "strict constructionist" justices. Gore vowed to appoint more moderate, pro-choice judges, calling the US constitution "a document that lives and grows with our country."
The discussion over the future of the Supreme Court segued into a debate on abortion, as the composure of the body will have an effect on abortion-rights cases brought before the Court. Governor Bush vowed that, if elected, he would not work to overturn the FDA's recent approval of the abortion drug RU-486. He added that he would fight to "reduce the number of abortions in this country" and prohibit controversial partial-birth abortions. The vice president fortified his pro-choice stance, expressed support for "a woman's right to choose," and stood unequivocally behind the new drug.
On the foreign policy front, neither candidate advocated the use of the US military to forcibly remove Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic from power. The vice president, calling Milosevic a war criminal, said that he unequivocally lost the Serbian presidential election and suggested taking "measured steps" to remove him from office. Governor Bush, on the other hand, advocated using a "strong diplomatic hand" to continue pressuring the Serbian leader to resign. He also called upon Russian President Vladimir Putin to use his "sway" to influence Milosevic.
In the college-capital of the world, education was a hot topic at the debate. Governor Bush pushed for more local control and annual, standardized tests to gauge the progress of both students and their school systems. Gore also advocated education reform, but opted instead for higher teacher salaries, smaller classes, and tax deductions for college tuition.
