Sidetracked

Man, that Abe Lincoln — he sure could debate, couldn’t he?

Of course, he apparently wasn’t convincing enough to win a seat in the U.S.Senate — his foe, Stephen Douglas, defender slavery, defeated Lincoln after their famous debates. But since Honest Abe was so impressive in those debates, he went on to run for president a couple of years later with better results.

Despite the popularity of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, Lincoln didn’t debate at all during his presidential run. In fact, debates wouldn’t become a regular feature of presidential politics for more than a hundred years.  And what a shame. Can you imagine how much more invigorating the Warren G. Harding-James M. Cox race would’ve been with a little smackdown?

So as John McCain and Barack Obama throw down their gloves for one final debate this Wednesday, let’s be grateful debates have been a regular part of campaigns since 1976. Because, after all, they make for great theater. Consider these memorable debate moments:

* 1960 — John Kennedy v. Richard Nixon. The first televised debate illustrated the power of the new media: Radio listeners thought it was a tie. But TV viewers clearly thought Kennedy won.  (Note to candidates: Makeup is your friend.)

On the campaign trail, Nixon was tired, recently recovering from a knee infection. A five o’clock shadow didn’t help him look at ease and friendly. (Chicago mayor Richard Daley reportedly said Nixon looked “embalmed.”)

Kennedy, however, was tan and relaxed, suggesting an air of confidence. His debate “victory” was crucial in establishing momentum for Election Day.

* Ronald Reagan v. Walter Mondale. Like McCain (who is just a year younger than Reagan was during this campaign), Reagan faced questions about his age. But Reagan, a master of the one-liner, had a great response: “I will not make age an issue of this campaign,” he said. “I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”

Even Mondale had to laugh at that one. But on election day, only Reagan was smiling.

* Lloyd Bentsen v. Dan Quayle. V-P candidate Quayle, who arguably had nothing in common with John F. Kennedy, was asking for it when he tried to compare himself to the late president. And he got it in Bentsen’s memorable, unscripted response:

“Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy,” Bentsen said. “I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy.”

Ouch. That one still stings. But it didn’t hurt that bad — Quayle and his running mate, George H.W. Bush, easily defeated Bentsen and Michael Dukakis.

* George Bush v. Michael Dukakis. When Dukakis stopped in San Luis Obispo for a Democratic event in 2002, I had a chance to ask him if he had any regrets from his failed presidential campaign.

“I regret that I lost,” he said.

Rim shot, please.

He probably also regretted the answer he gave to moderator Bernard Shaw, who asked: “Governor, if Kitty Dukakis were raped and murdered, would you favor an irrevocable death penalty for the killer?”

Dukakis replied: “No, I don’t, Bernard. And I think you know that I’ve opposed the death penalty during all of my life. I don’t see any evidence that it’s a deterrent, and I think there are better and more effective ways to deal with violent crime. We’ve done so in my own state.”

Many thought Dukakis’s answer lacked emotion and showed he was weak on crime.

* Bill Clinton v. George H.W. Bush. “Before becoming president, Bush famously uttered the line: “Read my lips — no new taxes,” only to eventually give in and raise taxes as president. Later, Clinton used that contradiction against Bush, saying, “I don’t want you to read my lips, and I sure don’t want you to read his.”

Posted on October 13th, 2008 by Pat
Filed under: The World According to Pat