Where Were the Issues?

Republican debate lacked substantive discussion

The Republican debate in New Hampshire last week was nothing if not mind-numbing. The relevance of the debate easily could have been lost on many viewers since arbitrary, sometimes trivial questions were asked. Millionaire publishing heir Steve Forbes, for instance, was asked the pressing question: What would he do about lost airline luggage if he became president?

Whoever the winner was, in the end the loser was the American voter. The debate was marked by a lack of tough questioning and vague side-stepping answers from the candidates. When Texas Gov. George W. Bush said he wanted to "strengthen the military to make sure that the world is peaceful," even the moderators were visibly frustrated. It all led to an unproductive evening.

Some critics have declared Sen. John S. McCain (R-Ariz.) the winner of the debate, perhaps because he alone refused to hit Bush below the belt and instead specifically articulated his ideas. McCain also demonstrated a strong command of the issues with detailed proposals and considered positions. Bush, on the other hand, failed to defend adequately his tax cut under attacks from Forbes and others. Most of the other candidates failed to distinguish themselves from the crowd, despite a valiant effort from Alan L. Keyes '72.

In fact, the whole debate operated a little like a love-fest between McCain and Bush, the other candidates trying to break up the happy couple with some sharp jabs which had little weight upon impact. McCain and Bush were so nice to each other you had to wonder whether they were running for the Republican presidential nomination or trying to get their "citizenship in the nation" boy-scout badge.

Admittedly, it wasn't all the candidates' fault. The number of debaters limited the amount of time allowed for response to each question. The moderators also allowed for little discussion between the candidates. In particular, the various questions asked by Karen Brown of WNUR detracted significantly from the tenor of the debate and trivialized the issues facing the American people. When Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) suggested in his closing statement that the candidates try a Lincoln-Douglas style debate in January, it was the best idea of the evening.

Despite its lack of substance, at least the debate afforded some moments of levity. The funniest line went to McCain who said that if Federal Reserve Chair Alan Greenspan was to die while he was in office McCain would "do like they did in the movie 'Weekend at Bernie's': I would prop him up and put a pair of dark glasses on him, and keep him as long as we could." It's a good thing at least one of the Republican candidates has his finger on the pulse of the American people.

The next debate is in Arizona tonight. Let's hope that the policy plans are more fleshed out in the second round. Voters won't be able to make an educated decision if the candidates sound uneducated.