Campaign Advisors Spar on PBS

Following Tuesday's presidential debate, Harvard held its own roundtable discussion at a filming of PBS's Charlie Rose Show at the Institute of Politics last night.

The show featured four panelists from the campaigns of Vice President Al Gore '69 and Texas Gov. George W. Bush, and focused on potential scenarios and issues the candidates will face in office.

Panelists included Stephen Goldsmith, domestic policy advisor to the Bush campaign, Robert G. Hubbard, an economics advisor to the Bush campaign, Elaine C. Kamarck, a senior policy advisor to the Gore campaign who teaches at the Kennedy School and Greg Simon, a senior advisor to the Gore campaign.

The panel was peppered by lively responses on issues from tax cuts, education, abortion, Internet technology and censorship and Social Security.

While the panelists clashed on many of the issues, reached a middle ground on some issues, like musical lyrics, which they agreed should never be censored, even as Goldsmith said some lyrics should be condemned.

The issue that was most contentious throughout the debate was the Republican tax cut plan. Both Simon and Kamarck repeatedly brought up problems they saw with the a broad-based tax cut.

"A million dollar exemption is good enough for most of us," Simon joked.

Goldsmith said the tax cut plan benefited all parties involved.

"We should provide funding for people that prosperity has left behind," he said.

The interactive format of the show allowed students to actively question and engage the panelists in debate and on the issues.

"It wasn't so much the issues as that it was nice to know that there was substantive debate. It's nice to know that at least someone cares," said Diego Prats '04.

Last night's program was the first of a series of discussions to be filmed at various universities across the country. Other schools being considered for future programs include Stanford, Emory, the University of Michigan and Duke.

Walter S. Isaacson '74, managing editor of Time, co-hosted the event along with Rose.

"This program and this discussion was more substantial and had more depth than the main debates," Isaacson said.

Many students said that they appreciated the fast pace and engaging conversation involved in the discussion.

"The students listening demanded more articulate and responsive responses," said Zachary A. Kidd, a first-year student in the Kennedy School Masters of Public Policy program. "In general, more discussions need to take place not just at Harvard, but at many other schools."

Peggy T. Lim '01 said the debate led her to question the nature of bipartisan politics, as she found many of the views from the two parties to be the same.

Beau A. Briese '01-'02 said he worried that Republicans did not sound as impassioned during the show.

"I was very happy that the audience gave both sides," he said. "I was concerned about the response of the Democratic side being more charismatic than the Republican side. I'm concerned that the students will go for the passion[of the Democrats] rather than the bottom line."