Mullings A Political Cyber Column By Rich Galen

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Debates (and Conventions) DO Matter

Monday October 9, 2000

Here's what's going on: As previously explained in Mullings, the Gore campaign brain trust correctly determined that if this election turns on political skills and personality, Al Gore is toast.

At the Democratic National Convention, Gore and his campaign successfully turned the election into a discussion of the details of policy positions - what has been described here as "decimal points and semi-colons." When Governor Bush spent a month chasing Gore's positions, Gore surged in the polls.

When the two candidates were side-by-side last Tuesday night, Bush explained his philosophy of governing while "Sighin' Al" Gore proved he can memorize huge amounts of raw data. Although the instant response polls gave the nod to Gore, as people reflected on what they had seen and heard, they realized they really did like Bush better.

The phrase "Like Bush Better" is the Gore campaign's worst nightmare. For the past two weeks Bush has surged back and now leads in several national surveys.

This explains why the Gore people have been so aggressive about trying to close the "truthfulness" gap by going on every television show this side of "Antiques Roadshow" to complain about Bush denying his tax plan only helps the wealthy.

The Bush press operation, for its part, did a very good job getting reporters focused on the Mystery Trip to Texas; the brand new broken-down school in Florida; Questioning Bush's experience; asking the Russians to play a role in Yugoslavia, and so on.

Here's a small sample of weekend headlines from major dailies and newsweeklies which helps explain why, despite the instant analyses, Al Gore lost a huge amount of ground last Tuesday night:
    -- Associated Press: "Gore's Embellishments Persist"
    -- Newsweek: "Al Gore And The Fib Factor"
    -- Dallas Morning News: "Gore Seeks To Fend Off New Attacks
     On Credibility"
    -- New York Times: "Gore Says He Makes Mistakes, but He Does
     Not Exaggerate"
    -- Miami Herald: "Gore Defends Against Accusations Of
     Exaggeration"
    -- Chicago Tribune: "Bush, Gore Trade Shots Over Statements"
    -- Nashville Tennessean: "Gore's Mission: Focus On Issues,
     Avoid Missteps"
    -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "CAMPAIGN 2000: When Is A
     Mistake A Mistake?"

Even New York Daily News sports columnist Mike Lupica, on ESPN's "The Sports Reporters" yesterday, referred to the Major League playoff schedule as "� more confusing that Al Gore's debate version of the truth."

Tad Devine, senior advisor to the Gore campaign and one of the Dems' best political operatives stopped when he saw me: "You're a member of the press corps now," he asked? "Yeh, me and George Stephanopoulos," I said.

Late Thursday night, I was on Fox's "Hannity and Colmes" as part of the post Vice Presidential debate coverage. It is a sign of the current state of our culture that I could be in a gymnasium, among over 200 reporters, at eleven o'clock at night, sitting in front of my computer putting on makeup, and no one paid any attention. Of course, if I had also been putting on pearls and earrings�

Speaking of makeup there was considerable chatter among the press corps on Tuesday night about Vice President Al Gore's makeup. One reporter said he had so much on it was as if he was trying to look like Superman. Long time friend Linda Groves Gregory e-mailed to say Gore reminded her of Mimi on the Drew Carey Show.

This is how you know the Middle East situation is very dangerous: Bill Clinton cancelled a fundraising appearance in Ohio on Saturday to work with leaders on both sides. However, it was not SO dangerous that he had to cancel a fundraising trip to Indiana later Saturday. The Indiana fundraiser was to raise money for Hillary's Senate race. I mean, get real.

There is a story on the website "Inside.com" which details the results of a straw poll taken among reporters on the Bush campaign plane Friday in which writer David Carr quotes "a reporter who was on the plane." For the record, I dropped off the tour on Wednesday.

Click here to see the Carr article (and comparative photos of Mimi and Al) .

There was an error in Friday's Mullings. I wrote that Senator Joe Lieberman mistakenly called moderator Bernie Shaw "Jim." Upon further review of the video tape, Lieberman double clutched on the work "you're" which, in the echo of the gym, caused me and at least two reporters behind me to hear "Jim." Lieberman did not refer to Shaw by the wrong first name. Mullings is charged with a time out.

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Copyright © 2000 Richard A. Galen

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