Effective Use Or Debates To Gain Voters

Essay, Research Paper

Analysis: “ Effective use of debates to gain voters “

The Vice president Al Gore and the Governor G.W Bush are both in a rivalry to be the President of the United States. The conventional wisdom held that in their first presidential debate which was held on Oct.4th , Mr. Gore showed voters a warm and fuzzy side while Mr. Bush should seize a tough, commanding tone. But neither candidate could resist reverting to type: Mr. Gore is the man who loves to show off how much he knows; Mr. Bush is the man who would rather sidestep the bogs of detailed policy to get to the meadows of emotional pronouncements.

Voters who had been paying attention to the election probably did not get to know the candidates any better. But people paying attention for the first time got to know them perfectly well.

After the first debate Mr.Gore’s campaign spokesman, Christopher Lehane, said Mr. Bush had made at least four misstatements:

- That as president he would not be able to overturn the decision by the Food and Drug Administration to legalize the abortion pill; in the past he has said if he was president, he would have the government review it.

- That Mr. Gore had outspent him in the presidential campaign. “ bush has spent $93 million, we spent $46 million.

- That the Strunk family from Allentown, Pa., would benefit under his prescription drug plan.

- His response when Mr. Gore asked where he would find the trillion dollars to privatize Social Security: “ The trillion dollars comes from the suplus.”

In their Last and Final debate, Vice President Al Gore cited accomplishments throughout his public career as evidence that he is a champion of working Americans, while Gov. George W. Bush cast himself as a leader from outside Washington with a record of uniting Republicans and Democrats.