Clinton Ducks Character Issues
Dole, who is facing an uphill task in the November elections, repeatedly made references to multiple investigations of White House officials, the controversial collection of classified FBI files by administration personnel, and the questionable campaign contributions to the Democratic Party from Indonesia.
You can trust Bob Dole. Bob Dole is a man of his word, the Republican said on several occasions, attempting to remind the audience of the ethical questions engulfing the President.
Clinton, who has a comfortable double digit lead in opinion polls, opted to ignore the repeated references. No attack ever created a job, no insult ever educated a child, he said, underscoring his strategy of focusing firmly on campaign issues.
In fact, the Presidents strategy appeared to be in tune with the audience mood. The debate was in a townhall format, which means the questions are tossed to the two candidates by a carefully screened audience composed of uncommitted voters.
Through the 90-minute debate, not a single question focused on the character issue.
Instead, the questions appeared to reflect the American voters concerns over domestic issues such as taxes, health care reform, welfare, the future of social security and Medicare, affirmative action, the role of religion, gay rights, tobacco and military pay.
As significant as the questions asked, were those not asked. Surprisingly there were no specific questions on immigration, even though the debate was in the border state of California.
There were no pointed questions on the federal deficit (last elections pin-up issue), on campaign reforms, or the widely perceived increasing economic gap between the rich and the poor, or on growing job insecurity.
Foreign policy figured very briefly, with moderater Jim Lehrer reduced to seeking a foreign policy question at one point.
The only questions focussed on the trade gap with Japan, and the possibility of sending US troops to the Middle East.
Only the first question, a school teachers query on the Presidents role in encouraging trust, seemed to give Dole an opening to pursue the character issue.Theres no doubt that many American people have lost their faith in government. They see scandals on almost a daily basis, Dole replied.
Clinton, refusing to rise to the bait. One of the reasons I ran for President was rising cyncism, he said, reminding the audience that he had not worked in Washington as an elected official. Dole, in contrast, spent nearly all his working life in Washington.
The Democrats were gleeful at the way the debate turned out.
Not a single question was about the so-called character issue. The American voter is not concerned by these allegations, top presidential aide George Stephanapoulos told reporters at the scene of the debate.