Veep Debate: Spirited, If Civil

By Thomas H. Moore/AllPolitics

debate podium WASHINGTON (Oct. 9) -- Few surprises are expected tonight in St. Petersburg, Fla., when old friends Al Gore and Jack Kemp take the stage.

The vice president and GOP vice-presidential nominee have said they expect tonight's encounter to pretty much follow the design of Sunday night's presidential debate -- get the positions out there, emphasize their differences, stay away from personal attacks.

Both say they've got their eyes on this election, not the next one, but they may be the only ones. Many expect this debate to serve as the opening round of the year 2000 presidential race.

1992 veep debate Gore has taken pains throughout the campaign to make fun of his stiff image. Yet debating is an area he's excelled in. Gore performed well in two previous occasions in the spotlight:

The vice-presidential debate (transcript) in 1992 was most notable for the colorful performance of Ross Perot's running mate, James Stockdale. Gore didn't crack a lot of jokes, and he didn't use a lot of fancy language. But he deftly ignored Stockdale and hammered mercilessly at Vice President Dan Quayle.
In November 1993, Gore met Perot on CNN's "Larry King Live" show to debate the pending North American Free Trade Agreement. Perot had an off night -- he was testy and angry -- and Gore was able to seem firm and reasonable. The encounter took the wind out of Perot's sails and dramatically reduced his effectiveness as a NAFTA opponent.

And Kemp? He's near-legendary for his gift of gab and has made a good living from it. After retiring from the House in 1989, embarking on a short-lived run for president, serving as President George Bush's housing secretary, and founding conservative think tank Empower America, Kemp has talked up and down the length and breadth of America, earning about $2 million a year since 1993 from speaking engagements.

Kemp is lively and passionate on the stump. He knows the issues, but it will be interesting to see how he works under the tight time limits of the debate. Kemp likes to talk, and to talk long -- possibly even more than Clinton does. But he's only got 90 seconds per question in the debate's format.

Something that's most likely going to be absent tonight is personal invective. Gore and Kemp's U.S. House careers overlapped by 14 years, and they were close during that time. Kemp has refused to take on the traditional "attack dog" role that the vice-presidential nominee plays. As for Gore, there's not much profit at this point in stooping to personal attacks. It's a tricky strategy that he and Clinton just don't need to risk.

It's hard to ignore the 1976 precedent of Bob Dole himself, who as Gerald Ford's vice-presidential nominee made no apologies about going on the attack -- but garnered a reputation for meanness that it's taken him two decades to try to overcome. No matter what they say about keeping their eyes on the 1996 election, Kemp and Gore will be viewed tonight as potential presidents.

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