I couldn't help but laugh at Joseph LaBracio's column last Friday on the Town Meeting for Democratic Candidates. First, he attempted to trick readers into thinking that his contentions with Al Gore were objective by failing to mention his own support for the Bradley campaign. In addition, the closest he came to a real statement of fact was borrowing almost verbatim a phrase that Gloria Borger used on "The Larry King Show" immediately following the debate.
LaBracio seemed convinced that Gore's enthusiastic presentation was nothing more than a facade. Perhaps LaBracio has listened to Bradley's uninspired and unemotional pleas for so long that the sound of someone energetic about shaping our nation's future took him by surprise. Regardless of whether or not Gore's offer to answer questions after the debate was a political move, he upheld his promise and fielded questions from local residents, the press, and Dartmouth faculty and students for over an hour and a half. Furthermore, his decision was not staged; indeed, his top advisors were taken by surprise when he extended this offer because the schedule called for him to arrive at campaign headquarters by 9:30 p.m.
Gore answered all queries honestly, exemplified by his response to the question on same sex marriages. His position against giving such marriages legal status is somewhat unpopular in the Upper Valley area, but his answer reflected genuine convictions and beliefs. The Vice President spoke from the heart and offered concrete policy proposals to achieve his objectives. Bradley, in contrast, spoke aloofly and in abstractions. Even if what LaBracio said was true -- that Bradley speaks in "paragraphs" -- why does it matter if there is no concrete and realistic plan? Particularly on the issues of health care and social security, the Vice President was the only man on that stage with pragmatic ideas about what to do and how to get them passed without breaking the bank.
Also, Gore's experiences, from military service to his work in Congress to his last eight years as Vice President, demonstrate a spectacular record. In contrast, the only thing Bradley seems able to talk about is his role in 1986 tax reform. While the Vice President has repeatedly challenged Bradley to weekly debates, any time and any place, Bradley has refused such productive engagements at every turn.
While LaBracio's column left the impression that Gore supporters were few and far between in Hanover, nothing could be further from the truth. The "overwhelming support for Bradley in the streets" that LaBracio cited was really a core of, at most, fifty volunteers who stuck around all day. As the television footage clearly demonstrated on the evening of the debate, the Bradley folk were outnumbered about four to one by Gore supporters. In addition, a crowd of over 300 supporters waited nearly three hours at headquarters for the Vice President to show up after the debate. A number of these people had to wait outside in freezing temperatures, and once Gore arrived, he spontaneously brought everyone outside so that all could hear him speak and meet with him during the half hour he had to spend there.
Moreover, I'm not sure what polls LaBracio thinks show Bradley "comfortably ahead" of the Vice President. Even in New Hampshire and New York, the two are statistically tied by most estimates. To top if all off, the latest CNN polls show Gore ahead of Bradley nationally by a margin of twenty-five points. Now that's what I'd call "comfortably ahead."
In summary, the Vice President is the only one reaching out to voters and showing the enthusiasm and the pragmatism to get things done. Rather than criticizing Al Gore for "not acting like the incumbent," I think we should commend him for talking to real people about his plan for action. Bradley's abstract ideas and plans to spend the surplus several times over are exactly the kind of deception that has caused American voters to become so disenchanted with politics. Let's elect the man with the experience, the enthusiasm, and the genuine desire to get the job done. In case the debate didn't convince you, it ain't Bill Bradley.
