Subject to Debate

The early presidential debates are fun, political theater on a par with watching small kids play soccer--there's lots of running around in circles, but occasionally someone accidentally scores a goal. Over the past three days the nation got to see all 18 declared candidates from both sides. I missed the first debates back in April, but watched this time.

CNN, which hosted the debates, was bald in its statement of who they thought were meaningful candidates and who were just killing time. In both debates, they arranged the candidates on stage so that the front-runners were in the middle, and the presumed also-rans fanned out, until the most marginal were practically off the stage. The front-runners also got more screen time, and some of the candidates on the frontier could be seen fuming as they were ignored in their exile, raising their hands as if signally rude waiters. Wolf Blitzer was the moderator, spending most of his time trying to get the candidates to shut up, as they had ridiculously little time to address each question.

The Democrats squabbled on Sunday night. In the center, like a homecoming queen surrounded by her court, was Hillary Clinton. She was flanked by the only real competition she has, Barack Obama on her left, John Edwards to her right. There wasn't too much elbow-throwing. Clinton, as front-runner in the polls, tried to stay above the fray and concentrate her ire on Bush and the Republicans. Edwards, sitting in third position, did the most jostling in an attempt to break into the top two. I thought Obama was most impressive, seeming most in command of his facts, and giving Edwards a slap-down when the North Carolinian accused Obama of not being a leader in the Iraq war funding vote. Obama calmly reminded Edwards that he had voted for the war, while Obama had always been against it.

As for the others, Bill Richardson seemed a bit clumsy and anti-charismatic, and not very nimble. His answer to every question always came around to what he did in New Mexico. Joe Biden, who ran for president 20 years ago, seemed like he realized he had nothing to lose and sounded angry. Chris Dodd was largely ignored, perhaps because his answers were so bland. Dennis Kucinich, the most liberal of the candidates, pitched some grenades, but one was left marveling that his greatest achievement was marrying the stunning redhead who is a foot taller than he is. She would be the hottest First Lady ever! As for Mike Gravel, he sort of played the part of the cranky old uncle at a family gathering, everyone worried that he might say something inappropriate.

The content was predictable: all were in favor of wrapping up the Iraq war, though Biden was the only one in favor of not cutting off war funding, because he didn't want to endanger the troops. They all had health care plans, and they bickered about whose was best. They also disagreed about the McCain-Kennedy immigration bill, with Richardson defending it.

I went into the debate favoring Edwards, but I wasn't thrilled with his strident tone, which wasn't very presidential. I felt better about Obama.

Though I'm partisan and would never vote for a Republican, I tuned into their debate, a veritable orgy with 10 participants. It looked like a Rotarian meeting, ten pale white men anywhere from 45 to 75, but after there discussion of evolution one could be excused for thinking it was a meeting of the Flat-Earth Society. There was some pointed disagreement, but they all tripped over themselves declaring their belief in God.

As with the Dems, the front-runner was smack in the middle, Rudy Giuliani, flanked by John McCain and Mitt Romney. You practically needed a scorecard to keep track of the others, but a few stood out. A congressman named Tom Tancredo, dour and sinister, called for an end to legal immigration, certainly securing the Ku Klux Klan vote (I did enjoy him rebuking President Bush, though). At the other end of the stage, a libertarian named Ron Paul was the only voice against the war. I had trouble telling apart the former governors of Arkansas and Virginia.

Except for Paul, they were all for staying put in Iraq, though most conceded the war was mismanaged. There were some interesting disagreements, though. Giuliani continued his brave and perhaps foolhardy position that abortion, though wrong in his eyes, was the law of the land. McCain defended his immigration bill, and was eloquent in defense of Hispanics and others who contribute to our culture. And, amazingly, all seemed to agree that global warming was a real problem, though they're using that as an opening for nuclear power.

This dynamic may be changed by the entry of Fred Thompson into the race. He is a guy who really isn't a leader, but he's played one on TV, so he might have a leg up. If he's in the next debate, watch them all turn on him.