- By
sticking to a moderate course in the debate
and avoiding scandal topics that would enrage the media, Bob Dole
largely avoided media condemnation and earned praise for his humor.
But, not from everyone. NBC's Lisa Myers tagged him as
"harsh," CBS reporter Phil Jones said Dole failed to explain
how we can "afford" his tax cut and CNN's Judy Woodruff
asked Al Gore if Dole was "too negative."
- This past
weekend Al Hunt labeled three conservatives from the South as
representing "hate," a "hatemonger," and an
"extremist," but he doesn't have such a mean-spirited
attitude toward all Southerners. He thinks one should get the Nobel
Prize.
- The New
York Times finally gets around to reporting the latest FBI
files revelations, but it's far from the front page.
1)
In an amazing break out of balance, Monday night both ABC's World News
Tonight and the CBS Evening News ran post-debate "fact check"
stories that took on assertions made in Sunday night's debate by both Dole
and Clinton.
In post-debate
banter, Bob Dole largely avoided condemnations for being too negative or
too harsh, but there were some exceptions:
-- On Monday's
Today (October 7) NBC's Lisa Myers raised the "harsh" theme.
Here's the quote caught by MRC analyst Geoffrey Dickens:
"I think
he was strongest when he talked about his proposals, tax cuts,
opportunity scholarships for poor children. He showed the wit and humor
that those of us who have covered Bob Dole know. The problem, I think,
is that he may have been a little bit harsh at times and that I don't
think that he really did enough to bring home a lot of undecided
voters."
-- During a
special midnight (ET) Inside Politics after the debate CNN brought on Jack
Kemp and Al Gore. CNN's Bernard Shaw did not ask Kemp negative questions
about Bill Clinton's performance, but Judy Woodruff did pose two such
questions to Al Gore about Bob Dole. As transcribed by MRC analyst Clay
Waters, here are two of her inquiries:
Woodruff:
"Bob Dole, as I mentioned a moment ago, among other things,
repeatedly again referred to the President as being liberal. I mean,
just, it seemed to come up throughout the debate. Do you think the
President was able to adequately respond to what has apparently become a
negative label?"
Al Gore responded: "I think the American people want to
hear about ideas and don't want to hear candidates insulting each other
and hurling accusations and personal charges."
To which Woodruff asked:"Well, do you think Bob Dole was
too negative tonight?"
-- Minutes after
the debated ended, reporter Phil Jones made it clear he was not satisfied
with Dole's performance. MRC analyst Steve Kaminski took down his
reaction:
"I think
that if I had to say probably where he was the weakest and where he
really needed to score was, he needed to explain to the American people
how this country can afford that 15 percent tax cut, the centerpiece of
his campaign, without these draconian cuts. I don't think he has done
that yet."
MRC analyst Clay
Waters reminded me of what Hunt uttered the week before, on the September
28 Capital Gang:
"Whatever
you thought of Jimmy Carter as President, he has been a great
ex-President, helping to avoid bloodshed from North Korea to Haiti,
bringing health care to children in Africa and Latin America. Even Bob
Novak has lauded some of these efforts. The outrage? The Nobel Peace
prize for years has given President Carter the back of its hand. It can
make amends next week and give him what he deserves: the 1996 Nobel
Peace Prize."
