Gore, Kemp Frame Competing Visions

By R. Morris Barrett/AllPolitics

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Oct. 9) -- It was a classic match-up in wednesday's vice presidential debate: Al Gore and Jack Kemp, two political heavyweights, friends with divergent messages, different personal styles and starkly opposing campaign strategies.

As with past veep face-offs, the event was not expected to shake up the presidential contest, and it didn't. But the match probably helped the Clinton campaign more than the Dole effort, and it certainly gave both men a leg up for Campaign 2000.

With Kemp and Gore eyeing the race for the White House in four years, and with their considerable oratorical and debating skills, many looked to this debate for a more dramatic clash of political visions than they got in Sunday's face-off between President Bill Clinton and Republican nominee Bob Dole.

That is, in fact, what viewers got. If there were fewer memorable one-liners and humorous quips, the Gore-Kemp 90-minute exchange was livelier and more philosophical than the first presidential debate.

Gore defended the administration on a host of issues, including the environment, welfare and foreign affairs. His main focus, however was on job creation through tax credits, balancing the budget and protecting social programs. (96K WAV sound)

"We have a plan to balance the budget while protecting Medicare, Medicaid, education and the environment -- creating millions of new jobs, including one million new jobs in America's inner city," he said.

The vice president seemed to achieve his crucial task for tonight's face-off: do no harm. Ever the eager mouthpiece for Clinton, Gore confidently defended the administration's record and second-term plans. Perhaps more important politically, he harped on the Dole-Kemp tax proposal as a "risky scheme." (256K WAV sound)

"The plan from Senator Dole and Mr. Kemp is a risky $550-billion tax scheme....It would blow a hole in the deficit, cause much deeper cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, education and the environment, and knock our economy off track, raising interest rates, mortgage rates, and car payments."

The loquacious Kemp had a tougher task: defend Dole's platform, and inject a much-needed spark into a campaign mired in double-digit deficits in recent polls. If he didn't achieve that, he could be forgiven, since vice presidential debates have usually produced little more than memorable one-liners, and a fair number of gaffes.

For Kemp, the theme of tax simplification and reducing federal involvement in businesses and families was paramount.

"The single greatest problem, in our opinion, in the domestic economy, is that this tax code -- 83 years old -- a relic of Cold War and hot war, inflation, Depression, seven and half million words long, over-taxes capital, over-taxes men and women and families," Kemp said.

Kemp proved he could be a team player, repeatedly praising Dole and citing GOP criticisms of Clinton's foreign policy. He lashed out at Gore for what he called Medicare "demagoguery," blaming Democrats for orchestrating a campaign of scare tactics aimed at the elderly. (320K WAV sound)

"The only thing they have to offer is fear -- fear of the environment, fear of climate, fear of Medicare, fear of Newt (Gingrich), fear of Republicans, fear of Bob (Dole), probably fear of cutting tax rates. They ain't seen nothing yet," Kemp said.(320K WAV sound)

Still, Kemp's style spoke volumes about his differences with Dole. In contrast to the Kansan's wry, staccato monotone, Kemp brought effusive eloquence to his vision of an inclusive America unshackled by low taxes, able to grow out of each and any problem.

It was a high-minded debate, one which boiled down to Kemp's call to unleash the hidden potential of "entrepreneurial capitalism" and Gore's plea to trust the administration's plans over the Republican's tax plans.

"I think that this is the most exciting time in the history of the world to be alive," Kemp enthused in his concluding statement, noting the American system had outlived fascism, communism, socialism and apartheid. Would America hew to the path of freedom, he asked? (480K WAV sound)

"I have enormous respect for Jack Kemp and for Bob Dole," Gore concluded. "They're good men. I don't agree with their plan."

Gore, Kemp Frame Competing Visions

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