ABCNEWS.com : Bush, Gore Spar Politely in Second Debate

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Sticking to the Issues
	Bush, Gore Spar Politely in Second Debate Texas Gov. George W. Bush, left, laughs with moderator Jim Lehrer as Vice President Al Gore, right, looks at Wait Chapel at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., where the second of three presidential debates was held. (Ron Edmonds/AP Photo)

By Carter M. Yang

Oct. 11 — Republican candidate George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore mostly limited their criticisms to each other’s policy proposals as they squared off tonight in their second presidential debate.
     Both candidates put forth a strong performance in tonight’s nationally televised forum, achieving the goals they had set out to accomplish. Bush appeared well-versed with the details of his policy proposals, avoiding the kinds of gaffes that have often plagued him on the campaign trail. And Gore avoided the condescending tone and aggressive manner he exhibited in last week’s debate, putting forth a kinder, gentler image.
     Bush and Gore sparred over a number of key election-year issues such as education, tax cuts, gun control and defense policy, with each candidate outlining his approach, while criticizing that of his opponent.
     Throughout the course of the 90-minute event, Bush sought to portray his opponent as a defender of the status quo.
     “If you’re happy with inactivity, stay with the horse — the horse that’s up there now,” Bush said. “But if you want change, you need to get someone who knows how to bring Republicans and Democrats together to get positive things done for America.”
     The vice president, in turn, renewed his criticisms of Bush’s proposals as risky schemes that would jeopardize the nation’s economic prosperity.
     “His proposals for spending on tax cuts for the wealthiest of the wealthy are more than the new spending proposals that he has made for health care and education and national defense all combined,” Gore said, repeating a line he used in the first debate.
     The first half of the debate was largely dominated by a discussion of foreign policy. Bush renewed his charge that the Clinton-Gore administration has presided over a military in decline and over-deployed the nation’s armed forces.
     “I’d very much like to get our troops out of there,” Bush said, referring to U.S. troops currently involved in peacekeeping operations in the Balkans. “Our military is made to fight and win a war.”
     Bush pledged to “rebuild” the military and “be judicious” with deployments of troops if elected president.
     “It needs to be in our vital interest, the mission needs to be clear and the exit strategy obvious,” he said.
     But Gore defended the need for “nation-building,” saying the nation and the world are at a decisive moment in history.
     “Are we going to step up to the plate?” he asked, as he stood by the peacekeeping deployments in Kosovo and elsewhere in the world.

‘Guiding Principles’
Tonight’s forum began without discord as each candidate answered moderator Jim Lehrer’s question about what their “guiding principles” would be if elected president Nov. 7.
     “The first question is what’s in the best interest of the United States — what’s in the best interests of our people,” answered Bush. “I’ve been able to set clear goals.”
     The Texas governor said those goals were improving the nation’s education system, reforming Social Security and rebuilding the military.
     “I see our greatest national strength coming from what we stand for in the world,” Gore responded. “It is a question of values.”
     The vice president cited standing up for human rights abroad and enforcing civil rights at home as ways in which he would further the nation’s values.

Showdown in Winston-Salem
With Election Day less than four weeks away, tonight’s debate — the second of three forums — was a crucial moment in the hard-fought campaign.
     The forum took place inside Wait Chapel at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. Unlike in the first debate, where the two opponents stood behind podiums, Gore and Bush sat at a table across from Lehrer. Each candidate had two minutes to answer each of Lehrer’s questions and one minute to rebut his opponent’s response.
     According to a new ABCNEWS/Washington Post poll, the Republican nominee has improved his position among likely voters, claiming a narrow 48 percent to 45 percent edge over his Democratic rival. The survey showed Bush gaining ground on a number of key election-year issues, erasing Gore’s lead on Medicare and education while bolstering his own advantage as the candidate voters most trust to hold down taxes.
     Gore and Bush will meet on Oct. 17 for a third and final debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. That event will feature a town-hall meeting format.

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