POLITICIANS are known for their rambling mouths. The third and final presidential debate was no different in this respect, with hackneyed phrases and big words being thrown around like frisbees. There was something more, however, that really gave life to a dull contest of rhetoric and spoke louder and more articulately than any fancy one liner. That something was body language.
Unlike the first two debates, the candidates were given a little more freedom to move away from the shackles of their respective podiums. As a result, facial expressions, movements and hand gestures became all the more noticeable. The body language expressed by both candidates gave away an unthinkable secret: Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush really don't like each other. It also showed the differing philosophies of both candidates and the approach they have taken to the race.
|
Gore has been barely trailing behind Bush for much of the race, which has made him the slight underdog. The debate showed a Gore that was pushing tirelessly to catch up, moving about as if walking faster would help curtail his opponent's lead. At one point, Gore wandered right over to Bush to verbally challenge him face to face about his supposed support for a nationwide patients' bill of rights.
In fact, Gore rarely sat down. He walked around, with his arms stretched and his eyes burning with ardor. He repeatedly used one liners to support his pugilistic demeanor, exclaiming, "I want to fight for you."
After receiving criticism from his own supporters for being obnoxious in the first debate and too passive in the second, Gore appeared feisty but not combative. In essence, Gore was acting out what has been his approach and philosophy in the bid for the White House: an advocate of big spending with a vigorous case to justify it. He came armed with a sense of a mission as if he truly wanted to "fight" for the people.
Bush, on the other hand, appeared at times as if he was half attentively leading a middle school forum on playground etiquette. He spoke so softly at times that it seemed like he was about to fall into a mid-debate siesta. His rare confrontations with his opponent simply involved asking moderator Jim Lehrer to ask Gore to follow the debate rules. Bush seemed much less ambitious to leave his chair, relaxed his facial features, and often winked at the audience when Gore proceeded to scold him.
In the end, Bush portrayed himself exactly the way he's wanted voters to view his candidacy. In a time of economic prosperity, Bush is hoping that voters will bet on a non-partisan, mellow, and all encompassing politician, or as Bush would like it, "politician."
Despite all the talk about Bush and Gore being mirror images of each other, voters were left with a clear choice between two distinct styles of politics after Tuesday night's debate. Once the smoke clears from all the issues at stake, the voters must decide which style will best bring about the government they want and ultimately represent their needs.
A personal profile of the two candidates after the third debate would be similar to the following:
Gore can throw out statistics like daggers and pound rebuttals endlessly. His words are well chosen, his demeanor intense. He can quote his resume verbatim and uses policy jargon as if quoting the Bible. If given the opportunity, he will put on boxing gloves and fight anyone who calls him boring. He has also been known to "fight" for his people.
Bush is stupid but friendly. His friends say he's easy-going and a "man among men." He once answered a question about a teacher asking about federal regulations hampering local schools by saying, "I don't know if you have to be a paper filler-outer."
If elected, he hopes to make lots of friends in Washington and bring all the politicians over to his house for parties, even Democrats. In answering a question about how parents could be given greater responsibility for their children's education, he suggested passing a law that would make people love one another. He is also often mistaken for a Hallmark Greeting Card.
Voters are left with a clear choice between two different philosophies of the presidency as election-day approaches. After Tuesday night's debate, it's safe to assume that Bush and Gore are not the same person in a mask, as has been the rumor.
We have a clear choice about the sort of politics we want to see in Washington for the next year and this is the time to make the decision. One candidate is relaxed and poised enough to almost fall off his chair, and the other is so eager can barely sit on his.
(Faraz Rana's column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily.)
Read More
PARTING SHOT: No man is an island
By Ava MacBlane | 3 days agoRetirement, as you can tell, has been treating me well. When people ask me now if I miss it, I laugh and tell them some things I definitely don't miss. But I don't always get to tell them about the things I really do miss.
PARTING SHOT: You never know unless you try
By Lexi Baker | 3 days agoMy time at the University was shaped by the people who showed me grace and kindness and by those who had confidence in me, even when I struggled to have it in myself.
PARTING SHOT: A love letter to Cav Daily and Connection
By Ava Proehl | 4 days agoMy time here taught me to look for the genuine, human connection in every moment.
