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At moments, though, Mondale sounded more petulant than presidential. Several times, his challengers scored solid debating points. The former Vice President has built his early edge partly by handing out lOUs to Democratic constituencies like labor, minority groups and Jewish organizations. "Fritz, you cannot lead this country if you have promised everybody everything," chided Hart. Mondale lamely replied, "America is nothing if it isn't promises." When Reubin Askew attacked Mondale's support of protectionist legislation that would require that cars sold in the U.S. contain a high percentage of U.S.
labor and parts, Mondale huffed, "It's about time someone stood up for the American worker." Fired back Askew:
"What about the American consumer?"
While Glenn managed to show flashes of fire and a grasp of issues, few Democrats thought that he gained at Mondale's expense. Some Democrats felt Glenn hurt himself—and the party—by pinning the blame for high deficits on Jimmy Carter as well as Ronald Reagan.
Said a Western Governor: "He hasn't shown that he has the makings of a good politician." Glenn's aides countered that the exchange with Mondale made their candidate look "forceful."
The Glenn campaign was jolted at midweek, when a Washington Post-ABC News national poll found that Glenn "apparently did himself the least good" in the debate. Among voters who watched, Glenn trailed Mondale 49% to 5%, compared with 51% to 16% among those not watching. Furious, Glenn's camp argued that the polling sample (including only 160 registered or likely Democrats in New Hampshire) was far too small to be meaningful, a point with which most polling analysts agreed. Glenn campaign aides have been telling reporters that the Gallup poll was the most reliable measuring stick of their man's strength. By coincidence, the very next day Gallup announced results of a poll conducted mainly before the debate:
it showed Mondale a whopping 31 points ahead, 47% to 16%.
The candidates behind Mondale and Glenn had little to lose in the debate.
Two-thirds of the voters polled by the Post beforehand said they did not know enough about Hart, Askew, Alan Cranston or Ernest Rollings to have an opinion. The skirmish in Hanover gave the second-tier candidates a chance to shape opinion—with mixed results:
> Hart appeared to benefit. Said Landau:
"Our volume of telephone calls has skyrocketed." Hart's staff was the only one to urge New Hampshire residents to watch a repeat airing of the debate last Wednesday. Citing private polls, Hart's aides claim that voters would like a fresh alternative to the front runners. With Glenn apparently slipping, Hart smells a chance to become Mondale's principal challenger, possibly even finishing second in New Hampshire. At Dartmouth he was articulate and aggressive. But even Landau conceded that "perhaps Gary Hart said 'new ideas' more than he demonstrated any."
> Jesse Jackson was already well known for his civil rights efforts and for winning the release of downed Navy Flyer Robert Goodman from Syria. For the debate, reported TIME Correspondent Jack E.