(2 of 5)
Dole vs. Couric. Chicken George and Butt Man. Bob Woodward reporting that Hillary communes with Eleanor Roosevelt, and a former FBI man claiming (without evidence) that Bill sneaks out to the Marriott for trysts. The political silly season is upon us--a patch of especially funky Washington weather that is spreading nationwide and reminding Americans why they hate politics. Every election year has one of these strange spells, which always combine high dudgeon and low farce: politicians trading blows over trivial issues while important concerns get reduced to the level of cartoon. What makes this season stand out, however, is the almost complete lack of intellectual honesty being displayed by both sides. But if you peer through the smoke, you can tell a lot about the candidates and their parties by seeing whether they understand the current lessons of the game. Among them:
LESSON NO. 1: IF A STORY HURTS, CUT IT OFF FAST. Dole's tobacco debacle recalls another hapless Republican 20 years ago--President Gerald Ford, who during a 1976 debate with challenger Jimmy Carter denied that Eastern Europe was dominated by the Soviet Union. Ford's campaign manager, James Baker, wanted to immediately correct the mistake, but Ford stubbornly refused--and was hammered for it endlessly. So too Dole, who first remarked in mid-June that cigarettes were not necessarily addictive for all smokers. Instead of correcting himself, as top staff members urged, he dug in deeper, setting himself up as an expert in comparative vice. ("A lot of things aren't good. Drinking's not good. Some would say milk's not good.") It was as if the cunning Clinton adviser Dick Morris had found a way to program Dole's brain, making him take the position that best contrasts with the President's carefully molded save-the-children image. Clinton and Morris will put Dole's tobacco defense to good use. As early as this week, Clinton-Gore will unleash TV spots said to portray Dole as addicted to tobacco money, while Clinton is the strong and independent Good Father. "We weren't planning to go with a tobacco spot for months," says a Clinton media man. "But Dole gives us no choice."
Clinton has been consistent on the subject of kids and smoking--he wants to restrict cartoonish ads, pressure businesses to do away with cigarette machines and classify nicotine as a drug that is subject to federal regulation, all of which Dole opposes. "What I seek to highlight is the difference in our policies," Clinton said last week.