Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 30, 1994 TAG: 9406300109
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Nah. Civilization won't last.
For the incumbent and Democratic nominee, Charles Robb, the "Larry King Live" event must have felt like he was being triple-decked already. Douglas Wilder, the former governor and Democrat, was on him like a dog on a bone for supporting Republican President George Bush's choice for the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas. GOP nominee Oliver North -plus Marshall Coleman, the former attorney general and Republican - was on him for supporting Democratic President Bill Clinton's agenda.
Robb kept his cool. He unblinkingly defended several votes and positions that were as correct as they are controversial, including his support for a higher gasoline tax.
But the senator's challengers also won points for restraint. They didn't grab the bait, from TV host King and callers-in, to rip Robb on one issue - his personal, ahem, foibles - that has rendered the sitting senator vulnerable.
Robb alluded to confessed marital indiscretions, though not to charges that he used to party with drug users, as "a couple of dents in my armor," thereby continuing the martial metaphors that seem to dominate this race. But he said his wife and God had forgiven him, as if to suggest: If those two can excuse his sins, who are his challengers to refuse?
Similarly, Robb and Wilder did not appear eager to bring up North's felony convictions, overturned on a technicality, in the Iran-Contra scandal. Neither did Coleman - although, when the "character issue" was pressed, he did brand North as "not a good example to young people." He didn't mention old people.
The evident dilemma facing these gentlemen is that each wants to see his opponents ripped to shreds, but doesn't want to be seen doing the ripping.
And so it went, for 90 minutes, with all four talking at times about real stuff, such as Haiti, and giving the debate lots of teeth. Literally. They flashed smiles at each other and the cameras so often you'd think they were contestants in the Miss Virginia Pageant.
The winners:
"Best dressed for success" has to go to North. He showed up shirt-sleeved, the better to signify his nice-guyness and emphasize his "outsider" image in contrast to three political suits. Coleman won "most likely to succeed at overkill" by mentioning, at least four times, that he "wants to work with John Warner." (Why not ask him for a job?)
Wilder won the Ross Perot Award for Artlessness by twice giving out his toll-free number for campaign help, and by pitching to black voters his support years ago for a Martin Luther King holiday. Robb won "forgive and forget" honors by saying that if he weren't running and had to vote for one of his three opponents, he'd pick Wilder because, till recently, Wilder had been a good Democrat. There's loyalty for you.
If all this seemed a bit disingenuous, that's because it was. King, not fooled, invited the foursome for a return engagement in October. By then, he must expect they'll have stopped vying for Miss Compatibility. If they show up wearing swimsuits, it'll be for mud-wrestling. And King may have to worry less about serious discussion of "issues," such as transpired Tuesday night in brief snatches amid the interruptions.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB