If a majority of Americans base their presidential vote entirely on Tuesday's first debate between George W. Bush and Al Gore, the hand on the Bible next January might well belong to Jim Lehrer.

Vice President Gore's efforts to project a warmer personality hit at least a temporary bump, as did Gov. Bush's efforts to project more stature. Instead, both candidates often sounded like squabbling prep school debaters. They ignored the first few questions from moderator Lehrer, launching into canned stump speeches instead of direct answers. Then Lehrer had to strive mightily to rein in the candidates' dizzying sniping over the millions, billions and trillions in their respective plans for tax cuts, Social Security and Medicare prescription drug coverage. Gore sighed while Bush talked; Bush smirked while Gore talked.

Even when the two candidates calmed down and became more responsive, they continued to hammer home the themes they set out to leave in viewers' minds. Bush repeatedly cast himself as a bipartisan consensus-builder (indirectly distancing himself from the congressional Republican leadership) and as a Washington outsider (a difficult sell for the son of a former president). Gore portrayed himself as the protector of the middle class, criticizing Bush for proposed tax cuts that favor the richest 1 percent of the population. He also subtly suggested a stature gap, recounting his involvement in setting policy in the Balkans and Russia, while Bush sounded uncomfortable whenever the discussion strayed from domestic soil.

Each candidate occasionally caught himself and offered grudging praise to the other. Gore noted his agreement with Bush on some education and energy issues. Bush praised the Clinton administration's response to natural disasters in Texas.

Patient viewers still managed to glean some real policy differences. Bush was straightforward in advocating oil exploration in environmentally sensitive areas Gore would put off limits. Bush attempted to squirm away from an answer on the RU-486 abortion pill, but it was clear that he and Gore have quite different views on abortion. Gore supports public campaign financing; Bush opposes it.

Fortunately for both candidates, Tuesday night's debate was not their last opportunity to win over undecided voters. Both Gore and Bush are moderate, experienced public officials who are prepared to serve as president, and neither candidate committed any major gaffe that could change the momentum of the race. Still, neither man was at his best. Gore, for all his mastery of policy details, was often pedantic. And Bush, for all his charm and one-liners, sounded shallow on almost every subject other than education. Both candidates have barely a week to close their stature gap with Lehrer before they share a stage with him again.

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