Though heavy with substance, Thursday night's vice-presidential debate will be remembered more for its style. For once, that's good. In treating each other with such intelligent courtesy, Republican Dick Cheney and Democrat Joe Lieberman more importantly paid appropriate respect to the office they seek, to the American people to whom the office belongs and to the issues they disputed. Who won? The people won. If only there were more debates like that.

In fact, Lieberman projected such dignity and Cheney such competence, in contrast to Tuesday night's performances by the heads of their respective tickets, as to make many voters wish the roles could be swapped.

They did have some uncomfortable moments, however -- Lieberman with Hollywood and its campaign money, Cheney with abortion and with the inconsistency between opposing oil drilling in his home state of Wyoming and supporting it for Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The question Cheney answered concerning the abortion drug RU-486 wasn't the one moderator Bernard Shaw had asked. Would the Bush-Cheney administration support legislation to overturn the Food and Drug Administration's approval of its use? We still don't know.

Cheney, not known for his sense of humor, got off a couple of good retorts when Lieberman teased him about the $20-million golden parachute Cheney received when he resigned from Dallas' Halliburton Co. to join the Bush ticket. But Cheney was too clever in saying the government had "nothing to do" with his enviable profits from Halliburton stock. Virtually everyone in the oil business receives corporate welfare, and Halliburton, while Cheney was there, scored a $1.1-billion Pentagon contract for support services in the Balkans.

Cheney and Lieberman were of one voice and on sound ground, however, when they agreed that the American people are fed up with the excess partisanship in Washington, and the tone of their debate made the point. Civility does matter. On the campaign trail, Cheney reportedly has been uncomfortable and unhappy with the attack-dog role usually assigned to running mates. But on Thursday night, voters weren't watching for symbolic body punches. They were listening to what the campaigns had to say. Disagreements are better understood when they are stated, not shouted.

George W. Bush and Al Gore have a hard act to follow in their Oct. 11 debate, which will be held under the same format as the vice-presidential debate. Maybe the table will make a positive difference.

Back to Opinion

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright

From the Times
Opinion page