Many political experts will tell you debates don’t matter (“It’s all about the ads, baby”). But incumbent George Allen has seen a double-digit lead in the U.S. Senate race melt away in the months following his “macaca” remarks. And it was obvious Allen’s advisors weren’t taking any chances with the final debate between the Republican and his Democratic challenger James Webb, sponsored by the League of Women Voters in Richmond on October 9.
Demeanor made plain which candidate was the former governor and which had never run for public office in his life. George Allen playfully recited rhymes during his microphone check; James Webb clipped off numbers in a barely audible cadence. Webb’s face was stuck in an uncomfortable grimace before, during and after the debate; time and again, Allen found opportunities to flash his down-home smile (and always to the appropriate camera). Allen made sure Virginia (and the national C-SPAN audience) saw his red-cheeked mug, arched eyebrows and all. Webb seemed to confuse studio existence for real life, devoting his attention to the people who physically surrounded him, rather than those thousands of unseen eyeballs.
Both candidates say they want to run on “the issues.” And the debate yielded some clear differences. Those who believe in higher corporate taxes, shelters for immigrant day laborers, and who oppose the proposed amendment banning gay marriage: Webb is your man. If you don’t like the estate tax, believe there should be no amnesty for illegal immigrants, and think that the Virginia constitution should ban gay marriage and civil unions—then consider a vote for Allen.
Iraq, however, is the top issue for Virginia voters, according to a recent Washington Post poll. And on the Iraq issue, neither candidate cared to quantify years or troops. Allen defined victory in Iraq as when “the Iraqi people…control their own destiny and that Iraq—an oil rich country—does not become a safe haven for terrorists.” Webb, instead, spoke of diplomatic solutions: “We can get our troops out of Iraq, get them out of this internecine violence, and at the same time bring the countries in that region to the table. We did it in Afghanistan.”
But some time was devoted to the “character” issues. Allen called reports of his use of the “n”-word in the 1970s “baseless allegations.”
“I don’t recall using that word,” he said. “It was not [part of my vocabulary].”
Webb responded to a question about his 1979 article about women in the Navy by saying his concerns have been about women in certain combat situations. Both recited lists of people (blacks for Allen, women for Webb, respectively) as evidence of their record.
Some time went to plain old bickering. During the portion of the debate when the candidates questioned each other, the “conversation” devolved to two grown men talking over each other. Late in the debate, Webb showed a vindictive side, blindsiding Allen with a question about Taiwanese islands—seeming payback after Allen similarly grilled him in an earlier debate about Craney Island, a manmade island near Hampton Roads.
Allen made sure to hit his talking points, particularly working to put Webb in the same sentence as Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy. He repeatedly continued speaking even after being signaled to stop. Webb, on the other hand, often opted not to use his allotted time. Both tried to link themselves with Virginia’s elder senator, Republican John Warner. Presumably to ensure he makes no more impromptu verbal gaffes, Allen skedaddled immediately after the debate (with jogging cameramen in hot pursuit), even though the press was told that both candidates would be available post-debate.
The race now stands neck and neck, according to The Washington Post: 49 percent of polled Virginia voters support Allen, 47 percent support Webb. With only three weeks left, it seems the race will likely come down to the inertia battle: which side’s supporters actually get out to vote on November 7.