Gore, Kemp Parry Over Inner Cities, Problems of Race

The problems of race and America’s inner cities took a somewhat surprising position at center stage as Vice President Al Gore and Jack Kemp, his Republican opponent, opened their nationally televised debate Wednesday night.

Gore, responding to a question from debate moderator Jim Lehrer, pronounced his support for continued affirmative action, saying that “diversity is a great strength in America” and challenged Kemp to explain his change of position on the anti-affirmative action initiative on California’s ballot.

Kemp had opposed the initiative, now Proposition 209, before joining the Republican ticket, but during the Republican convention announced that he had switched positions, joining Dole, who supports it. At the same time, however, he has opposed making the initiative a focus for the GOP campaign and has often seemed uncomfortable with it. The initiative would end government-sponsored affirmative action plans in the state.

In keeping with Kemp’s somewhat ambiguous position on the issue, he carefully avoided saying anything favorable about the initiative, saying that “my life has been dedicated to equality of opportunity” that “affirmative action should be predicated on need” and that while he opposes “quotas,” he believes the country should “protect diversity.”

Kemp sought to shift the issue to economics--arguing repeatedly that the problems of impoverished city neighborhoods could be solved by eliminating capital gains taxes in inner cities. “Ending all taxes on profits made on investments in inner cities would bring a vast inflow of new capital to poor neighborhoods,” he said.

Gore, for his part, repeatedly used Kemp’s own past words as a weapon. In the past, Kemp often criticized Dole for being too willing to raise taxes, and Gore had clearly memorized many of those quotes--reminding viewers that Kemp had once said Dole had “never met a tax he didn’t hike.”

Long before the two men took the stage, each side was attempting to lower expectations by downplaying its man’s debating prowess.

Kemp staffers said the former congressman has not been involved in a high-profile debate since his 1988 presidential bid, and that was a group affair without tight time constraints.

Gore aides, however, noted that the telegenic Kemp earned millions of dollars on the lecture circuit before Dole selected him as his running mate. They gave the advantage to Kemp.

“I think the one thing Jack Kemp and I agree on is that I will be the heavy underdog in this debate,” Gore told reporters. “But I’m doing the best I can to prepare for it.”

A Lot on the Line

For days, the two running mates had been bunkered down in Florida anticipating what questions might be thrown their way on national television. The stakes were high, for the contest is viewed by many activists in both parties not just in terms of the 1996 election, but as a possible preview of the 2000 campaign.

Kemp went to Dole’s condominium in Bal Harbour and used the same conference room that Dole used to prepare for Sunday night’s debate with President Clinton. With Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) playing Gore, Kemp ran through four mock debates. Afterward, he huddled with his pack of advisors, including Steven Merksamer, a California lawyer and longtime Kemp friend, and Reid Buckley, who gives speaking seminars to business executives in South Carolina.

In practice, Kemp’s biggest challenge had been the clock. The voluble candidate jumps from topic to topic on the stump with a rapid-fire delivery style that tends to ramble. “I can’t clear my throat in 90 seconds,” he quipped earlier in the week.

As his preparations were ending, Kemp said he had reduced his answers to the three-minute range--still well above the minute and a half allotted. He joked that on one answer during his training he “went four minutes without using a verb.”

In the Longboat Key resort near Sarasota, Gore sparred in four mock debates with former Rep. Tom Downey (D-N.Y.), who was playing the role of Kemp.

Each session was followed by a critique, with Gore’s senior aides joined by Clinton’s senior advisor George Stephanopoulos, White House Counsel Jack Quinn, a former top aide to Gore, and Paul Begala, who played a key role in prepping Clinton for the 1992 debates.

The one adjustment for Gore, who likes to retire early and rise early, has been the late-night sessions, scheduled to coincide with the actual debate time. As a result, Gore has not gone to bed before midnight all week.

During one practice session, an unplanned glitch occurred. The roof sprang a leak, splattering drops of rainwater directly on the podium where Gore was standing. “He just kind of ignored it and didn’t let it affect his answers or anything,” said Gore spokeswoman Lorraine Voles.

Both men have felt somewhat cooped up indoors this week because of heavy rains brought on by Tropical Storm Josephine.

Gore conducted some of his preparations on the basketball court, answering questions as he shot baskets at the Mote Marine Laboratory. He has also been jogging and spending time with his oldest daughter, Karenna, and Frank Hunger, the widower of Gore’s late sister, who is an assistant U.S. attorney and Gore’s best friend.

Kemp, meanwhile, hustled out of his conference room when the rain let up to challenge some friends on the tennis court. He said his daughter, Jennifer, who joined him here, offered him this unsolicited advice: “Don’t try to be intelligent. Don’t try to be funny. Just be yourself.”

Both camps expected a debate similar in tone to the Clinton-Dole showdown last week, which largely stuck to the issues but had a few zingers thrown in.

“Jack wants it to be a positive, civil discussion of the issues,” Kemp spokeswoman Alixe Glenn said before the debate began. “This is an opportunity for 20 million Americans to hear Bob Dole’s message.”

Going into the debate, Kemp was seeking to recount Dole’s inspiring biography and lay out in plain terms the Dole-Kemp economic plan. He had planned to avoid personal jabs and view the meeting as more than a Kemp-Gore affair.

“He’s not debating Gore,” said Glenn. “He’s debating Clinton.”

Both sides were prepared to butt heads over urban policy, which did not come up during the Clinton-Dole debate.

The issue had been closely identified with Kemp, a onetime secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development who has been campaigning heavily in inner-city neighborhoods.

But Gore staffers say Kemp pushed enterprise zones but never followed through on them, while Gore has helped create empowerment zones aimed at bringing jobs and opportunity to distressed communities.

“These are two men who like each other, who know each other, who respect each other, served together in the House,” said Assistant HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo, Gore’s debate coordinator. “They are both more interested in discussing ideas . . . albeit very different ideas.”

Sees Good Discussion

Gore does not view the debate as “as a personal clash or a negative clash, but as a good substantive discussion between two alternative visions and views for where this country should be going,” Cuomo said.

The debate was staged in the city-owned Mahaffey Theater and Bayfront Center, twin performance venues that house a symphony hall and an arena for sporting events and rock concerts.

On stage was a 14-foot blue backdrop bearing an American eagle and a swath of red carpeting. The candidates will stand at oak-and-brass podiums eight feet apart. Their lecterns face the audience at a 45-degree angle, with moderator Lehrer seated at a desk 13 feet downstage.

A 100-person production team went to great lengths to ensure that there were no glitches during the 90-minute debate.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

The Exchange

“We have a plan to balance the budget while protecting Medicare, Medicaid, education and the environment, . . . “

--AL GORE

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“This President believes we’re at our capacity. Bob Dole and I believe we can do a lot better.”

--JACK KEMP