Hayden’s Run-and-Gun Offense Against Riordan’s Defense

First of all, I want to confess I missed the first few minutes of the Hayden-Riordan debate because I had to watch California beat Princeton in an NCAA basketball playoff game.

I was on my couch at home praying that the Bears would hold onto their slender lead. When the game ended, I shared my happiness with two friends who called. That took a few minutes. By the time I got around to the debate, Mayor Richard Riordan and Sen. Tom Hayden had finished their opening statements and were well into an argument over Police Chief Willie L. Williams.

They were lucky that couch potatoes such as myself tuned in at all, and I doubt there were very many of us. A soap called “The City” offered family conflict with mob overtones. The intrepid Jenny Jones, undeterred by accusations that her show once caused a murder, walked the high wire again, subjecting child beauty contest stars and their moms to a grilling by audience members who wanted to play judge, jury and executioner to those guilty of being pushy parents.

There was much more. Daytime TV is like a cut-rate supermarket and, just as the Riordan strategists intended, the mayoral debate was stuck on a corner shelf in the back of the store, out of sight, assuring that Riordan was out of harm’s way. He’s far ahead and he’s not as good a speaker as Hayden.

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Even after I switched to Century Cable’s Channel 10, my mind was still on basketball, which influenced my analysis of what was happening. Hayden was playing what the basketball experts call a run ‘n’ gun offense, moving fast, firing off shots from all over the court. Riordan played like Princeton, his alma mater, emphasizing defense--although not with Princeton’s smoothness and skill.

I was doing a Howard Rosenberg, with three TV sets and a VCR, which is how I assume our television critic handles such big days. With the debate on one set, I turned to another and checked out Channel 7 and “The City.”

“The widow of the deceased can be a very frightening position,” one of the characters said. Not having seen the drama before, I couldn’t figure out the plot or the significance of the remark. But from what I could fathom, there seemed to be a surface resemblance to the debate, in that “The City” characters and Riordan and Hayden all feigned cordiality that occasionally gave way to real feelings of dislike and contempt.

Back to the debate. It had turned to real estate, and, as usual when that subject comes up in Los Angeles, the discussion was hot. Hayden blasted Riordan as a pro-developer supporting “mega-projects for downtown business.” Riordan replied: “Tom Hayden would deny quality jobs for the people of Los Angeles.”

Riordan put up a sturdy defense. Hayden, always on the attack, switched issues and criticized Riordan for not supporting the proposed “living wage” ordinance. Moderator Bill Rosendahl intervened, putting the debate back on track--at least his track.

Continuing to sample the competition to the debate, I switched to Jenny Jones and I immediately saw what the Riordan-Hayden contest lacked--audience participation. Rosendahl was too smart, too serious, too issues-oriented. This debate needed some angry men and women, such as those in Jenny’s audience questioning the moms of child beauty contestants.

“I believe the mom should get a life and not live through her daughter,” said one man. “Honey, I have a life,” she replied. “A lot better life than you have.”

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I wanted to hear some angry Angelenos ask questions about traffic congestion, drugs in their neighborhoods, overdevelopment, and whatever else bothered them. I wanted a panel of reporters to ask follow-ups. I wanted real exchanges between Riordan and Hayden instead of the pallid flurries of this debate.

I wanted it to last more than 27 minutes, and I wanted it at a time when everyone could see it--not tucked away in the morning, especially the morning the NCAA basketball playoffs began.

Hayden’s willing. But Riordan’s not. His solid defensive play worked, but he hasn’t got the guts to give his foe a prime-time rematch--or the series of rematches this important contest deserves.

“You know I get scheduled about six months ahead,” Riordan replied when Rosendahl asked about another debate. “My scheduler is Julie Watt. If you could call her, I’ll try to fit it in.”

I hope Rosendahl takes him up on that, along with all the other people in town who might want to sponsor a Riordan-Hayden debate.

If you are interested, the scheduling office’s phone number is (213) 847-3477.