To Those Paying Attention, Important Differences Emerge

Before Matt Fong and Darrell Issa began their debate Thursday, they were admonished by their host: “No spitting, no throwing chairs.”

The warning hardly seemed necessary. Neither of the two Republican Senate hopefuls is particularly well known for being flamboyant. In fact, neither is particularly well known (a little furniture flinging might have helped).

But true to their personalities, both candidates comported themselves as gentlemen and solid citizens during their 60-minute exchange--even during those moments when one was figuratively shoving a knife in the other’s ribs. Indeed, the session was almost deceptively low-key, in keeping with a bitterly fought, closely contested Senate race that has consistently failed to generate much interest beyond the candidates’ immediate circle of supporters.

But to those listening closely Thursday, important differences emerged on a wide range of issues, including the most fundamental question of the race: the relative value of insider knowledge accrued during long government service versus the break-the-mold brashness of a political outsider promising change.

That, in turn, begged the question of how many voters actually were listening. Scarcely 100 people--more than 20 of them students from an American government class--attended the debate at San Jose State University, leaving roughly half the seats in the auditorium empty. And not a single television station anywhere in California saw fit to broadcast the forum live in its entirety.

For those who witnessed it, the morning session provided as good a capsule summary of the Republican race as one could get. State Treasurer Fong, almost robot-like, argued that he has worked to change government from the inside, by cutting bureaucracy and improving efficiencies.

“That’s not being a political insider,” he said. “That’s a track record of making government better for Californians.”

Businessman Issa, alternately defensive and combative, argued that he has worked to change government from the outside, by generously supporting GOP candidates and causes as he built his fortune in the car alarm business.

“All of my adult life has been spent in the private sector trying to make a difference in this country,” Issa said, “helping create jobs and learning what it’s like to live under the laws that career politicians have passed year after year after year.”

The two candidates agreed about as often as they disagreed, sharing similar positions in support of school vouchers, partial privatization of Social Security and an end to the cap on federal campaign contributions.

And both did their share of dodging, ducking and weaving.

For all the contempt he expressed toward career politicians, Issa proved he was no slouch when it came to sidestepping questions (he refused to say whether he would vote to end legalized abortion) or fuzzing his positions (although he supports offshore oil drilling, it was difficult to tell from his tangled answer).

Fong, for his part, would neither defend nor disavow an inflammatory statement his press secretary made this week equating Issa with former Ku Klux Klansman David Duke. After a vague denial, Fong smiled nervously and simply declined to answer further questions. “The statement,” he said, “stands by itself.”

The most caustic exchanges came when the two quizzed each other, an opportunity absent from this year’s pair of gubernatorial forums, and one that invited just the sort of taunting questions Issa and Fong posed. What about those unsavory allegations involving your past business practices? Fong demanded of Issa. What about those foreign campaign contributions you received? Issa challenged Fong.

Issa dismissed the allegations. Fong said the money was returned--predictable denials that were beside the point. But the fact that the questions were raised delighted at least one member of the audience.

Jim Margolis, a top strategist for incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer, took in the show from the half-empty seats, then afterward defended the senator’s decision to stay away despite an invitation from the San Jose Mercury News, the host, and despite the precedent set in the governor’s race by unopposed Republican Dan Lungren.

“This is an opportunity for Republicans to choose their candidate and for those candidates to air their differences,” Margolis said. “Our election is in the fall.”

The smile playing on the edge of his lips spoke volumes. And somewhere, no doubt, Boxer was smiling too.