Politics

Did Somebody Say Debate?

December 28, 1999 / 12:54 PM EST / AP

Another day, another debate. Four in a row next week, Republicans, then Democrats, then Republicans again in the televised meetings that are becoming a dominant feature of the campaign for the 2000 presidential nominations.

There's even a Super Bowl of sorts, two debates in one night, later in January.

The crowded lineup of debates, nine so far with at least eight more already on the campaign calendar, is not new business. There were even more of them in 1988, the last time both major party nominations were contested without an incumbent president running.

But there is a difference this time: Debates that would have been state fare then are national performances now. Cable news networks are promoting and televising almost every forum held.

So what plays in New Hampshire, for the first presidential primary on Feb. 1, plays in Iowa, too, where party caucuses on Jan. 24 will be the first voting of the campaign year. And everywhere else, too.

The debate doubleheader is scheduled between the opening contests, Jan. 26, in Manchester, 90 minutes of Republican debate at WMUR-TV, followed by an hour between the Democrats. There's a 30-minute break, time to shuffle the chairs in the studio.

Vice President Al Gore and challenger Bill Bradley have debated three times so far, in sharpening tones. They're up again on Jan. 5 in Durham, N.H.

A night later, Gov. George W. Bush, Sen. John McCain and the four candidates trying to overtake them are debating in the same hall. There have been six GOP debates all told, but Bush skipped the first three.

His campaign plan had been to avoid them all until January when, he used to say, people would be paying attention. But enough people paid early attention to the campaign to make McCain a threat to the front-runner, especially in New Hampshire, where polls now show him narrowly ahead.

And Bush changed tactics. He pleaded scheduling conflicts to explain his absence from the first GOP debates, then faced the field in three forums, in Manchester, N.H.; Des Moines, Iowa; and Phoenix.

He's on for four more in January.

Gore has been on a debate kick, constantly demanding more, and while Bradley rebuffs that, they're down for at least another five. Gore began by challenging Bradley to debates every other week and now has upped it to twice a week until the Democratic nomination is settled.

"For 10 months you ignored me," Bradley replied. "Suddenly I started to do better, and you want to debate every day. It's ridiculous."

Debate audiences are dwarfed by network entertainment show ratings. But their 1.6-million-viewer average audiences are a boon for cable news networks. Ratings were up sharply when CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC televised campaign debates. The Democrats have had two major network airings, on ABC's Nightline, and NBC's Meet the Press.

Here's the lineup for debates in January:

Jan. 5 Durham, N.H., Democrats
Jan. 6, Durham, N.H., Republicans
Jan. 7, Columbia, S.C., Republicans
Jan. 8, Johnston, Iowa, Democrats
Jan. 10, Grand Rapids, Mich., Republicans (except George W. Bush)
Jan. 15, Johnston, Iowa, Republicans
Jan. 17, Des Moines, Iowa, Democrats.
Jan. 26, Manchester, N.H., Democrats, then Republicans in back-to-back debates.