Slate
http://www.slate.com/id/2148757Santorum Can't DrawA tie in the first debate doesn't help the endangerd senator.
By John Dickerson
Posted Sunday, Sept. 3, 2006, at 7:20 PM ET
Rick Santorum was the most vulnerable incumbent in the Senate going into his debate Sunday with Democrat Bob Casey. He still is. The exchange on Meet the Press was largely a wash, and that's not good for the Republican who is behind in the polls by as much as 18 points.
It's hard to imagine anything kinetic happening in a space also occupied by State Treasurer Bob Casey. If Santorum was occasionally excitable and edgy, Casey seemed like a negotiator coaxing someone in from the ledge. Both men tried to fix their image problems. The rap against Casey is that he's not a fighter, so he tried to look tough and spirited, turning theatrically to pose direct questions to his opponent. Santorum, who has the opposite problem, at times reacted passively. While Casey lectured, the incumbent stared off into the middle distance like a schoolboy enduring a scolding.
It's not that Santorum isn't trying to make things exciting. The foreign policy views he articulated are very exciting. With two ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, he's itching for a confrontation with Iran. It's the central front in the war on terror, he argues, responsible for attacks against Israel and the sectarian violence in Iraq. He's more hawkish than the Bush administration, which he accused of being too soft on the regime. When moderator Tim Russert asked questions about Iraq, Santorum talked about its neighbor. "I don't know if it's a question of more troops or less troops," he said about the violence in Iraq. "I think the focus should not be Iraq; it should be Iran."
It was hard to tell whether Santorum was merely being excitable about Iran or using it to avoid talking about Iraq. He certainly has gotten ahead of himself on other issues in the past. It was Santorum who introduced the idea of man-and-dog love into a discussion about same-sex marriages. He called a news conference to declare that weapons of mass destruction had been found in Iraq, only to have Pentagon officials slap down the claim. Talking about Iran and Islamic fascism helps him shift the debate. He can deflect Casey's criticisms about Iraq by saying his opponent doesn't understand the true nature of the global threat. "You believe we're going to win this battle
on the battle fields of Afghanistan and Iraq," he said to Casey. "I don't. I think we'll win or lose this war right here in America." Santorum's point seemed to be that the war against terrorism will be lost if Americans lose their will.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
