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From: abeles@mhuxm.UUCP (abeles)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Mondale-Reagan debate
Message-ID: <242@mhuxm.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 8-Oct-84 14:06:49 EDT
Article-I.D.: mhuxm.242
Posted: Mon Oct  8 14:06:49 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 9-Oct-84 03:49:18 EDT
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Organization: Bell Communications Research, Murray Hill, NJ
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On the subject of the Mondale Reagan debate last night on
television:

I was impressed with Mondale.  It seems that all those months of 
meditating are paying off.  In my opinion he trounced Reagan in
several areas:

1)  All the debate about budget/fiscal matters focused on the
deficit issue brought by Mondale.  Reagan never moved the subject
away from Mondale's claim that the deficit was the major problem.
This was a major win for Mondale because Reagan has claimed that
the deficit is not the major problem.  Reagan's reply that he,
Reagan, did not accept the Congressional Budget Office projection
of widening deficit was not credible.  If Mondale had realized
Reagan was going to be such a pushover on this issue, he probably
would have been able to hit harder:  for example, telling the
American people exactly how large the entire deficit is and how much
we're paying per capita in debt service, etc.

2)  The "less government" myth of Reagan was debunked.  Reagan wants
more government, not less, in areas favorable to the his issues: 
notably abortion and school prayer.  Mondale has shown that one
can be against introduction of all these special-interest laws
and still be an upright citizen and maybe even president.

3)  The "great communicator" image of Reagan was shattered.  Boy, was
Reagan sorry that he said "There you go again."  Mondale turned it
around in a masterful move.  If you watched the debate you saw Reagan
nervous in the beginning, picking up smoothness and confidence up to
that statement in which he risked all!  Following Mondale's retort
(something to the effect of "You can't fool the American people"
regarding Reagan's intended Medicare cuts)  it was clearly a more
nervous Reagan trying to keep his thoughts clear through it all.
If you listened you could hear him hesitating, groping for words
and even for concepts through to the end of the debate.

4)  Mondale succeeded in establishing a clear philosophy for his
campaign, that of providing for all Americans into the future and
doing it by putting the economy back on its feet through equitable
taxes.  He make the point hard that those with middle and lower incomes
are being discriminated against by Reagan's policies.  Reagan, again,
was very weak and never described any overall guiding philosophy or
ideology.


Aside from partisan assessments, it is clear that Mondale won hands
down from the Gallup/Newsweek poll made available this morning:  55%
listening thought Mondale won; 35% gave it to Ronald McReagan.  Furthermore,
a group of debating judges gave it six to one to Mondale.  Looks like the
Democratic campaign is off and running.  It's about time!