By Mary Mostert, Analyst, Original Sources, (www.originalsources.com)
March 3, 2000
The Los Angeles debate on CNN last night among the three remaining Republican Candidates, George W. Bush, Alan Keyes and John McCain, who was not in the studio but was participating via satellite, according to the pundits "didn’t change anything. In fact, it appeared that most of the media gurus were disappointed that there were no fireworks yet they seemed a bit leery about asking Alan Keyes questions, lest he tell them, as he frequently does, that their question is irrelevant and launch into a mini-lesson on a constitutional issue.
He was asked, for example, if a candidate for office professed to believe in no religion at all, "Do you think that would be a good an sufficient reason not to vote for that candidate?"
"Actually," Keyes responded, "I think that is an irrelevant question. First of all that prohibition against a religious test (in the Constitution) was for the National government, just as the First Amendment was intended to mean there would be no established religion in America. The specious doctrine of separation of Church and State developed by liberal judges in America for the last 40-50 years which extended that doctrine to the states through a perverted interpretation of the 14th Amendment is simply wrong. It has been interfering, in fact, with the free exercise of religion in this country at all levels. At that time that Amendment was put in place, there WERE religious tests in most of the states in this country. … As for the question of somebody’s religious views, I follow Christ: ‘By their fruits ye shall know them.’ I will judge an individual according to those fruits because I think they are the best indication of heart. Not professions, but actions and results."
Jeff Greenfield, who had asked the question, said: "Uh – let me follow up with another perhaps irrelevant question…(laughter) …uh…suppose a candidate believed as a matter of deeply held religious faith that while he respected other faiths, his faith is the one road to salvation. Would those of other faiths be justified in voting against him?"
Keyes answered, "Again I say that’s a question that everyone has to decide for themselves. That why everyone gets into the voting booth, in privacy, and votes their own conscience. It’s not an issue that we have to decide. People will apply those tests for their own vote that they believe are appropriate. I think that’s the way that ought to be left. Neither I nor anyone else should try to dictate or influence that.
"I do think it’s important to remember one thing though. This nation was founded on the principle that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. That means that America MUST believe in God."
Judy Woodruff asked George W. Bush: "You have apologized this week to Cardinal O’Connor of New York for not taking the on the anti-Catholicism of Bob Jones University when you were there. Yet, there is, as you know a long standing Anti-Catholic strain among Southern fundamentalist and Evangelicals…Billy Sunday, for example waged a holy war against (Presidential candidate) Al Smith in 1928. Many people opposed John F. Kennedy when he was running for president. Fundamentalists have long charged that loyalty to the Pope and the Virgin Mary means that they are not really Christians. My question is, were you unaware of this history when you made the decision to go to Bob Jones University?"
Bush replied:
"When I went to Bob Jones University I followed a long tradition of both Republican and Democrat candidates that went there to lay out their vision. Ronald Reagan went to Bob Jones. My Dad went to Bob Jones. Bob Dole went there and the Democrat Governor of South Carolina went there the week before."I talked about bringing people together so America can achieve its greatness. I talked about lifting the spirit and soul of this country. I regret I did not speak out against that school’s anti-Catholic bias. I missed an opportunity. I make no excuses. I make no excuses. I was on a talk show one Sunday morning and the talk show host said, "You know, one of the Joneses referred to my Dad in a very impolite way. I wasn’t aware of that.
"But, what I regret is somebody ascribing to me opinions and views that are not my views. Calling me an anti-Catholic bigot is not right. I don’t regret going there but I do regret guilt by association in politics. I do regret people labeling me for something I’m not. I have a record of inclusion in the State of Texas. I got 50% of the Hispanic vote in my State because I reached out to people in all walks of life.
"When I talk about education, I talk about the education of EVERYBODY in my State of Texas. What I regret is the politics of smearing somebody’s reputation. That’s what I regret. And I don’t appreciate it one bit!
"The good news is that Catholics from all around the country are coming to my defense and I’m grateful for that."
The next voice was of John McCain saying, "Judy, I need my 30 seconds!"
Judy said, "We do have an agreement that if there is an attack …"
Bush broke in saying, "I didn’t attack Senator McCain!"
It was a perfect example of a folk saying of my Southern Belle mother: "When you throw a rock at a pack of dogs, the one that yelps is the one you hit!" Apparently McCain recognized who was hit. However, the momentarily stumped moderator immediately changed horses saying, "Sen. McCain we do have this agreement but I think we are going to wait for you to have your next turn." McCain appeared to be trying to look presidential, which, came across as a remote stiffness in the format being used. It was very clear that he was not present in the room.
Throughout the debate Keyes called for a return to constitutional and moral principles as a means of resolving a worsening cultural crisis.
McCain was asked bluntly about his campaign workers making calls to Catholic voters in Michigan. "You repeatedly denied that your campaign was the source of calls from the so-called Catholic Voter Alert and then you said, ‘Well, you thought you were being asked about calls that were about anti-Catholic bigotry and that’s not what those calls said. Is there any reason why your campaign didn’t say, ‘This is the McCain campaign calling instead of a non-existing group? Was that ‘straight talk?’
McCain responded with, "I think it was straight talk. We wanted to tell people exactly what Governor Bush had done. I did not accuse him of being an anti-Catholic bigot. I did not call to say anything except to say that he was there (at Bob Jones University) and waited three weeks before he repudiated it. That was a factual and fair statement and one that I stand by.
Judy Woodruff gave Governor Bush an opportunity to respond and he said: "If you don’t think those calls labeled me an anti-Catholic bigot, then you weren’t paying attention to what your campaign was putting out!" Jeff Greenfield asked Bush about the number of executions in Texas. Bush responded and he said, in part, that the governor should ask two questions: whether the accused was innocent or guilty or whether the convicted man had full access to both State and Federal court. "That’s the law of the land in my State and I have upheld it well. I am going to continue to uphold the law of the land."
Woodruff asked Alan Keyes, "As you are well aware a New York jury returned a verdict acquitting four white New York City police officers in the shooting death of a West African immigrant. He was hit 19 times by the officers even though he was unarmed and was carrying only his wallet - no weapon. Are you comfortable with that verdict?"
Keyes replied,
"I don’t know that I am qualified to comment on it or is anyone else who didn’t sit through the trial and hear all the evidence. The notion that because you are unhappy with the overall policy of the NY City police department, you will scapegoat four police officers rather than base your judgment on the specific details of the case is a travesty and we should never surrender to that kind of injustice."The people who are enforcing the law on our streets deserve to be treated with the same justice we would expect and that means ‘Judge according to the facts.’ The reason I withhold judgment is that I didn’t sit through all the testimony. I didn’t go over all the details. The jury did. And they reached a conclusion that I think they in conscientious detail thought of what the correct conclusion should be.
"The only thing I’ve heard of from a lot of the criticism of this case had to do with the number of bullets and other things. I haven’t yet heard a good case made that on the facts that were presented and that existed one should question that verdict. Until I hear that case I am not going to indulge in emotional rhetoric scapegoating police officers."
Woodruff read the next question, which must have made her wince, considering it was going to Alan Keyes: "Should there be an automatic Federal Justice Department Review in a case like this where you have alleged police abuse and the verdict goes in favor of the police?"
Keyes shot back:
"No! Absolutely not! I really protest against the liberal tendency to want the Federal Government to take over those responsibilities which rightly belong to States and Localities on the assumption, I suppose, that we are to consider people at the State and Local level too depraved to do justice without Federal supervision. I believe that assumption that the people of this country are too depraved to defend their rights and acquit their responsibilities as citizens is a WRONG assumption! And, therefore, we should NOT turn over power to the Federal Government based on that assumption.
Campaign Reform and China policy also were discussed, but perhaps the most potent messages sent last night were in the body language of the two candidates on the stage - George W. Bush and Alan Keyes. Bush listened respectfully and attentively to Keyes and Keyes did the same to Bush. Near the end Keyes was asked why, although he won all the debates his candidacy never really took off and would he support the candidate chosen. As Keyes explained that he had vowed never again to vote for a candidate who would favor abortion, and outlined why he felt McCain would, based on his response earlier in the campaign to a reporter who asked what he would do if his 15 year old daughter came to him pregnant (McCain said ultimately it was be the girl’s choice.) Bush sidled over and stood smiling close beside Keyes, which got a laugh from the audience.
At the end of the debate, as Keyes walked to Bush, hand extended, Bush gave him a bear hug, which Keyes returned. Then the two turned and walked towards the moderator and panel, striding in perfect harmony, to shake the hands of the CNN questioners. Minutes after the debate ended a reader, Chris Lawrence, sent me the following brief e-mail that said it all: .
"Bush spoke perfect California Republican tonight. Especially talking about how failed education hurts bilingual students. CA Republicans are very sensitive to any anti-immigrant issues these days. Bush resolved those fears. Nobody else did. "Keyes was again of course eloquent. Bush and Keyes hugged afterward and together walked to the moderators looking like an excellent ticket."
While the media didn’t seem to see "any change," others saw "an excellent ticket" emerge before their eyes. It would be a ticket composed of youthful, articulate, knowledgeable, moral candidates. Good husbands and fathers with a real concern for issues like education, preserving our families and restoring the moral and ethical basis America’s founding fathers articulated for this great nation. It would be a ticket that would win, would inspire and would bring together a fragmented nation plunging headlong toward a Balkanized future after eight years of divisive class warfare and the politics of personal destruction from the White House.
To comment: mmostert@originalsources.com
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