'Dole-Bowles bowl': University invites candidates to debate

By Scott Hurff
Old Gold and Black Reporter

If North Carolina Senate hopeful democrat Erskine Bowles gets his way, the university may continue its trend of hosting political debates on campus. Republican Elizabeth Dole and Bowles, the two contenders for the highly coveted North Carolina Senate seat recently vacated by 30-year Republican Sen. Jesse Helms, have upped the campaign ante after their respective primary wins Sept. 10.

The potential debate, which has not been formally confirmed by either of the candidates, is intended to educate voters statewide about where each candidate stands on important issues such as Social Security, the minimum wage and school vouchers. Other possible debate sites include WSOC-TV in Charlotte, WTVD-TV in Durham, Sunday morning talk shows "Meet the Press" and "This Week" and the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

While Bowles has formally accepted an invitation to the university, Dole has not indicated whether she will take part. Bowles has called on Dole to accept the debates.

John Dinan, an assistant professor of political science, said debate discussion typically revolves around who is up in the polls. "The usual front-runner strategy is to keep yourself ahead and hope that nothing changes the dynamics of the election," he said. "Debates are just those unpredictable situations that front-runners don't like to put themselves into, and that's just the situation that Erskine Bowles has proposed."

According to a Sept. 13 press release from Bowles' campaign headquarters, he said, "Debates on the issues are in the best interest of North Carolina's families, and I have accepted these today because I am fully committed to having them. I call on Mrs. Dole to accept these debates, to meet with me this weekend to work out the details, and to agree to hold our first debate next week."

According to Bowles' camp, Dole rejected an invitation to meet "in person to work out an agreement on debates and campaign advertising that would restrict such ads to the issues and not personal attacks." Bowles first proposed the debates and issue-oriented campaign ads and Dole refused the offer.

Press Secretary Janet Bradbury of Dole's campaign headquarters had no specific answer as to whether or not Dole will take part in a debate at the university.

"I can't answer that right now," Bradbury said. "Mrs. Dole's schedule is filling up. We announce any kind of events a few days ahead and sometimes more. She's considering lots of invitations between now and the election. I just don't know specifically. We're looking at a large stack of possibilities."

According to Bradbury, Dole suggested a series of debates on Sept. 10, yet Bowles rejected the offer and accepted invitations from third parties days later.

"The debate issue really was raised by Mrs. Dole on Sept. 10," Bradbury said. "She suggested that, and challenged all three of the possible (Democratic) nominees to accept the proposal, whoever became the nominee, to a series of state-wide debates," she said.

In the letter to Bowles on Sept. 10, Dole challenged her opponent to a series of televised debates that would be paid for by million from each candidate's campaign.

The money, which would be diverted from television, radio and print ads, would be used to broadcast the debates statewide during prime time.

"I know we won't agree on many issues, but I hope we can agree on the need for a positive campaign based on issues. This proposal would go a long way in making sure that's the case, and I hope you will see its merits," Dole said in her letter to Bowles.

Despite Dole's request to "spare North Carolina voters a constant barrage of negative attack ads," Bradbury said Bowles began an ad campaign that apparently "was full of false statements mischaracterizing Dole's position on Social Security and was explicitly designed to frighten senior citizens."

Dole, firmly emphasizing that she was the first to suggest the debates, said that she is still willing to meet Bowles in a debate.

"Let me be very clear that I look forward to engaging in debates," she said in a press release. "A meeting between our campaigns to discuss how, where and when to implement such debates would be worthwhile; however, such a meeting is pointless until we reach agreement on the fundamental proposal to put a combined million into broadcasting our debates statewide and eliminating paid advertising," she said on Sept. 12.

Dole has accepted a third-party debate invitation from the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters. It will be broadcasted statewide October 19.