Wham, Zonk and Gurgle

By Hugh Sidey

The Presidency/ Hugh Sidey

Viewed from a distance, the aftermath of the great electronic confrontation resembles a couple of peanuts hit by a steamroller of analytical apparatus Whatever substance the two modestly endowed men served up in 90 minutes was reduced instantly to an oil spot by the clanking, flashing paraphernalia of production staging and rehashing that preceded and followed the Carter-Reagan affair. Instantly, the "debate" became a mini-industry all its own, employing thousands generating millions of dollars and possibly lifting Cleveland back to solvency. The debaters seem to have been bit players in the drama.

There may exist somewhere in this country those hardy viewers who, with pads, pencils, reference works and receptive cerebrums, actually catalogued policy nuances and body language and advanced their state of decision. But the fear is that most people were merely titillated by all the wham, zonk and gurgle that surrounded the endless evening.

Getting there was tough enough -- through the Star Wars video intros; the apocalyptic tones of Walter Cronkite; the engaging and intelligent diversion of Moderator Howard K. Smith (Smith for President); the veritable ocean of blue carpeting and blue backdrop; the contact lenses, blond coiffure three-piece suits of the interrogators; the shampoo and hamburger ads. Then, when the talk began, there was the image of little Amy carrying "nukear" proliferation on her shoulders when she ought to be out trick-or-treating, the specter of the witch doctor loose in Reagan's mind, Carter locked up and lonely in the Oval Office time and time again, the first wave of analysis, followed by the second wave of analysis, followed by analysis of the analysis. Then there were all those families groggy from beer and boredom, telling TV crews their dubious leanings. Debate coaches weighed in and drama critics pounded their typewriters. Victory parties begun before the show started roared on into the night for both Carter and Reagan, who both naturally smiled in triumph when it was all over.

The whole thing just may be viewed some day by calmer minds as the most distorted and peculiar political event yet invented in a system that had already run off the tracks. One good fellow compared the episode to an enlarged replay of Jimmy Carter and the killer rabbit--the rabbit being 6-ft., 1-in. Reagan with bushy hair and pink cheeks. All night long Carter swatted away at the intruder with his nuclear paddle and kept Reagan from climbing in the canoe and taking a bite out of him.

What was not said may finally be more important than anything uttered on the Cleveland stage by the two quiz show contestants. Few people quarrel with the ultimate goals of Reagan and Carter. But how do we get there? Our Government no longer works, and for four years Carter has proved it; yet he offered not one shred of evidence how he would improve his record, given a second lease on the White House. Nor did Reagan provide the slightest hint of how he might design an Administration that would get off the ground.

History, which is the only guide we have to the future, was largely forgotten, or worse, may have been unknown and unappreciated by both men. For 15 years, the record shows, the primary ingredient of peace has been our strength available and judiciously applied as in Berlin, Korea and around Cuba. That Carter never admitted this Government does have a policy of sorts for dealing with hostage taking can be understood, since he refused to invoke the plan in the Iran crisis (apply the maximum pressure that is sensible before making any concessions). Why Reagan showed no knowledge of that policy, developed by all free nations who have combatted terrorism, is part of the sad riddle of his limited appeal. All in all, the spectacle may have been better entertainment than Taxi but that is not good enough to encourage the prospects of survival in this world. '

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