What They Liked, What They Didn’t

A Sampling of Viewpoints From Informed Californians

THE REVIEWER

Ted Baehr

Editor-in-chief of Movieguide, a Christian-oriented magazine

Camarillo / Republican

*

ABOUT BUSH

I thought overall Bush was warmer and friendly. ... It was a very, very close call. It was almost an even split.”

ABOUT GORE

“I thought he looked much more relaxed and gracious and humble than I’ve seen him before. But I think he was intentionally trying to make a point about the child health insurance situation in Texas that was unseemly.”

ADVANTAGE . . .

Neither

*

THE LEGISLATOR

Audie Bock

Assemblywoman

Piedmont / Independent

ABOUT BUSH

“Bush seemed a little uncertain on concepts with social issues, like the death penalty and hate crimes. I’m not sure he actually knows the definition or purpose of a hate-crime law after hearing that.”

ABOUT GORE

“Gore definitely got zingers in about Bush’s record in Texas and Bush seemed confused about some parts of his own record.... But Gore also had to apologize for making mistakes in the previous debate.... I don’t want to say they both lost, but ... “

ADVANTAGE . . .

Neither

*

THE BAND MANAGER

Jim Guerinot

Manages No Doubt and the Offspring

Laguna Beach / Independent

ABOUT BUSH

“He handled himself far better than I expected on foreign policy.... He missed a major opportunity when he was asked about Gore’s exaggerations. Bush could have just laid out a few gut-busters that would have changed the whole election.”

ABOUT GORE

“I think he waited in the weeds.... If this debate were like a 15-round boxing match, Bush was winning for 12 rounds in terms of issues and how he presented himself. And then they got to health care and the Texas record and it all changed, Gore got him.”

ADVANTAGE . . .

Gore

*

THE ACTRESS

Leah Lall

Plays Kay Simmons on syndicated show “V.I.P.”

Los Angeles / Libertarian

ABOUT BUSH

I was very impressed with Bush in his ability to express himself. He seemed much more comfortable and much more informed.... He’s so not smooth. He just kind of shoots from the hip, and to me that’s refreshing.”

ABOUT GORE

“I commend him for being less aggressive, less contentious and less of a know-it-all. He is a very smart and informed man but ... I feel like he is very condescending to me, like he knows more than I do.”

ADVANTAGE . . .

Bush

*

THE PROFESSOR

Shawn Rosenberg

Director of UC Irvine’s political psychology program

Laguna Beach / Independent

ABOUT BUSH

“He continues to project himself as a capable manager who would work as if he were in a corporate setting. Toward the end he made the mistake of becoming overly aggressive and had a kind of self-deprecating humor that I don’t think works.”

ABOUT GORE

“There will be a lot made of the fact that he tried to constrain himself, that he may have been too timid based on some of the criticism voiced after the first debate.... You don’t need your president acting in a deferential fashion.”

ADVANTAGE . . .

Gore

*

THE MAYOR

Christina L. Shea

Mayor of Irvine

Republican

ABOUT BUSH

I clearly felt that Bush was very strong. He came across much more confident and relaxed than he did in the previous debate. I would clearly say that Bush commanded the edge.”

ABOUT GORE

“I felt Gore looked strong, but I felt he was a little more defensive and a little flat. He wasn’t as dynamic or aggressive as he had performed previously in the first debate.”

ADVANTAGE . . .

Bush