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First Debate: Suggestions, Style and Themes
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1554417
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First Debate: Suggestions, Style and Themes
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Ford - Carter Debates Files
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1976
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The original documents are located in Box 1, folder "First Debate: Suggestions, Style and
Themes" of the White House Special Files Unit Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential
Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box 1 of the White House Special Files Unit Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
THE PRESTECHT HAS SEEN
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 20, 1976
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
WILLIAM CARRUTHERS
With regard to your first debate with Mr. Carter I have
some random thoughts that I would like you to digest.
They are as follows:
1. Carter has a great proclivity for evading a question
however leaving the impression that he has answered
it. It will be important for you to note each of the
questions asked of him so that given the opportunity
you might decide to indicate what he, Carter, did
not in fact answer the question providing you the
edge with regard to your rebuttals.
2. In phrasing your answers to questions, you might consider
creating a vacuum for Carter's rebuttal with statements
such as, "I'm sure my opponent will say" or "I
understand that Mr. Carter's position is" etc. If
you are on target, Carter will either be forced to
repeat what you have already said or scurry around for
another answer.
3. When possible you should consider prefacing a question
with, "I'm sure there are a lot of people concerned about
that issue" or "I'm glad you asked that question"
This
sort of response indicates your concern, knowledge,
and eagerness to get into the question.
4. It is most important that your personality, as those of
us who are close to you know it, come out during the
debates. Your smile and sense of humor should be
evident during the program. I'm sure Don has some
thoughts on this.
-2-
5. Carter tends to use phrases like, "I have mixed emotions
about that" or "In general" a great deal. If he uses
these stock phrases during the debates, you should be
able to take advantage of him for not being specific.
6. Whenever possible, you should relate your programs and
philosophies so that the common man can understand
them. Again, Don will be of help in this area.
7. I have noticed that your energy level begins to drop
off considerably after about an hour. You must be
aware of this and keep yourself up.
8. It is not important that you look at your camera unless
you wish to make a point directly to the American
people. Conservative use of the camera will make it
more effective when it happens.
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN
Debate
After reviewing all practice transcripts and tape, we think a few
minor adjustments would be helpful, for maximum impact:
1. If possible, please call him "Mr. Carter" rather than
"Governor Carter".
2. Please try to avoid talking about "Republican" and "Democrat".
We should want this to be a debate between the two men.
3. If you can, whenever you express opposition to spending, add
that the reason is that it either produces higher taxes or greater
inflation.
4. Please be careful not to use too many examples of your recommendations
which Congress hasn't acted on. After a while it can sound like you
aren't effective.
5. In rebuttal to Carter, it isn't necessary to comment on each and
every issue he raises. Sometimes it's better not to get into the
issue itself, but rather to comment on the vagueness or
contradictions of the answer, (e.g., right-to-work, where the
point was not your position but his vagueness. ) To help, here
are three short comments, which when appropriate can be both strong
and sufficient:
GIVENG
-2-
-- "As a candidate, maybe Mr. Carter can affort to be vague or
uncertain. A President, however, must make tough yes or
no decisions. There's no button in the Oval Office marked
'maybe'. "
-- "I've noticed that Mr. Carter has a tendency to answer the same
question a little differently to different audiences. A President
doesn't have that luxury. A President's State of the Union
Message must read the same way in Texas as it does in New
York. "
-- "A candidate for President can always choose to promise the
sky one day and a balanced budget the next. I think Mr. Carter's
campaign can be described that way. A President has to be a
little more responsible than that. When he sends his budget to
the Congress, it's all got to add up; he can't just leave the bottom
line blank. "
6. Finally, please try to see every question and rebuttal as an
opportunity to communicate one of the six basic strategic points:
a. The extraordinary comeback of the last two years.
b. 4,000,000 new jobs in the last 17 months is more new jobs than
any similar period in U.S. history.
- -3- -
C. 56 vetoes have protected Americans from inflation -- and you're
going to keep on vetoing.
d. Quality of life agenda for the future.
e. You are running on the record of the last two years -- even though
Mr. Carter would obviously prefer to run against your predecessor.
f. Carter the candidate for President VS. Ford the President.
Candidates can be vague; Presidents must make tough decisions.
(Once a point has been made, please try to make it again. If you
concentrate on these points, you will control and dominate the debate. )
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN
November 2nd - Critical decision for all Americans
Trust is a major issue:
As your President -- I have never promised more
than I could deliver/I have delivered everything
that I promised
A President should not be all things to all people/
he should be the same thing to all people.
On November 2 you must choose between my record and my
opponent's promises.
He has endorsed:
1. Democratic Party Platform --
more spending
bigger deficits
more inflation, or
more taxes
2. Record of Democratic Congress --
more spending
bigger deficits
3. In Acceptance MORE Programs now
On July 4th America celebrated a wonderful 200th Birthday.
But we must look to future not to the past.
Fortunately our forefathers gave us in our First Century
the greatest form of Government in the history of all
mankind.
In our Nation's Second Century our forefathers developed
America into the most powerful industrial Nation in the
history of the world.
In recent years, however, government has gotten too big,
industry has gotten too large, labor organizations too
big and impersonal. We have mass education.
Our nation's Third Century should be the century of
the individual and the expansion of his rights and
opportunities.
We should never forget a government big enough
etc.
In industry the worker must be more than a small
cog in a big wheel.
In labor organizations the union member must have
more individual rights.
In education the individual talents and abilities
must be given greater freedom.
My parents worked hard to give me greater opportunities.
Your parents did the same for you.
Betty and I have worked hard for our children.
You have worked long and hard for your children and
grandchildren.
Working together we can expand and strengthen their rights
and opportunities.
Together we can build a better America.
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN
Let me first say how pleased I am that we are having these
debates, and I hope my friends out across America have found this
first one helpful. I look forward with you to the next two,
feeling very strongly that every voter needs to know, and has a
right to know, exactly where each one of us stands, without any
doubletalk or clever use of words.
What I hope this discussion tonight has brought out is that
issues of very great importance to all of us will be at stake
when we go to the polls on November 2.
As I see it, the Number One question for everyone comes
down to trust, and let's be clear as to what I mean by that. Is
the President you select for these next four years the sort of
fellow who will level with you, no matter how tough things get for
him personally. or for our country? Will he honestly say, in good
times or bad, openly and candidly, exactly what he means and prove
by his actions that he can be trusted totally and completely?
Without that trust you know and I know that the next four years
will be years not of new and exciting progress for our country
but instead will be four years of nightmare. I honestly believe
my record both as your President these past two years and as a
leader in Congress for years before that testify to my openness
and integrity, and I urge you to think about the importance of
that to all that we hope for in the years ahead.
I hope too that our discussion has clearly brought out some
of our personal and Party differences over what this government of
ours is and ought to be, because that also is very important to
you and our country. Put as simply as I know how, one approach
to government -- the approach that runs through my opponent's
platform and statements -- is that your federal government should
be like a loving, indulgent parent who, whatever the cost, tries
to satisfy every need or wish of the family. That's the old
discredited notion we've lived with for so long and that has
brought us so much disappointment and grief. It's the approach
that has given us government too big, government too meddlesome,
taxes too high, wasteful and foolish spending of tax dollars, and
the idea that federal employees in Washington can do better for
you than you can do for yourself.
So think about what we've said tonight, compare what the
two of us stand for, see what our two party platforms say -- and
then you will know what to do come election day if you want your
government to be your servant and not your master.
That brings me to a final comment that I hope you will
think a great deal about after this debate this evening. I
believe the heart and soul of this wonderful country of ours are
concerned not with what government can do for you or me, but with
the still exciting idea of human liberty. I believe that you and
I have a great responsibility to do all that we can to pass on a
land of liberty with justice to our children, and that, compared
with that, everything else is as nothing. You should know that
as your President that will always be my guiding star, whether
we are dealing with the spending of your taxes, federal regulation,
national government versus your state and local governments, or
simple bureaucratic oversteering.
Whatever Indot
With all my heart I believe that you there at home want
most of all to run your own lives in your own way in a prospering
and decent environment, and that in all of these things we have
talked about tonight you want your President to keep this huge
federal government in its proper place.
My promise to you is that, with President Ford, that's the
way it is going to be.
September 20, 1976
MEMORANDUM FOR:
THE PRESIDENT
THROUGH:
DICK CHENEY
FROM:
BILL CARRUTHERS
Additional points to be added to my earlier memo:
1. With regard to answering questions either at the beginning or
conclusion of each answer, I think you should make an overall
statement with regard to your position on the issue in question.
In order to set up that type of response, I suggest you use
prefacing phrases such as: "I think that the American people
should know ", "what I want the American people to under-
stand
", "it is important that the American people under-
stand
", or "what I want Americans to remember
11
2. Do not set an attitude for yourself for the entire debate. You
should adjust naturally as you proceed through the program.
3. With regard to your answer on the next four years, both Bryce
Harlow and I feel that you should be considerably more fluid
with you remarks. Point-by-point definitions of unemployment,
crime, housing, etc. are fine to specify your programs on those
issues, but when it comes to vision, you should think more in
terms of moving and emotional remarks.
4. When it comes to responding to an answer on unemployment, there
should certainly be an ingredient of personal compassion woven into
your remarks. You had to work your way through college, you did
not come from a wealthy family, you know what it means to be
unemployed.
DEBATE MATERIALS
Philadelphia -- 9/24/76