THE WEEK

The President’s performance in the first debate (see “The Debate,” p. 16) was by no means as poor as general comment would suggest. He “lost” only in the sense that he fell short of expectations, while Walter Mondale gave the performance of his life (and was still only marginally better than usual). Reagan was obviously overwound, overcoached, overstatisticized. These events aren’t high-school debates, and you don’t win on points. Ronald Reagan isn’t the best campaigner of his generation because of his mnemonic gifts, such as they are. He has triumphed not by remembering things, but by saying things people remember. Next time he should bring his eloquence along. That’s one thing Walter Mondale won’t be ready for, no matter how he prepares.

Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah led the obstructionist forces that succeeded, after many a weary day and night, in keeping a pandemoniacal civil-rights bill from being grafted onto a spending bill. Because of Hatch’s unshakable resistance, sufficient in itself to suffocate the bill in parliamentary smog, all manner of nerds and surds were given a free pass to vote for this notable nonsense. Hence the putative majorities of 10 to 1 in favor. Hence the screams of anguish from the Old Established Left, such as the New York Times, which found it “tragic that such an uphill fight should be required for issues that were fought over, and settled, years ago.” And settled?

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Ronald Reagan

Presidential Election

William F. Buckley Jr.

The President’s performance in the first debate (see “The Debate,” p. 16) was by no means as poor as general comment would suggest. He “lost” only in the sense that he fell short of expectations, while Walter Mondale gave the performance of his life (and was still only marginally better than usual). Reagan was obviously overwound, overcoached, overstatisticized. These events aren’t high-school debates, and you don’t win on points. Ronald Reagan isn’t the best campaigner of his generation because of his mnemonic gifts, such as they are. He has triumphed not by remembering things, but by saying things people remember. Next time he should bring his eloquence along. That’s one thing Walter Mondale won’t be ready for, no matter how he prepares.

Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah led the obstructionist forces that succeeded, after many a weary day and night, in keeping a pandemoniacal civil-rights bill from being grafted onto a spending bill. Because of Hatch’s unshakable resistance, sufficient in itself to suffocate the bill in parliamentary smog, all manner of nerds and surds were given a free pass to vote for this notable nonsense. Hence the putative majorities of 10 to 1 in favor. Hence the screams of anguish from the Old Established Left, such as the New York Times, which found it “tragic that such an uphill fight should be required for issues that were fought over, and settled, years ago.” And settled?