Mr. Bush, Your Tiki Torch, Please
by Benjamin Arnoldy

If I were Gov. George Bush's campaign manager, the final episode of CBS's "Survivor" would have made me nervous.

For those who managed to avoid watching the program, the climactic scene of the "Survivor" game show was a vote. A panel of seven former contestants decided which of the last two contestants, Kelly Wiglesworth and Richard Hatch, would become the sole survivor, and a newly minted millionaire. In order to help the members of the panel make up their minds, the last two contestants were allowed to make short speeches.

The two candidates made two very different appeals to the voters, as did Gov. Bush and Vice President Al Gore in their convention speeches earlier this month.

Kelly made it clear that she thought she was more likeable than Richard. She implored the voters to choose based on her character. By portraying a selective history of events and showing emotional conflict, she tried to position herself as the moral, compassionate player.

Bush used his nomination speech in Philadelphia to make the same sort of contrasts with Gore.

"I believe great decisions are made with care, made with conviction, not made with polls," said Bush. Like Kelly, Bush has painted his opponent as Machiavellian, and himself as a principled man that has cast votes based on personal convictions.

At one point, Kelly reminded the voters that she won a contest as to who knew the most personal details about the other contestants. She used this to portray herself as "caring," and she claimed Richard was only interested in orchestrating relationships to win.

Bush said something along the same lines in Philadelphia: "I have no stake in the bitter arguments of the last few years. I want to change the tone of Washington to one of civility and respect."

Richard and Gore, on the other hand, both used their speeches to do something remarkable: they admitted that they weren't popular. Richard knew he could not win a compassion contest. Instead, he argued that he observed the dynamics of the game and played intelligently to reach his goal. This approach was at the heart of one of the most powerful portions of Gore's speech in Los Angeles: "I know my own imperfections. For example, I know that sometimes people say I'm too serious, that I talk too much substance and policy... But the presidency is more than a popularity contest."

Gore's statement was frank. It cut to the heart of what this whole election game is about: forming alliances with voting blocs by speaking to their issues. His speech was filled with specific initiatives, clearly targeted to key voting blocs.

Kelly and Bush believed the election game to be about looking like a caring individual, above sordid politics. Richard and Gore embraced politics and made a compelling case that their pragmatism is more important than their smile.

As probably everyone knows by now, Richard won. And Gore surged in the polls after his convention, perhaps on the power of his speech.

Of course, in the "scientific polling" done by CBS after the show, Kelly won the audience vote by huge margins over Richard. But maybe even this twist speaks to the current election. Among those less-informed and unlikely to vote in American politics, appeals to personality has greater sway. It's the issue-driven voters who donate the moolah, shape the discourse and pull the levers.

E-mail Benjamin Arnoldy at benjamin@csmonitor.com.