Tucker Carlson is a CNN political analyst and contributes to The Weekly Standard and Talk magazines. He is providing exclusive analysis to CNN allpolitics.com during the election season.

Tucker Carlson: Bush performance not great, but good enough to outpace Gore

By Tucker Carlson/CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- It's a good thing Al Gore has an unappealing demeanor, or George W. Bush would be in real trouble. Bush delivered a mediocre performance at the first presidential debate in Boston. For the first half an hour he appeared nervous. Several times he seemed to lose his train of thought in mid-sentence. Though he relaxed as the night progressed, his remarks often lacked focus. He left Gore's endless attacks on the "wealthiest one percent of Americans" essentially unchallenged. He offered no defense of his own pro-life views, allowing Gore, a genuine extremist on abortion, to sound like the candidate with the mainstream position. He even let Gore interrupt him, repeatedly. Bush was not impressive. Happily for Republicans, Gore was far worse. If George W. Bush is elected president, it will be to a great extent because millions of undecided voters entered the voting booth, considered the phrase "President Gore," and shuddered. Gore's unattractive character tics were on full display at the debate.

Al Gore must have been the sort of kid - supercilious, smug, a tattler -- who you wanted to beat up in high school. There is evidence that Gore's contemporaries felt the same way. (At St. Alban's his nickname was "Gorf." This cannot have been a compliment.) Much has been written about Gore's condescending behavior, his tendency to over-explain and talk down to people. Gore knows he does this. The strange thing is how he keeps doing it. It must be involuntary.

Gore has appeared in close to 40 debates over his 24 years in politics. His essential strategy has never changed: Snarl at the opponent; complain when the opponent snarls back. This method worked beautifully for Gore in his 1993 appearance with Ross Perot on Larry King Live. It worked almost as well during his primary match-ups with Bill Bradley. Both Perot and Bradley were driven to distraction by Gore. They hated him, and it showed.

Gore tried the same approach on Tuesday night. He responded to Bush's tepid attacks not by defending himself, but by whining about Bush's tone. It was a response right out elementary school. ("Mrs. Jones! George is being mean to me!") In other words, it was perfectly Gore.

But Bush was prepared for Gore's needling. He ignored the off-camera sighs and audible huffing. He never got mad. Bush is not a great debater. But he is good enough not to rise to Gore's bait.

When Bush didn't lose control of himself, Gore's strategy collapsed. Instead of an angry George W. Bush, viewers saw an unbearably annoying Al Gore. It is an image that could win the election for Bush.