One week out

Paul BegalaDemocratic strategist and Bush stand-in

Right away I picked up a problem about Gore during debate prep: a raw, unbridled contempt he had for Bush. It wasn’t the usual “my worthy adversary and I have different ideas.” He would sometimes sigh when I was talking, or frown, or roll his eyes. And his tone and language too — it all communicated that Gore thought Bush was an idiot. “You don’t deserve to be on stage with me” was Gore’s basic attitude.

Eskew

I don’t remember Gore’s sighs being super prevalent in debate prep. Gore was pretty energized. We did debate camp down in Longboat Key, Fla., where he had prepped for past debates. We used the same room, same sets — it was all a bit of a talisman for him. There were a couple times Begala did get under Gore’s skin, but of course you want some of that.

Shrum

We would tell Gore not to react to Bush, not to grimace at him — just look down at your notepad and write something. It could be doodles for all that matters.

Devine

There weren’t supposed to be reaction shots of Al or Bush on television during the debates. But we worried that the networks might not adhere to that — that they might do split-screen shots.

Begala

I think Gore liked establishing himself as the alpha dog against Bush. When we took the stage, he tried dominating me with a handshake — stepping on my feet and rocking my shoulders back. And he invaded my space a couple of times.

Shrum

We told Gore that he couldn’t invade Bush’s space. Explicitly.

Gregg

I’m not surprised Gore invaded Paul Begala’s space. When I was playing Gore during Governor Bush’s mock debates, I was absolutely sure that Gore was going to try to walk across the stage and get in the governor’s space. So I did it a number of ways. I handed him a card on stage to sign. I would walk up to him and stand right beside him when he was answering a question. He just looked at me like I was some immature kid and kept on answering the question.

The stand-ins: Paul Begala and Judd Gregg. Left: Lexey Swall for The New York Times; Right: Cooper Neill for The New York Times

Hughes

We knew Al Gore comes across as lecturing and condescending, so we were prepared for that. At the final prep sessions at the governor’s ranch in Texas, we put huge sheets of paper on an easel and wrote out in black Sharpie the points that Governor Bush wanted to project. “Substantive/knowledgeable.” “Leadership/inspire,” because we felt he was a stronger, more visionary leader than Gore. “Likable.” “Composed.”

Stevens

Bush’s answers were getting better and better, so we decided to do one full-length, timed mock debate a few days before the debate. But that didn’t go well.

Hughes

We did it at 9 p.m., at the actual time of the debate, which is usually when he is going to bed and reading a book. One car of advisers got lost so we started late. The governor was tired and didn’t want to do this. His answers were short and clipped.

Stevens

I was playing the moderator. Condi Rice kept passing me yellow Post-it notes with all these foreign policy questions. “Ask this question.” I would, but Bush was just not into it. Finally on one Post-it she wrote, “It doesn’t matter, we’re doomed.”

Hughes

The governor is definitely a morning person, which is no small thing at nighttime debates.

Stevens

On the car ride back to Waco late that night, Condi was in the back and hitting her head against the back seat rest, saying, “Oh, we’re gonna lose. We’re gonna get killed.”