Staying In Place: The NY Senate Debate
An often under appreciated aspect of voter's evaluation is the demand the candidate know their place. They want their loyalty in the sense of identifying with their voters and singing the praises of state geography and values. There is also another sense of place that sometimes factors in a debate, physical sense of presence on stage. The Senate debate between Hillary Clinton and John Spencer was about the former and constrained by the latter demands of Place.
In 2000 Hillary Clinton faced Rick Lazio in a race often revolving around accusation of carpetbagger. They postured in the debate about "who was the real New Yorker." Was it her place to occupy a senate seat in a state where she was a recent resident? By the time of the debate she has become enough of a New Yorker to be considered at least an honorary citizen, bolster by her knowledge and trip around the state. She had place.
Lazio, from down-state (Long Island) also needed to establish his state credentials up-state. He was young flashy and in the opinion of some did not know his place.
The problem of place (albeit a difference sense of the word) became a fatal flaw in their 2000 Buffalo debate (Spencer was admonished to keep his place in pre-debate coverage).
