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Dole, the incumbent Republican, appeared to this TV viewer as more comfortable at the podium. She smiled easily and often and managed a confident delivery most of the time. It’s a talent she’s developed over many years on the national stage.

But Hagan passed a critical test: The Democratic state senator from Greensboro looked and sounded like a credible contender. A first-time observer couldn’t dismiss her as a minor-league player overreaching for a big-league job.

Twenty years younger than Dole, Hagan promised to bring new energy to the job, saying the state needs “a work horse, not a show horse. I want to be that work horse.”

Yet, Dole doesn’t appear to be lacking in energy. Countering criticisms that she’s out of touch with North Carolina, she said twice during the 45-minute debate that she’s spent time in all 100 counties since her election in 2002. She’s already aired TV ads pointedly placing her in several cities and towns around the state, touting her work with sheriffs on a program that helps them identify illegal immigrants among criminal suspects.

Hagan erred in faulting that program as an “unfunded federal mandate.” Dole corrected: It’s neither mandatory nor unfunded. But she went on to accuse Hagan, falsely, of voting in the legislature to make it easier for illegal immigrants to get driver’s licenses. Several times, Democrats killed measures to make it tougher before eventually approving stronger requirements, but Hagan never eased restrictions. (Please see update below for Dole response to this point.)

The exchanges on that issue highlighted a theme we’re bound to see developed further: Hagan will associate Dole with alleged federal failures, including the war in Iraq, energy and health care. Hagan allowed room for a Dole counterattack, though, when she claimed North Carolina does things right. Dole recited a litany of tax increases enacted by the state legislature, where Hagan has been a leader for years.

Hagan’s pitch for bipartisanship in Washington also fell flat. Her timing was bad because state Senate Democrats had just denied Republicans the chance to debate their budget on the floor. Besides, if she believes voters are “hungry for change” in the nation’s capital, she should vow to squash Republican policies there like Democrats have done in Raleigh. Dole touted bipartisanship because her party holds a shrinking minority of seats and is likely to lose the White House.

Hagan twice linked Dole to tax breaks for big oil companies that have given back nothing but $4-a-gallon gas. Dole didn’t convincingly evade the charge but offered a good retort that Hagan had suggested nothing that would reduce gas prices. The Republican then proposed releasing one-third of the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve. The current inventory is just over 700 million barrels, so opening that floodgate — at a maximum draw-down rate of about 4 million barrels a day — could have a significant impact on price. But what would happen if and when the reserve had to be replenished?

Both candidates proclaimed support for the military, but Hagan called for ending the war in Iraq with a “diplomatic surge,” a commonly heard but ill-defined term. Dole was even more vague, expressing frustration with the Bush administration’s handling of the war but worrying that “precipitous withdrawal” would lead to further instability.

Dole actually excels at generalities and platitudes. When she looks at the camera, smiles and drawls, “Always my family, my roots and my heart have been in North Carolina,” she undoubtedly gains votes. Hagan hasn’t mastered that art form, and it isn’t her style anyway.

Her challenge is to detach the Dole personality from the issues and attach the George W. Bush record in its place while resisting Dole’s efforts to tie her to the Democratic record in Raleigh, which is vulnerable to criticism.

Dole leads in the polls, but this is a long race and nothing is ever decided in June.

Thanks for reading. You can call me at 373-7039, email me at dgclark@news-record.com or post a comment here.

Update: After publication, the Dole campaign called to insist Hagan did vote on one occasion to make it easier for illegal immigrants to obtain a North Carolina driver's license, citing the 2001 state appropriations act. It contained a provision amending a previous requirement that license applicants had to show a Social Security number, adding: "If an applicant does not have a valid social security number and is ineligible to obtain one ... the applicant may provide a valid Individual Taxpayer Identification Number issued by the Internal Revenue Service to that person."

That taxpayer ID number could be obtained by illegal immigrants, the Dole campaign contends. Therefore, the change in state law, which Hagan supported, made it easier for them to obtain a North Carolina driver's license.

Latest update: The Hagan camp is heard from. It sends the following:

"2001: Hagan Voted For Budget That Increased Restrictions For Illegal Immigrants Attempting To Obtain Driver’s Licenses.

"In September 2001, the Charlotte Observer reported, 'The N.C. General Assembly is poised to approve a provision that would make it harder to get a driver’s license by requiring at least two proofs of residency.”North Carolina previously did not require a Social Security number or proof of residency to get a license or ID, and illegal immigrants from other states were traveling to North Carolina to obtain licenses. The measure was attached to the 2001 state budget bill and did not require people to prove that they were in the country legally, but did require people to show proof of residency, and also required them to have either a Social Security number a valid taxpayer identification number issued by the Internal Revenue Service. Hagan voted for the budget. [Charlotte Observer, 9/2/01; Raleigh News & Observer, 9/10/01; Associated Press, 10/3/01; SB 1005, Vote 1047, 9/21/01]"

I suggest Dole and Hagan devote their next debate entirely to this issue.