Pittsburgh narrowly missed an opportunity to host one of this fall’s official presidential… Pittsburgh narrowly missed an opportunity to host one of this fall’s official presidential debates, but an audience at Pitt’s Benedum Auditorium was treated to an unusual debate of presidential surrogates last Wednesday night.

Pennsylvania Auditor General Robert Casey Jr. argued on behalf of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., argued on behalf of President George W. Bush. The debate, organized by the University Honors College’s American Experience program, served as an interesting primer on Pennsylvania’s political geography.

Historically, Specter’s strongest support comes from Philadelphia’s suburbs, which tend to be socially liberal but are predominantly Republican. Casey runs strongly in Western and central Pennsylvania — areas where people support Casey’s opposition to abortion. Both Specter and Casey would likely be considered peculiarities outside of Pennsylvania, a state in which many Democrats are still considered to be conservative, and in which Republicans helped Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell sail to victory in 2002.

But Specter and Casey nevertheless came out swinging for the standard-bearers of their respective parties.

“Are we in Pennsylvania, in our commonwealth, better off than we were four years ago?” Casey asked in his opening statement, echoing a perennial query of Presidential elections.

Not surprisingly, considering his side in the debate, Casey said that Pennsylvanians are not better off after nearly four years under the Bush administration. Citing decreased access to health care, the loss of manufacturing jobs, and inadequate federal funding for education, Casey argued that a change in course is necessary.

Casey repeatedly praised Kerry’s military service in Vietnam and his years of public service.

“For Senator Kerry,” Casey said, “leadership has been with him his entire life.”

Casey also believes that a Kerry presidency would lead to a change of course in Iraq.

“We’ll move to a point where the United States, at long last, can move forward and bring our troops home,” Casey said.

But Specter immediately contested Casey on health care issues, noting that Bush approved a $400 billion prescription drug benefit that will provide discount cards for seniors. Specter also defended Bush on tax cuts.

“I believe that President Bush’s tax cuts, like the tax cuts of President Kennedy in 1961, stimulated the economy,” Specter said.

On foreign affairs, Specter argued that Bush’s presidency has served Americans well. In no uncertain terms, he declared terrorism to be the most important challenge before the United States.

“We are facing an enormous threat from Al-Qaida. Make no mistake about it,” Specter said. “We are dealing with Islamic fundamentalism from the Wahhabis, who are determined to destroy our civilization.”

“If we can establish a democracy in Iraq, it will put pressure on Syria and Iraq, and on the Saudis, who are not our friends.”

Later, when questioned about Iraq by American Experience Director Robert Hazo, Casey defended Kerry’s decision to vote for the congressional resolution authorizing President Bush to go to war in Iraq.

“If you look at the vote of Sen. Kerry on the use-of-force resolution, you have to look at the intelligence he was given at the time,” Casey said.

“When we make a decision to go to war, we make that decision because we have to go to war, not because we want to [go to war],” he added.

David Shribman, executive editor and vice president of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, served as devil’s advocate for the evening, arguing for neither Kerry nor Bush. Instead, he peppered Casey and Specter with provocative questions.

Shribman asked Specter if Bush had made the United States “known around the world as a unilateral nation.”

Addressing the country’s relationship with the United Nations, Specter said that it “was concluded that the U.S. interest had trumped the U.N. interest.” Speaking of Bush’s efforts at diplomacy prior to the war in Iraq, however, Specter offered only that “[Bush] might have done it differently.”

When Shribman suggested to Casey that a “career politician” like Kerry might not be what the country needs at this time, Casey replied that “the long-harbored ambition to be President can be a good thing,” and he praised Kerry’s focus and experience.

Before the conclusion of the debate, Specter and Casey answered a few questions from the audience.

“Which candidate will get out more of the youth vote?” one question asked.

“President Bush,” said Specter.

“Sen. Kerry,” said Casey.

Robert Hazo countered with an answer that confounded both of them.

“I’ll say Nader,” he said, referring to third-party challenger Ralph Nader.