New York, NY —

The Democratic candidates met in their first televised debate Sunday. Each candidate maintained the race was about issues and ideas. But as WNYC's Andrea Bernstein reports, that wasn't it, at all.

Both Carl McCall and Andrew Cuomo had something to accomplish in the first debate. For McCall, who has been accused of being indecisive, it was to show he is strong enough to run against Governor George Pataki. For Cuomo, now running behind in the polls, it was to raise doubts about Carl McCall without looking nasty.

But finding the differences between the two on substance was difficult. They agreed on almost everything.

On education, both promised to reduce class size. Both pledged not to raise taxes. They both oppose the death penalty, but said they wouldn't work to repeal it.

But when asked afterward to state the major differences that emerged during the debate, Carl McCall said he wasn't paying attention to Andrew Cuomo. And Cuomo could point to only one exchange, when moderator Marcia Kramer of Channel 2 asked Cuomo if he'd promise not to raise taxes.

but taxes or no taxes? this is old time albany, they all knew the budget wasn't in balance when they did it everybody knew it who voted on it everybody knew it who signed for it at the time I urged the comptroller not to certify it.

McCall: the comptroller does not certify the budget. That's not a power the comptroller has. Lets just be clear about that

Cuomo: well you certified it to allow the legislators to get paid

McCall: Nope nope all we had to do was say there was a budget in place. The Comptroller does not certify the budget, so lets just deal with the facts.

The Comptroller's certification powers are, in fact, limited. But McCall has also never challenged them.

(The two continued to mirror each other on issues during the lightning round) when both men were asked to give yes-or-no answers.

here we go, andrew cuomo, are school vouchers good or not?
No
No

Second will you restore the fare on the si ferry
Yes
Yes

Do you favor tolls on the e river bridges.
No
No tolls on the bridges.

Are you in favor of the west side stadium
No
Depends

If you lose the dem nomination will you drop out
You can't do that
Its hypothetical and you can't.

After the debate, both men said they'd misheard the staten island ferry question and clarified that they are opposed to reinstating the fare.

And when they were asked to comment on their opponent, both men again had little diagreement.

Mr. McCall what are you opponents best qualities?

McCall: My opponent has a lot of good qualities, but you know, this isn't about me taking on my opponent, this is about me presenting my message and..heh heh to the people of the state of new york. I want the people of new york to know what I've done. And my background.

Cuomo: I think my opponent is a good man. I do. But I agree with carl its not about me personally.

But both McCall and Cuomo were actually making the opposite point.

McCall was arguing that his up-by-the bootstraps background should give him the edge.

And Cuomo was saying he'd be the most energetic Governor, a point he articulated most clearly in the spin room after the debate.

we do less with the pension funds in terms of economic development than we did under Ned Regan..we need a different type of state government that is more aggressive on economic development work. When I say the state government has failed, I believe there's enough blame to go around.

Behind the scenes, both campaigns have been attacking the other. But on the air, each candidate seemed reluctant to engage his opponent. Both men hit their stride in answering a question Governor Pataki has so much support from democrats, including Giants running back Tiki Barber. First to answer was McCall.

but the voters out there, not the few leaders who have been peeled off, but the voters, the hard working men and women who are members of a labor union, the massive clergy groups out there and the people who sit in their pews those people are going to stay with us because we're the people the people who say their kids ought to get educated with the governor says they only deserve and eighth grade education. The union members out there. They're going to look at this person whos trying ot be their new friend and say where were you when we tried to incr the minum wage and you blocked it in the republican senate.

Cuomo: he's not going to fool anyone, performance and results you go to the latino community do you have more affordable housing? Are the schools better? Did you have a minimum wage increase are the rockefeller drug laws reformed? No. you go to upstate new york, slowest economy in the united states. So don't be fooled, tiki barbours good, but not at this game

After the debate, Cuomo's campaign was certainly more aggressive about one thing. Within minutes, his aides had put out a release, saying Cuomo had won the debate. No such release came from the McCall camp.

For WNYC, I'm Andrea Bernstein.