by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright October 11, 2004
All Rights Reserved.

unning out of time, Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kerry, has one last shot to drop President George W. Bush in their final debate at Arizona State University in Tempe on Oct. 13. Kerry missed a golden opportunity in St. Louis when Bush told a national audience that Canadian prescription drugs were unsafe. Bush knows full well that Canadian drugs are made in the same factories as American drugs. Kerry gave Bush a fresh start after his dismal performance in Miami. Instead of going for the knockout, he allowed Bush to take the offense, blasting Kerry's liberal voting record. While most polls showed Kerry the narrow winner, Bush bought himself more time, proving, if nothing else, that he could go the distance. Instead of pulling punches in the next debate, Kerry must give it his best shot, reminding voters they can't take four more years of Bush.

      Bush continues to pound Kerry's credentials to fight war on terror, telling voters that the Massachusetts liberal doesn't understand security in a post 9/11 world. Like a good tag-team, Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney continue to hammer away at Kerry's credibility. Instead of remaining tongue-tied, Kerry has to remind voters that Bush's Iraq war does nothing to prevent another terrorist attack on American soil. He must hit Bush where he's most vulnerable: Taking the country to war when the CIA just confirmed that Saddam hadn't produced weapons of mass destruction since 1991. All the talk about finding WMD now centers on Saddam's “intent,” not a verifiable threat to U.S. national security. Kerry can't let up on Bush's fateful decision that cost nearly 1,100 lives, since the March 20, 2003 assault on Baghdad. Kerry can't let Bush off the hook for one second.

      Bush's improved performance in the second debate stemmed from his more aggressive approach attacking Kerry's record. Instead of reacting defensively, Kerry must counterattack, drawing voters' attention to Bush's bad decisions on everything from national security to the gas pumps. “I think the story in the debate is that Bush comes back after the first debate. He was animated, and he worked the crowd well,” said David Lanoue, chairman of political science at the University of Alabama and expert in presidential debating, agreeing that Kerry let Bush back into the game. Bush was helped by the Town Hall format, well suited for his animated style. Instead of making faces, he stayed focused on attacking Kerry's record, forcing Kerry to react. Kerry's response need only be: “That, of course, is a misstatement of my position” or “I hope the president forgives me for not seeing it that way.”

      Debates are more about verbal jousting than trying to answer personal attacks. Responding to attacks directly or looking too defensive gives the impression, at least to viewers, that the attacks have merit. Bush and Kerry's next confrontation in Tempe promises more aggression from both candidates. Whoever endures the barrage showing “grace-under-pressure” will win the debate by looking more “presidential.” With the race running neck-and-neck, neither candidate can look rattled without paying a price. “I was a little worried. At one point, I though the president was going to attack Charles Gibson,” said Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg, noting that Bush got unhinged, insisting on talking out of line. That's the exact response both candidates want: Watching the other go ballistic. Bush had former Vice President Al Gore in that spot four years ago.

      Conventional wisdom holds that the next debate on domestic issues favors Kerry. Yet, in this year's topsy-turvy campaign, everything seems backwards, with Bush scoring in St. Louis more points on domestic issues. Kerry had the perfect knockout opportunity, watching the president justify his position on embryonic stem cells. Kerry's overly empathic, yet ambiguous, response on abortion, gave Bush the opening to pinch Kerry's Achilles Heel—his inability to articulate clear positions on key issues. With actor Christopher Reeve's death, Kerry gets another shot displaying how Bush's religious views cloud his thinking on important matters of science. Bush frequently points out Kerry's liberal ways—it's now time for Kerry to highlight Bush's right wing positions. Few domestic issues show more irrationality and upset more people than Bush's position on stem cells.

      Dethroning Bush involves more that counterpunching in the next presidential debate. Kerry must seize the moment and take it to Bush on a number of pivotal issues. Kerry has yet to raise the specter that Bush's foreign policy has left the Social Security trust fund incapable of meeting obligations to 70 million baby boomers. That issue alone is enough to tilt the election toward Kerry. Bush and Cheney justify Iraq's uncontrolled violence as terrorists' last-ditch effort to derail democracy and a demand for greater patience. No matter how irrational, repeated assertions that the Iraq war keeps terrorists off American streets resonates with Bush's supporters. Kerry isn't going score points with that group. It's not too late for Kerry to ask undecided voters whether they can take another four years of Bush. Voters must still ask themselves whether they're better off than before.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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