2008 Woodie Awards
Bush Vs Kerry Debates (II)
Kevin Agnese
Issue date: 10/13/04 Section: Perspectives
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John Kerry destroyed George W. Bush in the first presidential debate, hands down. While the president struggled and made awkward attempts to respond to questions, Senator Kerry articulated a clear vision for the future of American foreign policy, particularly in Iraq. Upon the debates' conclusion, numerous polls from around the country showed that a vast majority of the American people felt Kerry had won the debate, in most cases by about 15 percentage points. In a New York Times/CBS News poll conducted from October 1-3, 60 percent of respondents said that Kerry won, while 23 percent favored the president. Kerry's performance garnered instant results in the race for the White House, as a Newsweek poll taken two days after the debate showed Kerry with a four-point lead over the president in a three-way race with Bush and Ralph Nader. In the first presidential debate many Americans got their first glimpse of the next President of the United States, John Kerry.
"I can make America safer than President Bush has made us." With those words John Kerry began his 90-minute domination of George W. Bush. Kerry said that the president has left our foreign alliances in "shatters across the globe, and we're now 90 percent of the casualties in Iraq and 90 percent of the costs." The debate was focused largely on the current situation in Iraq, as Kerry argued that Bush had made "a colossal error of judgment" in invading Iraq. The Department of Defense, as of October 5th, identified 1,060 American service members killed in Iraq. "I have a plan to have a summit with all of the allies, something this president has not yet achieved, not yet been able to do to bring people to the table," Kerry said. Of course President Bush began with, what else, trying to use the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, for political gain. "September the 11th changed how America must look at the world," Bush said. "And since that day, our nation has been on a multi-pronged strategy to keep our country safer." Since that day, Mr. President? Well, what were you doing in your first seven and a half months in office? As Republicans try to paint President Bush as strong and tough on terrorism, I often wonder why they fail to mention that the largest terrorist attack in our nation's history occurred on his watch! While watching the debate, I never heard anyone talk about the memo that was given to the president and members of his cabinet on August 6, 2001, which was entitled, "Bin Laden determined to attack inside the United States." Maybe the moderator, Jim Lehrer, should have asked the president why he spent the entire month of August (2001) on vacation, at his ranch in Texas. Then again, he had enough trouble answering the easy questions.
"I can make America safer than President Bush has made us." With those words John Kerry began his 90-minute domination of George W. Bush. Kerry said that the president has left our foreign alliances in "shatters across the globe, and we're now 90 percent of the casualties in Iraq and 90 percent of the costs." The debate was focused largely on the current situation in Iraq, as Kerry argued that Bush had made "a colossal error of judgment" in invading Iraq. The Department of Defense, as of October 5th, identified 1,060 American service members killed in Iraq. "I have a plan to have a summit with all of the allies, something this president has not yet achieved, not yet been able to do to bring people to the table," Kerry said. Of course President Bush began with, what else, trying to use the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, for political gain. "September the 11th changed how America must look at the world," Bush said. "And since that day, our nation has been on a multi-pronged strategy to keep our country safer." Since that day, Mr. President? Well, what were you doing in your first seven and a half months in office? As Republicans try to paint President Bush as strong and tough on terrorism, I often wonder why they fail to mention that the largest terrorist attack in our nation's history occurred on his watch! While watching the debate, I never heard anyone talk about the memo that was given to the president and members of his cabinet on August 6, 2001, which was entitled, "Bin Laden determined to attack inside the United States." Maybe the moderator, Jim Lehrer, should have asked the president why he spent the entire month of August (2001) on vacation, at his ranch in Texas. Then again, he had enough trouble answering the easy questions.