Wednesday night wrapped up the last of three presidential debates in an election that has sparked partisan fervor on both sides. Most are committed firmly to either President George W. Bush or Senator John Kerry. These debates were an effort to win over the coveted undecided voters who will decide this election. The debates are designed to be a time when candidates step out of their pre-determined talking points and answer pressing issues posed by the American electorate. Democratic candidate John Kerry was viewed by most in the media and the public to be the winner of last night's showdown. President George W. Bush was more like a sore loser.
John Kerry entered the first debate with a sense of do-or-die. He needed to prove that he could go head to head with a "wartime president." He ran circles around Bush until all the president could do was sigh.
Kerry scored points in the first debate when he made clear that Bush was not doing all he could do to protect American against terrorist attacks. Kerry accused Bush of diverting forces from the Afghanistan operation to Iraq, allowing Osama Bin Laden to steal away. This focus was strong and necessary. It showed Bush's lack of continuity with the war on terror. Kerry called Bush out on this important objective when he quoted Bush saying he didn't know where Bin Laden was and that he wasn't that concerned about him at a press conference in 2002. Bush, despite video coverage of the statement, said he didn't believe he said that and that this claim was an exaggeration.
But it was Bush who was the king of exaggeration. Time and time again he gives partially true statements that recall the "fuzzy math" barb with which he used to attack Al Gore. John Kerry over and over again has been characterized by Bush as the most liberal senator in the Senate. This was true in 2003 but over his 20-year career he ranks number 11. Bush continues to spread this lie.
John Kerry has revised some of his statements after they were determined to be misleading. For instance, Kerry had taken to pointing out the United States has spent $200 billion. It is more like $120 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Kerry changed his rhetoric in the last debate.
Bush does not stop at his challengers' record. He also stretches truth regarding his own accomplishments. Bush constantly being attacked for giving tax cuts during a war and in a bad economy asserted most of the tax cuts went to low and middle-class people. This is just not true. According to Citizens for Tax justice, the top 1 percent of the population will receive 51.8 percent of the tax cut. What is more, Bush got the money from borrowing from foreign investors and social security funds.
Any election with an incumbent is generally seen as a referendum on the incumbent's performance. Kerry, a strong debater, effectively drew attention to Bush's failures while Bush just got frustrated.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
