Presidential debates to play key role in upcoming election
Released: September 28, 2004
In the last month of the 2004 presidential election, political analysts expect the debates to play a pivotal role in deciding who will be the next president of the United States. In the tightly contested race between President George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., the debates look to be Kerry’s best chance at presenting himself to voters as a credible alternative to the president.
“Polls indicate that a larger than usual audience will be watching,” said University of Wisconsin-Whitewater professor Richard Haven, an expert on political speeches and debates. “A better than expected performance by either candidate could have a notable effect on the outcome of the election.”
The debates, which start at 8 p.m. CDT, will be held in states thought to be among the major battlegrounds of the campaign – Florida, Missouri and Arizona. The first debate will take place this Thursday, Sept. 30, at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla. The topic will be foreign policy and homeland security. Jim Lehrer, anchor of “The NewsHour” on PBS, will serve as moderator.
“The first debate is the most important one,” said Haven. “Especially for Sen. Kerry because he trails in the polls.” According to the CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll released today, among likely voters, Bush is the choice of 52 percent, while Kerry is the choice of 44 percent.
The second debate will take place on Friday, Oct. 8, at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., with the final debate on Wednesday, Oct. 13, at Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz. The vice presidential debate to be held between Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., and Vice President Dick Cheney will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 5, at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.
“Overall, the debates offer a greater opportunity for Kerry because he should be able to put President Bush on the defensive,” added Haven. “He will attempt to focus the debate on Bush’s record, while Bush will attempt to shift the debate to Kerry’s character and ability to lead during a time of war. Whoever succeeds in framing the debate will likely win the first debate.”
- Melissa DiMotto,dimottom@uww.edu
