Challengers always have the more difficult task in presidential debates. I’ve been watching these events with great interest going back to the Reagan-Mondale showdown of 1984. John Kerry did more than just hold his own against George W. Bush. The senator took charge early on and defined the terms of the debate. It clearly was a referendum on the failed Iraq strategy perused by this president. Kerry offered a foreign policy vision that was more engaged and energetic than the Bush go-it-alone doctrine. My sense is that voters will respond well to his message. There was no knockout ala the Benson–Quayle 1988 debate (which would have been nice). But I think there is no question that John Kerry gave a much needed lift to his campaign.
There was more both candidates could have offered. I appreciated the questions on Darfur and Russia. Sadly, the ongoing genocide in Darfur has been largely overlooked during the campaign. Check out the White House web site and search for the name Darfur. A total of 40 possible entries on the crisis show up. Gay marriage: 848. This president hasn’t used his office to address the difficult issues. Instead he has focused on dividing the American people for political purposes. It was unfortunate that neither candidate was able to offer a fuller and richer debate on issues outside of Iraq and North Korea.
