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The Christian Science Monitor - September 3, 2004 What's next for Bush-Kerry race By Brad Knickerbocker The balloons have fallen. The funny hats put away. The delegates are heading home. Now that both party conventions are over and their candidates officially endorsed, the campaign for the presidency enters its most hard-fought and critical phase. And it seems certain to get more pointed and more personal as election day approaches. President Bush's job is on the line. So are John Kerry's reputation and his chance at the White House. In his nomination acceptance speech Thursday night, Mr. Bush reviewed his legislative accomplishments, explained his rationale for going to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, and reminded Americans of the basis for his political philosophy. "I believe the most solemn duty of the American president is to protect the American people," the president said. "If America shows uncertainty and weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This will not happen on my watch. I am running for president with a clear and positive plan to build a safer world and a more hopeful America. I am running with a compassionate conservative philosophy: that government should help people improve their lives, not try to run their lives. I believe this nation wants steady, consistent, principled leadership – and that is why, with your help, we will win this election." There were no surprises in the speech, no dramatic announcements of new programs or initiatives. But the address was generally well-reviewed by political observers. "Bush was confident and presidential," says John Allen Williams, professor of political science at Loyola University Chicago. "I think he moved his ball ahead quite a ways." "The Republicans clearly have the momentum now, and they will try to maintain it with attacks on Sen. Kerry's voting record on defense issues," says Dr. Williams. "Kerry would surely rather talk about economic, environmental, and health[care] issues." Other experts agree. "This race is far from over," political analyst Charlie Cook writes in National Journal this week. "But there is no doubt that Kerry has suffered a loss of momentum." If the Democratic National Convention, and especially John Kerry's appearance surrounded by his combat "band of brothers," looked back at the Vietnam War, the Republican event focused on the ongoing war on terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan…. The next major step between now and voting day will be the presidential debates, which are yet to be negotiated and scheduled…. This week's GOP convention included efforts – most notably by Laura Bush – to soften the image of the incumbent, who has become perhaps the most polarizing figure in American politics since Richard Nixon. In his acceptance speech, the president stressed hopefulness and his "compassionate conservative philosophy." Bush mentioned his Democratic opponent only occasionally, and then only once by name. But to many who watched, the convention is more likely to be remembered for the rocket-propelled rhetorical grenades aimed directly at John Kerry by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, dissident Democratic Sen. Zell Miller, and Vice President Dick Cheney. Even before the last balloon had popped at the GOP convention in New York, Kerry began hitting back with a so-far unusual toughness – and in a very personal way. "We all saw the anger and distortion of the Republican Convention," Kerry said at a midnight rally in Springfield, Ohio. "For the past week, they attacked my patriotism and my fitness to serve as commander in chief. Well, here's my answer. I will not have my commitment to defend this country questioned by those who refused to serve when they could have and who misled the nation into Iraq." "The vice president called me unfit for office," he went on. "I guess I'll leave it up to the voters whether five deferments makes someone more qualified than two tours of duty" in Vietnam. "Let me tell you what I think makes someone unfit for duty," Kerry said. "Misleading our nation into war in Iraq makes you unfit to lead this nation. Doing nothing while this nation loses millions of jobs makes you unfit to lead our country. Letting 45 million Americans go without healthcare makes you unfit to lead this nation. Letting the Saudi royal family control the price of oil for Americans makes you unfit to lead this nation. Handing out billions of contracts to Halliburton without bid while you're still on their payroll makes you unfit. That's the record of George Bush and Dick Cheney."…. |