2008 Woodie Awards
Bush and Kerry to debate foreign policy issues
Alissa Brew
Issue date: 9/30/04 Section: News
- Page 1 of 2 next >
The first presidential debate between President George W. Bush and Senator John F. Kerry will take place on Thursday at the University of Miami, according to an article written by David Von Drehle on washingtonpost.com.
Maxwell Schnurer, assistant professor of communications at Marist College said that the debate will focus on foreign policy, an important topic to the American public.
"This debate is going to be critical," he said. "The swing voters' perception of fear of terrorism and security will make this debate really important."
Fifty-two percent of voters approve of the way that Bush is handling the war in Iraq and 46 percent disapprove, according to a recent poll on Sept. 24 by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion (MIPO).
Shawn Shieh, professor of political science at Marist College, said that Kerry needs to express his views on Bush's foreign policy as well as his own stance on the issue.
"He [Kerry] hasn't had a real consistent position," Shieh said. "The challenge for him is to try to commit to a position that sounds convincing."
Shieh also said that Kerry fails to narrow his ideas and put forth a clear statement on where he stands in regard to the situation in Iraq.
"I've been waiting for Kerry to say something that kind of condenses his position on the Iraq war," he said.
Kerry's attacks on Bush's stance on the Iraq war have increased, which suggests that he will aggressively grill the president on his position, according to the article published on Washingtonpost.com.
Schnurer said that it is critical that Kerry is decisive and careful in the way he attacks Bush.
"There's no way he can avoid being a flip flopper," Schnurer said. "Any strident position Kerry takes will be further evidence that he's flip-flopping."
Schnurer said that Kerry would make a mistake if "he uses a number of reversals on Bush's policy." Instead, he said Kerry should focus on establishing his own historical record and prove that he did not waiver when it came time to make decisions.
Maxwell Schnurer, assistant professor of communications at Marist College said that the debate will focus on foreign policy, an important topic to the American public.
"This debate is going to be critical," he said. "The swing voters' perception of fear of terrorism and security will make this debate really important."
Fifty-two percent of voters approve of the way that Bush is handling the war in Iraq and 46 percent disapprove, according to a recent poll on Sept. 24 by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion (MIPO).
Shawn Shieh, professor of political science at Marist College, said that Kerry needs to express his views on Bush's foreign policy as well as his own stance on the issue.
"He [Kerry] hasn't had a real consistent position," Shieh said. "The challenge for him is to try to commit to a position that sounds convincing."
Shieh also said that Kerry fails to narrow his ideas and put forth a clear statement on where he stands in regard to the situation in Iraq.
"I've been waiting for Kerry to say something that kind of condenses his position on the Iraq war," he said.
Kerry's attacks on Bush's stance on the Iraq war have increased, which suggests that he will aggressively grill the president on his position, according to the article published on Washingtonpost.com.
Schnurer said that it is critical that Kerry is decisive and careful in the way he attacks Bush.
"There's no way he can avoid being a flip flopper," Schnurer said. "Any strident position Kerry takes will be further evidence that he's flip-flopping."
Schnurer said that Kerry would make a mistake if "he uses a number of reversals on Bush's policy." Instead, he said Kerry should focus on establishing his own historical record and prove that he did not waiver when it came time to make decisions.