October 15, 2004

Kerry KO’s Bush in Debates
SP Viewers Hope Bush Will Be Out for the Count
By Peter Chuong, Reporter

     They were a week apart and miles away, yet public viewings of the first two presidential debates in San Pedro then Long Beach had Harbor residents conducting themselves in much of the same ways. Solemn silence and sporadic applause followed a Democratic candidate John Kerry message, whereas observers hung on President Bush’s every word, waiting for any opening to howl at the first sign of a verbal miscue.
     Every individual interviewed believed that Kerry had won the debate by a decisive margin. Democrat, Victor Ezelle, was clearly convinced of Kerry’s win after slight apprehension leading up to the debate.
     “Kerry gave great responses back to Bush. He knew what he was saying and was short and to the point, while Bush was stumbling,” said Ezelle. “Kerry was strong on all the issues. Bush looked totally distracted and nonchalant, repeating himself over and over. His blank looks were scary.”
     The public reiterated Bush’s tendency to repeat the same stance, attack or phrase throughout the debate. “With everything on Iraq, Bush really repeated himself, contradicted himself and had his back to the wall,” said Joey Super, a Republican who is voting for Kerry.
     Janice Montgomery, Democrat, was one of many that took offense at Bush’s misguided actions both on national and international soil. “As far as homeland security is concerned, they don’t even check incoming containers and they also outsource jobs in our community. And what about Africa? There is total genocide and it’s not being addressed at all. With Kerry, at least there is an opportunity that he will care about jobs in the US. We are in a war we shouldn’t be in, without United Nations backing. Bush went in there like a cowboy and didn’t seem to care about the people of the US.”
     But Kerry wasn’t perfect either. He remains plagued by the claim that he takes multiples stances on an issue. “On Iraq, both candidates had the same information and voted the same way. Now, Kerry is calling Bush out and saying it isn’t right. Bush is a popular candidate who was forced to make many unpopular decisions. It’s easy to criticize from the sidelines,” said Democrat Matt Jilson, the sole Bush supporter interviewed at San Pedro Brewing Company.
     As far as character assassination, the general consensus was that the two did well to avoid it, as they took time to praise one another in a painful, tight-lipped manner.
     “I felt that they were both pretty civil, Bush wasn’t nasty,” said Ezelle, “he leaves that to his attack dogs.”
     Many viewers believed Kerry would gain votes with the debate results, as evidenced by one Republican, who wished to remain anonymous, who found himself swayed by Kerry’s words, citing his clarity in contrast to Bush. He noted that people watching should have seen a clear difference, with Kerry’s opinions well spoken and better thought out.
     “This debate will definitely help Kerry,” Jilson said. “But most people that should be watching aren’t. The people that matter the most don’t give a crap about these debates.”
     Kerry supporters were also wary of a letdown for the upcoming debates. “Kerry definitely won, there was a definite difference in how they addressed the issues, not to mention how they are perceived around the world,” said Democrat Althea Robinson. “Bush was there but not there, but [Kerry] still needs to be as strong and consistent in the next several debates.”
     In an eerie flashback, both candidates claimed victory in Florida following the debate, and it remains to be seen how the final result will pan out. As far as it went at San Pedro Brewing Company, pleased Democrats and converted Republicans looked to be united under the mantra, “Stop Mad Cowboy Disease!”
     It was more of the same during the second of three scheduled debates, as a packed house at the 2000+ Bookstore in Long Beach watched from two televisions. While Kerry was given the edge, many agreed that Bush had recovered well from his first performance. “Bush helped his cause tonight, he looked well coached and told his constituents what they wanted to hear,” said Dr. Dan O’Connor, Political Science professor at Cal State University of Long Beach.
     Now it is a matter of how this improvement is received by the electorate, who have now watched three Democratic victories in as many tries. While it could simply serve as damage control for the Republican campaign, the turn-around may also nullify any gains the Democrats may have made throughout the course of the debates pending nothing noteworthy occurs Wednesday.
     The last of the three presidential debates took place as this edition went to press on Wednesday Oct. 13.