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Senator
Kerry Reaches Out to Swing Voters in Final Debate, President Looks to Rally Base
October
14, 2004
Senator John Kerry, D-Mass.,
and President George Bush hammered each other's record in their final debate Wednesday
night. An instant poll done by Gallup indicated that the senator edged the president
in making his case with 52 percent of viewers saying Senator Kerry did a better
job as opposed to 39 percent who said President Bush won the clash. Two
political communication experts consider the three presidential debates and what
impact they might have on the outcome of the fall's election. Economy,
Health Care Fuel Final Presidential Debate
October
13, 2004
With public opinion polls indicating
the race for the White House too close to call in several key states, both President
Bush and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., sought to outline their plans for improving
the economy and providing health care and Social Security benefits during the
final presidential debate Wednesday night. The
debate, from Tempe, Ariz., focused exclusively on domestic issues and ranged from
homeland security and the shortage of flu vaccines to gun control, abortion and
religion. Candidates'
Performances Highlight Closeness of the Race
Columnists Mark Shields
and David Brooks assess how well the candidates performed in the final debate
and discuss the stage all four debates have laid for the final leg of the campaign. Interactive
Ballot: Following the final debate, score the candidates using the same
criteria utilized by the National Forensics League and compare your responses
with others taking this non-scientific poll. Historians,
Others Consider the Role of Debates During This Campaign
RealAudio:
Presidential historians ponder how the 2004 presidential debates will be remembered
in years to come and what they added to the democratic process.
RealAudio:
Mark Shields and David Brooks weigh what voters have learned about the candidates
during the debates and preview
the final weeks of the campaign.
Previewing
the Last Debate and Assessing Its Potential Impact
As the two candidates
prepared for a final debate, the campaigns for president continued
to fire broadsides at one another, targeting their records on domestic issues.
Mark Shields and David Brooks consider
the stakes ahead of the Arizona clash.
What
Will It Take to Win in November?
 Use
the interactive electoral college map to chart a winning strategy for President
Bush or Sen. John Kerry. Click on each state to see how a win or loss there will
affect the overall outcome of the election. Formulate combinations of state wins
that add up to an electoral college victory and view voting history and trends.
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