Posted on: Saturday, October 9, 2004

EDITORIAL
Bush-Kerry Round 2 serves up substance

Sen. John Kerry maintained the momentum he gained in his first presidential debate with President George Bush during their second joint appearance last night, but Bush recovered well from his unsatisfactory first appearance.

In a campaign that has been so dominated by Iraq, it was good to hear sharp discussion of domestic issues, ranging from healthcare and tort reform to taxes and the deficit.

And the two candidates offered emotional and personal responses on abortion and embryonic stem-cell research, areas where they are clearly at odds. Kerry, we felt, offered a more coherent and thoughtful answer in these two areas (as president, he would not impose his personal views against abortion through law; he supports stem-cell research).

Bush was clearly coached to be more aggressive and less exasperated than he was in the first debate. That showed vividly when Kerry promised no new taxes except on the rich, and Bush shot back that the promise was "just not credible" given Kerry's Senate voting record.

While Bush improved substantially since his first appearance, Kerry still seemed more in command of facts and the issues, particularly on domestic matters.

If you are among the few firmly undecided voters left in this presidential race, it's imperative you tune in for the final contest Wednesday night and prepare to vote. Given the stakes facing this nation, the decision is far too important to leave to someone else.