At their most influential, debates probably move public opinion only a few percentage points. But that can be critical. This year is close to being the perfect storm for presidential debates having an effect. |
George Bush has staked his reputation on the notion that his singular goal is to protect the American people--from terrorism, from crisis or whatever--that he has the strength and the vision and the leadership skills to do that. But there is a significant number of Americans right now who feel the crisis-manager president didn't act quickly enough, didn't act decisively enough, didn't put the right people in charge. If that view were to fester, that would be devastating to the rest of the president's term and his legacy. |
He's a rock star of the Christian right. |
If he can answer questions about being a flip-flopper, show that he will be strong fighting terrorism, show he has a plan and will stick to it -- more than any sound-bite or witticism, that could make a difference in this election, |
If you ask Alabama voters what Lucy Baxley stands for, you'd have a hard time getting a substantive answer. She's going to have to create a definition for herself before her opponents do it for her. |
That's certainly something we expect from the president, |
The debates give him an excellent opportunity to break through the noise with no filters, no reporters, no spin doctors, just John Kerry, |
This is an exceptional cast even for us. People are pretty energized by all the personalities and personal histories involved. |
We don't know if attitudes were held prior to or largely shaped by it, |
You have to remember that talking about faith and values comes naturally to Alabama politicians. |