Debate Strategies Pit Ideology vs. Ideas
WASHINGTON — President Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry have honed sharply contrasting strategies for their debate on domestic policy tonight that highlight divergent views on the role of government in society and the importance of ideology in the presidential race.
Whenever possible, Bush hopes to broaden the faceoff in Tempe, Ariz., from disputes over specifics -- such as healthcare or education -- to frame the election as a starkly ideological choice between limiting or expanding government, said a senior Republican strategist familiar with White House planning.
Kerry, as signaled by his dismissive rejection of political "labels" at Friday's debate, aims to blur ideological distinctions and focus as concretely as possible on his individual proposals.
Bush's goal, in short, is to aggregate the choice voters face into a single referendum on government's size and scope, while Kerry wants to separate the debate into sparring over his ideas -- and Bush's record -- on key domestic issues.
"The debate will see a contrast between discrete issues versus a larger governing philosophy," said the senior GOP strategist. "Our strongest ground is talking about the golden thread that runs through John Kerry's record, which we would say shows that he's a liberal. His is saying, 'I reject labels, and I deal with these issues discretely.' I think that's what you can expect."
Kerry aides see the debate -- the last of three between the candidates -- in similar terms. One senior Kerry aide said the campaign thought its best chance of blunting Bush's drive to portray the Democrat as a "big government" liberal is to flesh out his specific plans. That would contrast with Kerry's responses in Friday's debate, when he spent more time telling voters he had a plan than explaining it to them.
"If people get a sense of what [Kerry] is going to do, they are less likely to believe he is a big tax-and-spender," the advisor said.
Bush enters this debate on difficult terrain. For one thing, he must defend an assortment of economic and social trends that offer tempting targets for Kerry.
Although the economy has added jobs for 15 consecutive months, Bush remains likely to become the first president since Herbert Hoover during the Great Depression to see a net loss of jobs over his term.
Also, since Bush took office, the number of Americans without health insurance and the number in poverty have increased by 13% and 14% respectively.
