2004 Presidential Debate #1 - Bush vs. Kerry

(as interpreted in rhyme by Seth Brown, from the transcript here)

L: "Hello, my name's Jim Lehrer, you know me from PBS,
I'm here to be the moderator for this ugly mess.
We'll speak of foreign policy with questions that I wrote,
And then all people watching can decide who gets their vote.
The first, Senator Kerry, is to you: Do you believe
You'd do a better job at safety than Bush has achieved?"

K: "Well yes I do, but first off let me thank Miami U,
And all Florida; we know the tornadoes you've been through.
Now as you asked, yes, I think I could make us more secure,
Although the president does love this country, I am sure.
America is safest when we lead a strong alliance,
But don't give countries vetoes so we're forced into compliance.
The forces now are not allied, since we're ninety percent,
And so I say I would do better than the president.
If we reach out to normal Muslims who are not fanatic,
I think we'd find improvements in our lot would be dramatic."

L: "Well thank you Mister Kerry. Mister Bush, you may reply."

B: "I also thank all Florida, beset by winds so high.
September 11th changed the world, and we pursued Al Quaeda,
Three-fourths of them are caught, and all the rest know they must hide-a.
The Taliban has been deposed. Iraq was once a threat,
But since we've caught Saddam it's gotten safer, you can bet.
We want free nations everywhere, which will make terror cease,
Free nations help their people and free nations bring us peace."

L: "New question, Mr. President, and let me change my tack:
If Kerry wins, should we fear more a terrorist attack?"

B: "No, it won't happen, I will win, since I've shown I can lead,
I made decisions. Granted, many people disagreed,
But everyone knows where I stand, and knows what I believe.
We must defeat these killers who will kill without reprieve,
We must do it for our children, never wavering an inch,
To stay on the offensive and apply a constant pinch.
Afghanistan, ten million people voted as their right.
Yet in Iraq, the enemy vociferously fights.
They try to stop us, but we'll win if we stay resolute."

L: "Now Mister Kerry, you have ninety seconds to dispute."

K: "I also would be resolute, hunt terrorists to start,
But if we want to win this war, then we've got to be smart.
And smart means if Bin Laden was the cause of the attack,
We don't divert attention by descending on Iraq.
The president, in his judgement, has made colossal error,
Thus military leaders support my plan against terror."

L: "When you say misjudgements, what areas were they made in?"

K: "Well Jim, there's been so many, I don't know where to begin.
He promised to America a big UN alliance,
And said that war's a last resort, not where we place reliance.
I know of war, I fought. But our allies were pushed aside,
And the cost of war is high, in cash, and our troops that have died.
Afghanistan's the center of the terrorist regime,
And yet our troops bunch in Iraq, it seems a bit extreme."

B: "Now wait a minute, I remember in 2002,
That Kerry saw the information I did, and it's true,
He said that Saddam was a threat in late 2003.
See, I know war is tough, and so I tried diplomacy.
I went to the UN, and hoped that they could prevent harm,
By telling Saddam forcefully that he had to disarm.
But all of the inspectors were deceived, no results gotten."

L: "But Mr. President, why hunt Saddam and not Bin Laden?"

B: "We do both, Jim. The war on terror has a lot of troops.
Of course we're focused on Saddam... I mean Bin Laden. Oops.
But this war has a lot of fronts, and terror's in Iraq.
So we'll help the Iraqis get the freedom that they lack."

L: "Mister Kerry?"

K:                          "Bush says Iraq is the war on terror's center?
It wasn't even close until he sent our troops to enter.
He rushed the war without a plan for peace, quite rash indeed,
And didn't authorize the body armor our troops need.
Now every month in Iraq, more of our own soldiers die.
We need more troops there."

B:                          "Let me step in so I can reply.
My opponent voted yes to authorize the use of force,
And now says, 'Wrong war, wrong time, wrong place.' He does not endorse
Our troops. What message does that send? We need to be resolved."

L: "Well Senator?"

K:                 "I will be steadfast, but this all evolved
Because of a misjudgement. Now, I think we can succeed,
But a president with credibility is what we need."

L: "Mr. Kerry, how would you improve homeland security?"

K: "Well first, don't spend in Iraq while ignoring our country.
Bush spent so much on cops there, while our own programs faced cuts,
He opens firehouses there, while ours are being shut.
He hasn't spent one nickel on our bridges or subways,
And for all his talk of safety, cargo still isn't X-rayed."

L: "Mister President?"

B:                 "Our borders have been newly modernized,
We must stay on offensive, that is what I've realized.
Support the Patriot Act, so no terrorist escapes."

K: "I heard the FBI had hours and hours and hours of tapes
To which they never listened. Do you make us safe like that?"

B: "I know from safety, it's my job! With FBI I chat."

L: "Now Mr. President, when will the US troops come home?"

B: "Iraqi citizens will fill positions of their own,
We've trained a hundred thousand, that's a pretty big platoon.
Although I would be lying if I said they'd be home soon.
I thank our troops. A free Iraq will help us win the day."

K: "I thank them too, but also tell them: Help is on the way.
There are better ways to do this. There's no exit strategy,
We're a hostile occupation. We guard oil ministries,
But not the nuclear plants or foreign office or the borders,
You really have to wonder who is giving out these orders."

B: "Kerry voted against billions, said he didn't, then reversed."

K: "I erred in speech, you erred in war. I ask you: which is worse?"

L: "Mister Kerry, do you think our troops now die for a mistake?"

K: "They don't have to. It all depends upon the path we take.
I laid out plans of what we'd need to do to realize
Success. Now Bush said we'd plan carefully, go with allies.
But did he? No. When their general said more troops were required,
Instead of taking his advice, they had the man retired.
We need a president who can command allied support,
Not one who blows off the UN when they're who he should court."

B: "I invited the UN, and I've got allies, Tony Blair!
And Poland. I know how world leaders think, because we share.
I'm on the phone with them a lot, my deals with them are long.
And they won't join us for a war if you say that it's wrong."

K: "When Kofi offered UN help, you ignored it for your mission.
And us, Australia, and England? Three's no big coalition."

B: "Well, you forgot Poland. You've missed the entire situation."

L: "Mister Bush, what did you mean about post-war miscalculation?"

B: "Well I thought Saddam loyalists we'd whip on our way in,
But we didn't count on just how fast our armies there would win.
And now we have to fight them. And it's hard work, this I see.
I know how hard it is because I've watched it on TV.
I'm optimistic we'll achieve, our signals can't be mixed,
We've got a plan in place. Though tough, Iraq will soon be fixed."

K: "The president has said that even if he knew that day
That Iraq was no threat, he'd have acted in the same way.
I tell the truth to people. Yes, I respect Tony Blair,
But of the casualties, we've got a fairly heavy share.
And meanwhile, North Korea has nukes, which we've sworn to fight.
If Bush dislikes mixed messages, he should set that one right."

L: "Now Mister Kerry, would you say the president has lied?"

K: "I'll avoid the harsh word. He's misled us with words he supplied.
He said he'd have UN help, and a coalition force,
He said diplomacy would be first, war as last recourse.
He hasn't done any of this, and lacks the credibility
To reach out to the Muslim world and help end the hostility.
We must rebuild alliances, to stop the reign of terror."

B: "Well Jim, I think the Senator has made a little error.
He said Osama uses the invasion as excuses
To spread hatred for us. Well he can't decide this war's uses.
I don't think I made a mistake, Saddam had to be stopped.
Kerry was for war, then against, I think that he flip-flopped."

K: "My position's been consistent on the Saddam-ousting matter.
There's a right way, and a wrong way, and I think Bush chose the latter."

L: "Mister Bush, has the war in Iraq been worth the cost in life?"

B: "I know it's hard when one has lost a husband, son, or wife,
But in the fight for liberty, it's worth it. That's my plan.
And so I try to love the widows as best as I can."

K: "I understand the president, I've seen combat before,
And I learned this: Do not confuse the warriors with the war.
I have a plan, I'll stand behind our troops and do it right,
And if you want the details, take a look at my website."

B: "You just keep changing positions, all your messages are mixed."

K: "Like with pottery, we broke Iraq, now we must see it fixed.
We must convince the Arab world that we have good intent,
Which is tricky when your fourteen bases there look permanent.
It's tricky when you've got a guarded oil ministry,
But leave completely open all nuclear facilities.
We need to clearly state that on Iraq we've no designs."

B: "We've trained a hundred thousand and I think we're doing fine!
I reject the notion some say if you're Muslim you can't free."

K: "Of course we seek a free Iraq, I think we all agree.
But July's assessment said best-case, it goes on like before,
And the worst-case scenario? We're due for civil war.
I can do better."

B:                    "Terrorists continue pouring in,
To fight freedom. But stay with me as leader, and we'll win."

L: "Mister President, can we expect yet more pre-emptive war?"

B: "See Jim, I didn't want to commit troops, but here's the score:
The enemy attacked us. And to send a message clear,
We must insure mixed messages are not what people hear.
So I would try diplomacy, and hope we don't need force,
But when we do, we'll use it. Show the world our will's enforced.
See, Libya's dismantling since they clearly understand
America is willing to use troops to take a stand."

K: "The enemy attacked us? Jim, when did Saddam attack?
Osama was the culprit, but we went after Iraq,
While down in Tora Bora, old Bin Laden got away,
And that's why Afghan warlords are still haunting us today.
Hussein was clearly headed down, just see the no-fly zone.
Iraq would have been fine if we'd left well enough alone."

B: "I know it was Osama. But we had to get Saddam,
He had the capability to maybe make a bomb."

K: "He had weapons capabilities, and that's behind the war?
I can name you thirty countries with worse weapons, maybe more.
North Korea's nuclear weapons, one example I'd provide,
And Darfur's now more dangerous, they have a genocide."

L: "Now Senator, what's your position on pre-emptive strikes?"

K: "It must remain an option, but it's one that no one likes.
And if you take that option, your people should understand
Exactly why you feel you ought attack another land.
When Kennedy met Charles DeGaulle, DeGaulle barely asked proof.
But from all foreign treaties, mister Bush remains aloof.
He turned from global warming, and anti-proliferation,
Which is a lousy way to make people respect your nation."

B: "Well sure, I don't sign treaties that I don't want to support.
I want to make our rules, no International criminal Court."

L: "Mister Bush, can our diplomacy help problems in Iran
And North Korea?"

B:                 "Let me say, I really hope it can.
With North Korea we have had bilateral talks before,
But we found out that most of our agreements were ignored.
So now we have more nations that will speak to Kim Jong Il,
And we have told Iran's mullah's, the nukes, you've got to kill."

K: "Now actually, the talks with Iran didn't start with us,
But Britain, France, and Germany. We sort of missed the bus.
With North Korea, we had cameras, inspectors in place,
And vowed continued dialogue -- Bush did an about-face,
While South Korea's president was here, and all talks stopped.
And that is what I call a real damaging flip-flop.
Now as for Darfur, yes it's true there is a genocide,
But our troops have been stretched so much, no more can we provide."

B: "I agree with my opponent, we should not send our troops in,
But simply send them aid, and ask the African Union."

L: "Mister President, do you think Kerry has some character flaws?"

B: "He served our country in the senate, though not for my cause.
I won't hold it against him that he went to Yale. Although,
I think he sends mixed messages. To that we must say no.
It's important that the beliefs that we hold can never change."

K: "I have to say I think that your belief's a little strange;
It's one thing to be certain, you can be certain and wrong,
As Bush has ignored realities of science all along."

B: "Well I have more core values, and my love for them won't cease."

K: "Your values made you rush to war without a plan for peace."

L: "Now Senator, as president, what do you think's a threat?"

K: "Nuclear proliferation. There's material out there yet,
600 tons in Russia, that we should try to secure.
And speaking of mixed messages, I think I'm pretty sure
That building nuclear weapons while we tell the world, 'No nukes!'
Is sending the wrong message to the countries we'd rebuke.
Let's shut the program down and show the world that we mean well."

B: "We've disrupted weapons shipments when some countries tried to sell,
We're against proliferation, we agree it does great harm,
Let me once again remind you we made Libya disarm."

L: "Last question, Mister President, what do you think of Putin?"

B: "See, Russia had tough terrorists, and that there's no disputin'.
He's disrupting checks and balances, consolidating power,
But you can understand it, they have had their darkest hour.
See, I like Vladamir, I think we have a good relation,
And he and I both understand the terror situation."

K: "Now, terror's bad, but we can't let democracy just fail,
Putin controls all TV, opposition's put in jail.
Now let me close by thanking everybody here once more.
I helped defend this country as a young man in the war,
And will defend as president. The plan that I provide
Is building strong alliances, with allies at our side.
We need some credibility, the world can find it here.
Remember that the future goes to freedom, not to fear."

B: "If America shows weakness, tragedy will soon appear.
We'll reform our military, but keep it all volunteer.
We'll continue to spread freedom, and be helped by free Iraq,
By staying resolute, we can achieve the peace we lack."

L: "Well, that ends this debate. The next will be a town-hall fight.
From Coral Gables, I'm Jim Lehrer. Thank you and good night."

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    I'm a big believer in free will and personal accountability. I think people ought to take responsibilities for their own actions, that freedom is one of the most important things there is, and that these two things go hand in hand. I dislike any system of beliefs which attempts to abdicate free will and absolves people of accountability for themselves. So I really do believe in free will.

    Normally.

    However, every once in a while, something will happen to me that makes me think that I really have no free will. Such an occasion occurred the other night, when I was sitting at my computer at 2 in the morning. I was remarking to a friend how sad it was that my political poetry had largely fallen by the wayside, and mentioned that if only I had someone paying me for my time, I'd set the debates to rhyme. Well, I don't. And I didn't even really have time, but that didn't stop me. My eyes ran themselves over the transcript of the debate. My hands, of their own volition, began typing. I was tired and wanted to sleep, but my mind absolutely refused to let me do so until I was done. Finally, a little before 7 in the morning, I finished writing the debate translation above. Only then could I finally sleep.

    So much for free will.