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Volume 42, Issue 5. Today is .

October 26, 2004

'Undecided' find answers in debate
Benjamin Buettner
Mesa Legend

Kerry and Bush supporters rally hours before the most critical debate preceding Election Day outside of the Memorial Union at Arizona State University. After the debate, supporters had the opportunity to see Bush in the flesh at Bank One Ballpark and Kerry at Tempe Town Lake in a quick post-debate rally.

Photo courtesy of Martina Lee

As the excitement for the Presidential debate loomed large in the valley area, MCC and Brian Dille, political science professor at MCC, decided to try to take advantage. The Navajo Room, here at MCC, was where the debate was aired for not just the surrounding students, but the whole community. Though the Navajo Room was full of Bush/Cheney paraphernalia and backers, Dille insisted the reason for the meeting was to “give the community a way to watch the debate together and have a real discussion,” he explained.
Grade sheets for the debate were handed out so the audience could keep track of who won the debate. Issues were outlined, 13 in all, from foreign policy to health care to help the audience. Overall, the turnout was not what Dille expected saying he “expected about 150 to 200 people,” but there were only 25 to 30 in attendance. A reason for the bad turnout given by Dille “we are competing against the Foo Fighters. I have talked to many students who chose to go see them.” Dille was referring to the free admission concert that the Foo Fighters were throwing at Tempe Town Lake.

Crowds gather at Arizona State University in front of the Memorial Union to show their support for the presidential election. Whether those who turned out for the rally favored President Bush or hopeful Sen. John Kerry, the scene in Tempe rivaled the best of block parties.

Despite the heavy campaigning by Bush/Cheney supporters, there were some Kerry supporters and a few undecided voters on hand.
Ian Smith, a student at MCC who is undecided in major and voting, was looking for particular issues to get some attention so he could make up his mind. Foreign policy/relations, plan descriptions and environmental issues, were major points of interest for him, specifically how to “get Iraq to be a sovereign nation, to be able to defend itself with it’s own government.” Smith was also “looking for Kerry to stand on his own two feet more as opposed to reacting to Bush.”
During the debate, the bias became more evident for Bush, as it seemed that Bush’s one-liners were more important than truthful statements to America. When Kerry made the statement that Bush said he “was not worried about Osama Bin Laden,” Bush replied “Gosh, I don’t think I ever said I am not worried about Osama Bin Laden. That’s just one of those exaggerations.” The crowd let out laughter proudly for Bush. In reality in 2002, Bush said: “I am truly not that concerned about him (Osama Bin Laden). Well, as I say, we haven’t heard much from him. And I wouldn’t necessarily say that he’s the center of any command structure. And again I don’t know where he is. I — I’ll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him,” according to Fact Check, a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.
After evaluating the debate, Smith thought both candidates “beat their dead horses” and preferred Kerry’s health plan, but liked what Bush had to say about Social Security. But Smith was disappointed that neither candidate addressed the environment. “I was confused on Iraq sovereignty during the previous debates and they didn’t offer anything in this one either.” When asked if he was to vote today, who would he vote for? Smith went with Kerry saying, “Kerry, but more for the Democratic ideology and the lesser of the two evils than for Kerry being an outstanding candidate.”
Collectively, most everyone who attended the debate stayed for the discussion afterward. It had the feel of the small town meetings seen in the movies. Dille directed the conversation, gave time limits and asked what both Kerry and Bush supporters thought about certain issues addressed in the debate. There were four students standing in the front of the room by Dille, as if to defend every Bush angle they could, with elephant party stickers and Bush/Cheney signs and campaigning material behind them.
Two undecided voters, that participated in the afterward discussion, were persuaded by the debate to vote on a candidate. “Canceling each others votes,” Dille stated, as one said she would vote for Kerry and the other fluttered her eyes at the Bush panel.


	Legend photos by Casey Ferguson, Martina Lee and Rebecca Straughmatt	Tempe left no stone unturned when it came to the security for President Bush and Sen. Kerry. Tempe police stand by and wait as the president’s limo approaches (top left). Not all of ASU’s crowd were there just to show their support. A group of anit-war protesters (above) wave their spray-painted banners, and white balloons with pictures of American soldiers who have died during the war against terror.

Not all of Arizona’s voters gathered at ASU to show their support. Some of MCC’s student body gathered in the Navajo Room (above) to watch the debate from more comfortable seats. Of course, it didn’t hurt to have snacks available. As the clock ticked closer to the big event (right), ASU’s Sun Devil Marching Band took the opportunity to liven up the festivities with a little music, including ASU’s fight song.