CBS News - Presidential Debate - 2004-10-13 - 2 of 5 (partial)

Channel: malgent

Transcript

Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)

[0:00] country came together as I've never seen

[0:02] it come together uh since World War II,

[0:05] but some of that seems to have melted

[0:06] away. I think it's fair to say we've

[0:09] become pretty pretty polarized perhaps

[0:11] because of the political season. But if

[0:14] you were elected president or whoever is

[0:16] elected president, uh will you set a

[0:19] priority in trying to bring the nation

[0:20] back together or what would be your

[0:23] attitude on that?

[0:24] >> Well, very much so. Let me pay a

[0:25] compliment to the president if I may. I

[0:27] I think in those days after uh 9/11, I

[0:32] thought the president did a terrific job

[0:34] and I really uh was moved as well as

[0:38] impressed by the speech that he gave to

[0:41] the Congress. And I think the hug Tom

[0:43] Dashel gave him at that moment was about

[0:46] as genuine a sense of there being no

[0:49] Democrats, no Republicans. We were all

[0:51] just Americans. That's where we were.

[0:55] That's not where we are today.

[0:58] I regret to say that the president who

[1:00] called himself a uniter, not a divider,

[1:03] is now presiding over the most divided

[1:05] America in the recent memory of our

[1:07] country. I've never seen such

[1:09] ideological squables in the Congress of

[1:12] the United States. I've never seen

[1:14] members of a party locked out of

[1:16] meetings the way they're locked out

[1:17] today. We have to change that. And as

[1:20] president, I am committed to changing

[1:23] that. You know, I I I don't care if the

[1:26] idea comes from the other side or this

[1:28] side. I think we have to come together

[1:30] and work to change it. I've done that

[1:33] over 20 years in the United States

[1:34] Senate. I've worked with John McCain

[1:36] who's sitting here. I've worked with

[1:38] other colleagues. I've reached across

[1:40] the aisle. I've tried to find the common

[1:42] ground because that's what makes us

[1:45] strong as Americans. And if Americans

[1:48] trust me with the presidency, I can

[1:50] pledge to you, we will have the most

[1:52] significant effort openly, not secret

[1:54] meetings in the White House with special

[1:56] interests, not ideologically driven

[2:00] efforts to push people aside, but a

[2:03] genuine effort to try to restore

[2:04] America's hope and possibilities by

[2:06] bringing people together. And one of the

[2:08] ways we're going to do it is I'm going

[2:10] to work with my friend John McCain to

[2:12] further campaign finance reform so we

[2:14] get these incredible amounts of money

[2:17] out of the system and open it up to

[2:19] average people so America is really

[2:22] represented by the people who make up

[2:24] America.

[2:25] >> Mr. President,

[2:26] >> my biggest disappointment in Washington

[2:28] is how partisan the town is. I had a

[2:30] record of working with uh Republicans

[2:33] and Democrats as the governor of Texas

[2:37] and I was hopeful to be able to do the

[2:38] same thing. And we made good progress

[2:39] early on. The No Child Left Behind Act,

[2:42] incredibly enough, uh was uh was good

[2:46] work between me and my administration

[2:48] and people like Senator Ted Kennedy.

[2:51] And we worked together with Democrats to

[2:53] relieve the tax burden on the middle

[2:55] class and all who pay taxes in order to

[2:57] make sure this economy continues to

[2:58] grow.

[3:00] But Washington is a tough town. And the

[3:02] way I view it is there's a lot of

[3:04] entrenched special interests there.

[3:06] People who are, you know, on one side of

[3:08] the issue or another and they spend

[3:10] enormous sums of money and they convince

[3:12] different senators to tout their way or

[3:14] different congressmen to, you know, talk

[3:17] about their issue and they dig in. I'll

[3:21] continue in the four years to continue

[3:22] to try to work to do so. The my opponent

[3:24] said this is a, you know, bitterly

[3:27] divided time. pretty divided in the 2000

[3:30] election.

[3:32] So, in other words, it's pretty divided

[3:34] during the 1990s as well. We're just in

[3:37] a period and we've got to work to to

[3:38] bring it up. My opponent keeps

[3:40] mentioning John McCain and I I'm glad he

[3:42] did. John McCain is for me for president

[3:44] because he understands I have the right

[3:46] view in winning the war on terror and

[3:49] that my plan will succeed in Iraq and my

[3:52] opponent has got a plan of retreat and

[3:53] defeat in Iraq.

[3:56] We've come, gentlemen, to our last

[3:57] question. And it occurred to me as I

[4:00] came to this debate tonight that the

[4:02] three of us share something. All three

[4:04] of us are surrounded by very strong

[4:06] women. That's right.

[4:07] >> We're all married to strong women. Each

[4:10] of us have two daughters that make us

[4:13] very proud. I'd like to ask each of you,

[4:17] what is the most important thing you've

[4:19] learned from these strong women?

[4:21] >> To listen to them.

[4:28] to stand up straight and not scowl.

[4:36] I love the strong women around me. I

[4:39] can't tell you how much I love my wife

[4:40] and our daughters.

[4:42] I am um you know, it's really

[4:44] interesting. I tell the people on the

[4:45] campaign trail when I asked Laura to

[4:46] marry me, she said, "Fine, just so long

[4:48] as I never have to give a speech." I

[4:50] said, "Okay, you got a deal."

[4:53] Fortunately, she didn't hold me to that

[4:54] deal. And she's out campaigning along

[4:58] with our girls. And uh

[5:01] she speaks English a lot better than I

[5:02] do.

[5:06] I think people understand what she's

[5:07] saying.

[5:09] But they see a compassionate, strong,

[5:10] great first lady in Laura Bush. I can't

[5:13] tell you how lucky I am. Uh when I met

[5:16] her in the backyard at Joe and Jan

[5:18] O'Neal in Midland, Texas. It's the

[5:21] classic backyard barbecue. O'Neal said,

[5:24] "Come on over. I think you'll find

[5:25] somebody who might interest you." So I

[5:29] said, "All right." Bopped over there.

[5:30] There's only four of us there. And not

[5:31] only she interest me, I guess you could

[5:34] say it was love at first sight.

[5:38] Senator Kerry.

[5:40] >> Well, I guess uh

[5:42] the president and you and I are three

[5:46] examples of lucky people who married up,

[5:49] right?

[5:50] And uh

[5:53] some would say maybe me more so than

[5:55] others,

[6:00] but I can take it.

[6:05] Uh, can I say if if I could just say a

[6:08] word about a a woman that you didn't ask

[6:11] about, but my mom passed away a couple

[6:13] years ago and just before I was deciding

[6:16] to run and uh she was in the hospital

[6:19] and I I went in to talk to her and tell

[6:21] her what I was thinking of doing and she

[6:23] looked at me from her hospital bed and

[6:25] she just looked at me and she said, "Uh,

[6:27] remember integrity, integrity,

[6:31] integrity." Those are the three words

[6:34] that she left me with. And my daughters

[6:38] and my wife are people who uh just are

[6:42] filled with that sense of what's right,

[6:45] what's wrong. Uh they also kick me

[6:48] around.

[6:50] Uh they keep me honest. Uh they don't

[6:53] let me get away with anything. Uh I can

[6:56] sometimes take myself too seriously.

[6:58] They surely don't let me do that. Uh,

[7:01] and I'm blessed as I think the president

[7:03] is blessed. As I said last time, I've

[7:04] watched him with the first lady who I

[7:06] admire a great deal and his daughters.

[7:08] He's a great father and I think we're

[7:10] both very lucky.

[7:11] >> Well, gentlemen, that brings us to the

[7:13] closing statements. Um, Senator Kerry, I

[7:15] believe you're first.

[7:20] My fellow Americans,

[7:23] as you heard from Bob Schaffeer a moment

[7:25] ago,

[7:26] America is being tested by division more

[7:29] than ever.

[7:30] We need to be united as a country. And

[7:35] like Franklin Roosevelt,

[7:37] I don't care whether an idea is a

[7:39] Republican idea or a Democrat idea. I

[7:42] just care whether it works for America

[7:44] and whether it's going to make us

[7:45] stronger. These are dangerous times. I

[7:49] believe I offer tested, strong

[7:52] leadership that can calm the waters of a

[7:55] troubled world. And I believe that we

[7:58] can together do things that are within

[8:00] the grasp of Americans. We can lift our

[8:02] schools up. We can create jobs that pay

[8:04] more than the jobs we're losing

[8:05] overseas. We can have health care for

[8:08] all Americans. We can further the cause

[8:11] of equality in our nation. Let me just

[8:14] make it clear. I will never allow any

[8:18] country to have a veto over our

[8:19] security. Just as I fought for our

[8:22] country as a young man, with the same

[8:24] passion, I will fight to defend this

[8:26] nation that I love. And with faith in

[8:30] God and with conviction in the mission

[8:33] of America. I believe that we can reach

[8:36] higher. I believe we can do better. I

[8:37] think the greatest possibilities of our

[8:39] country, our dreams and our hopes are

[8:42] out there just waiting for us to grab on

[8:44] to them. And I ask you to embark on that

[8:47] journey with me. I ask you for your

[8:49] trust. I ask you for your help. I ask

[8:52] you to allow me the privilege of leading

[8:55] this great nation of ours, of helping us

[8:58] to be stronger here at home, and to be

[9:00] respected again in the world, and most

[9:03] of all to be safer forever. Thank you.

[9:07] Good night, and God bless the United

[9:09] States of America. Mr. Preston

[9:13] >> in the Oval Office there's a painting by

[9:16] a friend of Lauren mine named

[9:19] by Tom Lee

[9:23] and it's a West Texas painting

[9:26] painting of a mountain scene and

[9:28] he said this about he said Sarah and I

[9:30] live on the east side of the mountain.

[9:31] It's the sunrise side not the sunset

[9:33] side. It's the side to see the day that

[9:36] is coming not to see the day that is

[9:37] gone. I love the optimism in that

[9:40] painting because that's how I feel about

[9:42] America. You know, we've been through a

[9:44] lot together during the last three and

[9:47] three/4 years.

[9:49] We've come through a recession, a stock

[9:51] market decline, an attack on our

[9:53] country,

[9:55] and yet because of the hard work of the

[9:56] American people and good policies, this

[9:58] economy is growing. Over the next four

[9:59] years, we'll make sure the economy

[10:01] continues to grow. We reformed our

[10:03] school system and now there's an

[10:05] achievement gap in America that's

[10:06] beginning to close. Over the next four

[10:08] years, we'll continue to insist in

[10:09] excellence in every classroom in America

[10:12] so that our children have a chance to

[10:14] realize the great promise of America.

[10:17] Over the next four years, we'll continue

[10:19] to work to make sure healthc care is

[10:20] available and affordable.

[10:23] Over the next four years, we'll continue

[10:24] to rally the armies of compassion to

[10:27] help heal the hurt that exists in some

[10:30] of our country's neighborhoods.

[10:32] I'm optimistic that we'll win the war on

[10:34] terror, but I understand it requires

[10:36] firm resolve and clear purpose. We must

[10:39] never waver in the face of this enemy

[10:43] that these ideologues of hate. And as we

[10:46] pursue the enemy wherever it exists,

[10:48] we'll also spread freedom and liberty.

[10:52] We got great faith in the ability of

[10:54] liberty to transform societies

[10:56] to convert hostile hostile world to a

[10:59] peaceful world.

[11:00] My hope for America is a prosperous

[11:02] America, a hopeful America, and a safer

[11:04] world. I want to thank you for listening

[11:06] tonight. I'm asking for your vote. God

[11:10] bless you.

[11:11] >> Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you,

[11:13] Senator Kerry. Well, that brings these

[11:16] debates to a close, but the campaign

[11:18] goes on. I want to wish both of you the

[11:21] very best of luck between now and

[11:23] election day. That's it for us from

[11:25] Arizona State University and Tempe,

[11:27] Arizona. I'm Bob Schaefer, CBS News.

[11:30] Good night, everyone.

[11:31] >> And so the final presidential candidates

[11:34] joint appearance

[11:36] ends. This is the last of the three. The

[11:40] two men fielded 20 questions on domestic

[11:43] policy, social security, healthcare

[11:45] cost, immigration, and on some personal

[11:47] issues of faith and their own marriages.

[11:50] Senator Kerry said tonight that

[11:51] President Bush's proposal to possibly

[11:53] change social security laws is quote an

[11:56] invitation to disaster for social

[11:58] security. President Bush said that

[12:00] Senator K's position to save Social

[12:02] Security is an offer of quote more of

[12:04] the same without specifics. Senator

[12:07] Kerry said 5 million people have lost

[12:09] their health care in the last four years

[12:11] and he accused President Bush of turning

[12:13] his back on workable healthc care

[12:14] proposals. President Bush said Senator

[12:16] K's plan to expand coverage was quote an

[12:20] empty promise and it would cost far too

[12:22] much. President Bush said his plans for

[12:25] creating jobs and improving the economy

[12:27] are working. Senator Kerry said

[12:29] President Bush is the first president in

[12:31] 72 years who has presided over net job

[12:34] losses during his presidency. Senator

[12:36] Kerry said President Bush had not kept

[12:38] his promise to be a uniter, not a

[12:41] divider. President Bush united said that

[12:44] he had been a united.

[12:46] Now tonight was the final debate and it

[12:49] seems both men John Kerry and George W.

[12:51] Bush came to play it safe to stick the

[12:54] message maintain their composure and to

[12:56] play mainly to their faithful their core

[12:58] voters what the politicians call trying

[13:01] to activate their base and make sure it

[13:03] stays faithful and gets out. Many people

[13:05] may reach the conclusion this was the

[13:07] least interesting of the three debates.

[13:10] We'll have to see on that. I want to

[13:11] remind you that we have a CBS quick poll

[13:14] which is now being tabulated and we'll

[13:16] report that to you as we go along with

[13:18] our post debate coverage. Let's go now

[13:20] uh to Arizona and CBS News correspondent

[13:23] Jim Axelrod. Uh Jim, high point, low

[13:27] point of this joint appearance.

[13:29] Well, Dan, I thought both men were in

[13:31] command of the facts, in command of

[13:33] their philosophies that support very

[13:35] different worldviews, particularly in

[13:37] areas like health care and taxes, social

[13:40] security, social security in particular,

[13:42] where the president was talking about

[13:43] the need to privatize part of the social

[13:45] security system. And Senator Kerry

[13:47] answered with quote, "That's an

[13:49] invitation to disaster." Dan, look,

[13:51] there were plenty of zingers tonight.

[13:53] Senator Kerry at one point said being

[13:55] lectured by President Bush on fiscal

[13:57] responsibility is like being lectured by

[13:59] Tony Soprano on law and order. President

[14:02] Bush also called Senator Kerry on the

[14:04] far left bank of American politics.

[14:06] Senator Kerry makes Senator Kennedy look

[14:08] like the conservative senator from

[14:10] Massachusetts. But this this wasn't

[14:12] about oneliners. At the end of the day,

[14:15] this was about the critical impact on

[14:17] undecided voters. And because so much

[14:19] familiar ground was plowed, because this

[14:22] was more or less 90 minutes of greatest

[14:24] hits from both men's stump speeches, I'm

[14:27] not sure very much was done by way of

[14:28] moving undecided. 13 days ago, when this

[14:32] debate process started, 20% of the

[14:34] voters were seen as uncommitted, either

[14:37] undecided in a traditional sense or

[14:39] committed but still could be moved.

[14:41] Coming into tonight, that number was

[14:43] 18%. And I'm not sure very much took

[14:46] place tonight that's going to nudge

[14:48] undecided voters or uncommitted voters

[14:50] even more. Dan

[14:52] >> well Jim Axelrod and John Roberts our

[14:54] chief White House correspondent who'll

[14:56] be speaking to you in just a moment. Um

[14:58] it want to note again that tonight CBS

[15:01] News is running a poll specifically

[15:03] among people who said they were

[15:05] uncommitted uncommitted voters and we

[15:07] will be reporting the results of that

[15:08] poll for you as we go along in this

[15:10] postdebate program. Now, John Roberts,

[15:13] high point and low point of the debate

[15:16] so far as you could see it here.

[15:18] >> Well, Dan, certainly there were lots of

[15:19] highs and lots of lows as Jim Axarrod

[15:22] just illuminated. Uh, this one's a

[15:24] really tough one to call in terms of who

[15:26] might have come out the winner. I would

[15:28] probably have to give it to to John

[15:29] Kerry. He seemed a little bit more

[15:31] poised. Don't forget, he's got a lot

[15:33] more experience in this type of podium

[15:35] type of debate. But but the two of them,

[15:36] as Jim said, were very conversant in the

[15:38] issues. I think what you saw up there

[15:40] tonight really was was two people who

[15:43] could be presidents. There were two

[15:44] presidents up on the stage. And for

[15:46] undecided voters, I think really now

[15:48] it's just a matter of which one you like

[15:50] better. I mean, they both obviously have

[15:52] their own positions, different as they

[15:54] may be. They both have quite a

[15:56] comprehensive command of the facts. So

[15:58] really, an undecided voter has to take a

[16:00] look at the measure of the man and say,

[16:01] who do I want to have coming into my

[16:03] living room for the next four years? And

[16:05] make up their mind that way. in terms of

[16:07] actually moving what happens in the next

[16:09] two weeks or so. As Jim said, probably

[16:11] whole not not a whole lot uh to be had

[16:14] there. Uh probably won't even really

[16:16] move too much what happens in the next

[16:17] few days as they begin that flatout

[16:19] 20-day run into November 2nd. Uh

[16:22] interesting to note though that in terms

[16:24] of the strategy tonight, they both tried

[16:26] to beat each other over the head with

[16:28] each other's respective records and

[16:30] tried to say that either one of them was

[16:33] misrepresenting the facts. President

[16:34] Bush when he talks about John Ky, John

[16:36] Ky when President Bush talks about him.

[16:39] Uh I think that for me one of the more

[16:42] interesting lines of the night came at

[16:43] the very end when President Bush was

[16:45] asked by our colleague Bob Schaefer,

[16:46] "What have you learned from women?" And

[16:48] he says, "I've learned to listen to

[16:49] them. I've learned to stand up straight

[16:51] and not to scowl." Which of course was a

[16:53] reference to his performance during the

[16:55] first debate. Uh John Kerry pulled a

[16:58] strategy from John Edwards at the vice

[17:00] presidential debate. When asked about

[17:01] homosexuality, he brought up Mary

[17:03] Cheney, uh Dick Cheny's, uh daughter,

[17:05] who is a lesbian. Uh that was something

[17:07] that a very senior Bush campaign

[17:10] official when Edwards did it said was

[17:12] smart but cheesy. Dan John Roberts, our

[17:15] chief uh White House correspondent here

[17:17] for CBS News. Now, with each of these

[17:19] face off, we've invited spokesman from

[17:21] both sides to come on this program and

[17:23] tell us why they believe their man won.

[17:26] We'll do that again tonight, beginning

[17:28] with the Democrats. Senator John Kerry

[17:29] will be here in a moment and then after

[17:32] that we hope to have Rudolph Giuliani

[17:34] speaking up for President Bush and his

[17:36] performance tonight. So stay here with

[17:37] us. We'll be right back.

[17:47] We know that Senot with its natural

[17:49] vegetable laxative ingredient has been

[17:51] hard to find. Well, your wait is over.

[17:54] Senicott with the laxative ingredient

[17:56] proven to be effective in 50 clinical

[17:58] studies.