Debate: 4 more years or time for a change?

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - John Kerry summed up President Bush's plan for Iraq in four words - "More of the same" - and thus neatly laid out the choice facing voters Nov. 2: Stick with the incumbent or take a leap of faith with a newcomer.

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In the first of three presidential debates, Kerry talked tough on terror. But was he strong enough? He curbed his long-winded ways. But was he clear enough? He said the commander in chief "is not getting the job done." But could Kerry do any better?

No, answered Bush, who reminded voters at every turn that he is already president - "I understand what it means to be commander in chief" - and cast Kerry as a dangerous alternative. "As the politics change, his positions changed," Bush said of Kerry's position on Iraq, "And that's not how a commander in chief acts."

Millions of voters watched how the current commander in chief acted under constant drumbeat from Kerry for 90 minutes. Bush fought back, often repeating poll-tested lines, and did little to disguise his irritation - pinching his lips in a tight scowl or biting on the insides of his cheek.

Roughly 75 people watched the debate on two televisions in the KTOO building in Juneau. Staff were expecting about 30 to show up, and hastily turned on a television in the station's studio when the crowd surpassed expectations.

The KTOO audience was overwhelmingly in favor of Kerry. But at least one person, Juneau resident Richard Schmitz, applauded Bush's responses throughout the debate.

Kevin White, 34, an employee of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, is not registered for any party, but decided before the debate to vote for Kerry. He was at KTOO because he has no television at his home.

"It was good to see them face-to-face," White said. "They often talk about these issues and accuse each other of certain things. When they're face-to-face, they have to be accountable for what they're saying."

"I think (Kerry) was definitely more articulate and seemed to be a lot more focused on the topics," he said. "And I definitely thought he had better resolutions to the issues that he brought up."

Eran Hood, 36, a professor at the University of Alaska Southeast, voted for Ralph Nader in 2000 but plans to vote for Kerry in November.

"A lot of the things I believe in aren't going to survive four more years of being dismantled," Hood said.

He thought that Kerry had a better command of the issues in Thursday's debate, and he was impressed with Kerry's stance on the so-called "War on Terror."

"In Iraq, 90 percent of the people we're fighting are Iraqi citizens, and (Bush is) saying we're fighting terrorists," Hood said. "It's just not true. I think Kerry's most important point is reaching out to the Muslim world and not isolating them. I think Bush is really isolating them and making them feel like we're fighting a war against Islam.

KTOO will be open to the public for Tuesday's vice presidential debate, the final two presidential debates, Oct. 8 and 13, and the Oct. 28 debate between Tony Knowles and Lisa Murkowski.

Across the nation, political professionals offered more tempered assessments.

Democratic strategist Jim Duffy said Bush forced Kerry to agree with him on broad policies - such as embracing the doctrine of pre-emptive strikes in some circumstances and asserting that the U.S. cannot pull out of Iraq.

"So that left him debating the minutia," Duffy said, "and I'm not sure how that plays in America."

Just as he was coached in pre-debate workouts with his staff, Bush used Kerry's own words as ammunition.

"I don't see how you can lead this country to succeed in Iraq if you say wrong war, wrong time, wrong place," the president said. "What message does that send our troops? What message does that send to our allies? What message does that send the Iraqis?"

• Empire reporter Korry Keeker contributed to this report.