Second Presidential Debate
Washington University in St. Louis - St. Louis, MO - October 8, 2004
Introduction
1-Cheryl Otis
Senator Kerry, after talking with several co-workers and family and friends, I asked the ones who said they were not voting for you, "Why?"  They said that you were too wishy-washy.

Do you have a reply for them?
2-Robin Dahle
Mr. President, yesterday in a statement you admitted that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction, but justified the invasion by stating, I quote, "He retained the knowledge, the materials, the means and the intent to produce weapons of mass destruction and could have passed this knowledge to our terrorist enemies."

Do you sincerely believe this to be a reasonable justification for invasion when this statement applies to so many other countries, including North Korea?

3-Anthony Baldi
Senator Kerry, the U.S. is preparing a new Iraq government and will proceed to withdraw U.S. troops.

Would you proceed with the same plans as President Bush?





4-Nikki Washington
Mr. President, my mother and sister traveled abroad this summer, and when they got back they talked to us about how shocked they were at the intensity of aggravation that other countries had with how we handled the Iraq situation.

Diplomacy is obviously something that we really have to really work on.

What is your plan to repair relations with other countries given the current situation?

5-Randee Jacobs
Iran sponsors terrorism and has missiles capable of hitting Israel and southern Europe.  Iran will have nuclear weapons in two to three years time.


In the event that U.N. sanctions don't stop this threat, what will you do as president?
6-Daniel Farley
Mr. President, since we continue to police the world, how do you intend to maintain our military presence without reinstituting a draft?
7-Ann Bronsing
Senator Kerry, we have been fortunate that there have been no further terrorist attacks on American soil since 9/11.

Why do you think this is?  And if elected, what will you do to assure our safety?





8-John Horstman
Mr. President, why did you block the reimportation of safer and inexpensive drugs from Canada which would have cut 40 to 60 percent off of the cost?
9-Norma-Jean Laurent
Senator Kerry, you've stated your concern for the rising cost of health care, yet you chose a vice presidential candidate who has made millions of dollars successfully suing medical professionals. 

How do you reconcile this with the voters?


10-Matthew O'Brien
Mr. President, you have enjoyed a Republican majority in the House and Senate for most of your presidency.  In that time, you've not vetoed a single spending bill.  Excluding $120 billion spent in Iran and -- I'm sorry, Iraq and Afghanistan, there has been $700 billion spent and not paid for by taxes.

Please explain how the spending you have approved and not paid for is better for the American people than the spending proposed by your opponent.
11-James Varner
Senator Kerry, would you be willing to look directly into the camera and, using simple and unequivocal language, give the American people your solemn pledge not to sign any legislation that will increase the tax burden on families earning less than $200,000 a year during your first term?





12-James Hubb
Mr. President, how would you rate yourself as an environmentalist?  What specifically has your administration done to improve the condition of our nation's air and water supply?
13-Jane Barrow
Senator Kerry, how can the U.S. be competitive in manufacturing given -- in manufacturing, excuse me -- given the wage necessary and comfortably accepted for American workers to maintain the standard of living that they expect?
14-Rob Fowler
President Bush, 45 days after 9/11, Congress passed the Patriot Act, which takes away checks on law enforcement and weakens American citizens' rights and freedoms, especially Fourth Amendment rights.


With expansions to the Patriot Act and Patriot Act II, my question to you is, why are my rights being watered down and my citizens' around me?  And what are the specific justifications for these reforms?
15-Elizabeth Long
Senator Kerry, thousands of people have already been cured or treated by the use of adult stem cells or umbilical cord stem cells.  However, no one has been cured by using embryonic stem cells.

Wouldn't it be wise to use stem cells obtained without the destruction of an embryo?






16-Jonathan Michaelson
Mr. President, if there were a vacancy in the Supreme Court and you had the opportunity to fill that position today, who would you choose and why?
17-Sarah Degenhart
Senator Kerry, suppose you are speaking with a voter who believed abortion is murder and the voter asked for reassurance that his or her tax dollars would not go to support abortion, what would you say to that person?
18-Linda Grabel
President Bush, during the last four years, you have made thousands of decisions that have affected millions of lives.

Please give three instances in which you came to realize you had made a wrong decision, and what you did to correct it. 

Thank you.

Kerry Closing Statement

Bush Closing Statement