Video: 'Bush vs. Kerry: The first 2004 presidential debate'

(Thursday, September 30, 2004, 9:00 p.m. EDT; during the 2004 United States presidential election campaign) — U.S. Senator John Kerry argued tonight that President George W. Bush made a “colossal error of judgment” in invading Iraq, while Bush criticized Kerry as a weak leader who would embolden the United States’ foes.

The two men, nominees for president of the United States by their respective parties (Kerry, Democratic and Bush, Republican) presented sharply contrasting views of the war that has dominated this campaign.

During their first 90-minute, face-to-face encounter on a vast stage at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla., Bush and Kerry debated issues including the rising nuclear threat in North Korea, the justification for a pre-emptive war, and the extent to which the United States should be prepared to intervene militarily in what both men described as genocide in Darfur, Sudan.

However, the primary focus was on the war in Iraq. They debated Bush’s original justification for the invasion, his handling of the war, and what the United States needs to do to withdraw.

Kerry, while not making a firm promise, suggested that it might be possible to begin bringing troops home under his leadership within six months. Bush was less specific, emphasizing the need for Iraq to stabilize and train its own security forces before American troops could return.

“I’ve made some tough decisions,” Bush said, a refrain he repeated throughout the evening. “But people know where I stand. People out there listening know what I believe, and that’s the best way to keep the peace.”

Kerry criticized the president for how he led the country to war, arguing that Bush failed to rally international support for the invasion or plan for the aftermath of Saddam Hussein’s removal.

“I’ll never give a veto to any country over our security,” Kerry said. “But I also know how to lead those alliances. This president has shattered them across the globe, and we’re now shouldering 90 percent of the casualties in Iraq and 90 percent of the costs.”

The debate took place amidst a backdrop of international violence, including bombings in Baghdad and the Gaza Strip, and a military incursion into Samarra in Iraq’s Sunni triangle. These events, along with intense security in Coral Gables, underscored the challenging future faced by the next president.

In the hours before the debate, television images of Bush and Kerry aides were interspersed with footage of corpses and injured children in Baghdad.

The debate, held at the University of Miami’s basketball arena, was governed by strict rules agreed upon by both campaigns, intended to limit exchanges between the candidates and avoid showing their reactions while the other spoke.

However, these rules were largely ignored as the 90-minute debate unfolded. Bush sought extra time for rebuttals as Kerry criticized his handling of the war, a topic that dominated the first 70 minutes of the debate.

Television networks frequently used a split-screen format, showing Bush often scowling or grimacing as Kerry challenged his management of the war.

When asked whether Kerry had character issues that should disqualify him from the presidency, Bush sighed loudly, calling it “a loaded question.” After acknowledging Kerry’s military service and two decades in the Senate — “though I’m not so sure I admire his record” — Bush emphasized Kerry’s changing position on Iraq, continuing his campaign’s effort to portray Kerry as inconsistent.

“We can change tactics when we need to, but we never change our beliefs,” Bush said.

Kerry countered that Bush’s certainty had undermined his presidency.

“It’s one thing to be certain, but you can be certain and you can be wrong,” Kerry said. “Certainty sometimes gets you into trouble.”

At one point, Bush stated that he had gone to war in Iraq because “the enemy attacked us, Jim, and I have a solemn duty to protect the American people, to do everything I can to protect us.”

Kerry quickly responded, “The president just said something extraordinarily revealing and, frankly, very important in this debate. In answer to your question about Iraq and sending people into Iraq, he just said the enemy attacked us. Saddam Hussein didn’t attack us. Osama bin Laden attacked us. Al Qaeda attacked us.”

Bush sternly looked at Kerry and signaled that he wanted a chance to respond.

“Of course I know Osama bin Laden attacked us—I know that,” Bush said. “To think that another round of resolutions would have caused Saddam Hussein to disarm is ludicrous, in my judgment. It just shows a significant difference of opinion. We tried diplomacy. We did our best.”