October 7, 2004

Bush vs. Kerry at Northwestern; Students mull debate

By Stephen Anzaldi

Northwestern students and faculty gathered last week to watch the first debate between President George Bush and Sen. John Kerry. The group of approximately 100 watched from the Communications Residential College.

Students gathered to watch the first presidential debate.

photo by Stephen Anzaldi

After the 90-minute debate, David Zarefsky, Owen L. Coon Professor of Communication Studies and a debate expert, led a discussion as viewers critiqued the candidates’ performances and debated the outcome.

Addressing a question by sophomore Andrew Jacobs on the candidates’ intended target audiences, Zarefsky responded by weighing three traditional strategies: energize the existing base; go after the undecideds; or make a first impression to those tuning in for the first time.

As the debate played out before the assembled crowd, it drew a few partisan responses. However, some students offered points equally critical of both candidates.

“For two candidates so concerned with the security of this country and so passionate in their love of this country, they often seem to ignore the very people who end up at the bottom of the barrel,” said freshman Christina Owens.

Senior Emily Levada followed up on Owens’s opinion, saying, “We don’t talk enough about what’s going on in America in terms of security nearly as much as we should.”

When Zarefsky polled the crowd to see if anyone had changed their intended votes, the overwhelming majority said their preferred candidate had won.

“One of the primary effects of these debates is that they reinforce the convictions that people start out with,” Zarefsky said. “They get people to feel better about the candidate they support.”