Local activists grade first debate

Each side gives its candidate a passing mark

COLUMBIA BASIN — Republican and Democratic activists from the area had starkly different opinions of what transpired during the first presidential debate of the year.

The debate, which took place in Coral Gables, Fla., was watched closely by local members of both parties, including Warren Greeley, from the Republican party of Grant County and Ellen Webb from the Grant County Democrats' Get Out The Vote initiative.

While Webb said that President George W. Bush had gotten much too personal during the debate, Greeley said Democratic U.S. Sen. John Kerry had talked about his plan for the future in the debate, "and nobody knows what the plan is."

Greeley further criticized the Massachusetts senator, calling his Congress record "a joke,” and adding that the president had reminded viewers of Kerry's inability to have a firm commitment on anything.

"A commander-in-chief should not change his position every day," Greeley said, paraphrasing one of the President's sayings during the debate.

Webb said Kerry had done a fine job during the debate, using the forum to answer what she termed "the Republicans' redirection" of the Senator's comments.

"No one wants a leader who is not able to say let's change the course if something is not working," Webb said, adding that Bush's attitude had been much too personal and sour, and that he "had acted like a victim" and that people were sick of hearing the Republicans accuse Kerry of changing his mind.

In a debate dominated by the topics of foreign policy and homeland security, both candidates touched upon issues that went from weapons of mass destruction to Kerry's service in Vietnam and Bush's decision to invade Iraq.

Greeley praised the president for reiterating what he saw as his firm stance to go the distance in Iraq. Kerry, on the other hand, talks about allies and insults the ones America already has, he added.

Webb said that to say military experience will not matter on war issues is unrealistic. A discussion on war takes on a different level for those who have been shot at, she said, referring to Kerry's service in Vietnam.

Greeley said that Kerry never voted in favor of the Armed Forces as a senator in Congress. On these areas, he said, Kerry was about "the worst candidate they (Democrats) could ever put up."

Both Greeley and Webb gave their candidates passing marks after the debate. Greeley's report card gave a B to Sen. Kerry and an A-minus to President Bush, whom he said seemed to tire towards the end of the debate.

"(Kerry) surprised me a little bit, coming on strong toward the end," he said. "He had a pretty good finish."

Webb gave a straight A to Kerry and a C to the president. The senator had not become wrapped up by being called a liar, Webb said and had stuck to his beliefs.

Bush, on the other hand, did not defend the development of his war policy, she said.

"He got a war in a country that was not a threat for WMDs," she said. "To this day we do not understand why we went to war," she said. "