With the presidential election quickly approaching and thousands of media outlets across the country clamoring to question the candidates, it seems like a student newspaper would have a pretty slim chance scoring an interview with Sen. John Kerry or President George W. Bush during election season.
But the Web Devil decided to throw conventional wisdom aside and extended an invitation to both candidates to speak with ASU Student Media in the weeks leading up to Wednesday's presidential debate. Kerry agreed to set aside some of his time for an exclusive e-mail interview with the Web Devil.
Web Devil: How do you feel about your performance at the debates up until this point? How do you feel about President Bush's performance?
Kerry: I'll let the voters decide how George Bush and I performed at the debates. These debates are very important because it provides the public with a better understanding of our positions on the issues as well as the fundamental choice that voters will make on Nov. 2 - with George Bush, all you get is more of the same while John Edwards and I will take this country in a new direction.
Web Devil: Have the fluctuating polls released by several different organizations had any effect on your campaign thus far? What do you think about the way this campaign has unfolded overall?
Kerry: I don't pay much attention to the polls. We've always known this is going to be a close race and we're working hard to gain the support of all Americans and make sure they get to the polls on Nov. 2.
Web Devil: Many pundits have said this election a clash of ideologies almost as much as a clash of candidates. To what extent, if any, do you believe this view is accurate?
Kerry: I do believe that George Bush and I have very different views of the world and how to best solve the challenges before us. While George Bush claimed to be a uniter in 2000, no president in modern history has divided this nation as much as George Bush. Time and time again, George Bush has chosen to help the wealthy and well-connected. I think that's the wrong choice for America.
I want to bring this country together and take common sense approaches to improve the economy, grow the number of jobs, reduce the costs of health care and college education and take the necessary steps to keep our country safe.
Web Devil: What would you say is the single most important domestic issue in this campaign? If elected, what are the first steps you would take to solve this problem?
Kerry: The skyrocketing costs of health care in America not only mean that fewer people have access to quality care but it also puts an economic drain on businesses and on families. The high cost of health care means that businesses are less competitive and do not hire more workers and families are forced to pay for rising premiums instead of saving for their children's education or buy a home. While George Bush has ignored the health care crisis in America, I have a comprehensive plan to reduce the cost of health care and significantly expand coverage to millions of Americans.
My plan will lower family premiums by up to $1,000 a year, cut waste from the system, lower the cost of prescription drugs to provide real relief to seniors, and use targeted tax cuts to extend affordable, high-quality coverage to 95 percent of Americans, including every child. And because I believe that everyone's health is equally important, I will provide all Americans with access to the same coverage that members of Congress give themselves.
Web Devil: In terms of domestic security, would you say that President Bush has done too much or too little in terms of anti-terrorist action? Also, do you stand by your vote for the Patriot Act?
Kerry: More than three years after 9/11, George Bush continues to under-fund, under-equip and under-staff homeland security. Bush has been presented with a comprehensive blueprint to strengthen our national security and yet he stubbornly refuses to fully embrace the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. According to the Department of Homeland Security, George Bush has taken an ad hoc approach to counterterrorism -- we still don't have a single, integrated effective terrorist watch list. George Bush has put special interests above the national interests letting the chemical industry block improvements in chemical plant safety. John Edwards and I will take a common sense approach and take the steps necessary to safeguard potential terrorist targets. We know that we can do more to make America safer.
I voted for the Patriot Act and authored some of its key provisions. I believe that the Patriot Act provides essential tools to law enforcement to prevent and prosecute terror. I also believe that the Patriot Act should be strengthened with new legal and organizational tools to fight terror but certain provisions that are subject to abuse by the Bush Administration should be revised, to better protect both our security and our freedoms.
Web Devil: This is the first presidential election in which most college students are eligible to vote. What would you say to our demographic to motivate us to go to the polls on Nov. 2? Are there any reasons young people specifically should cast their ballots for you instead of President Bush?
Kerry: As I have gone across this country, I have seen thousands of young people at every stop along the way yearning for change and new leadership. Young people more than ever are engaged in this election because the issues they face are hitting close to home: jobs, the war in Iraq and the high cost of college. I've been talking about these issues and have a real plan to tackle the challenges that face all Americans. George Bush's policies have failed young people - and young people are joining this campaign to change America because they know their future depends on it.
Web Devil: What would you say is the single most important difference between yourself and President Bush?
Kerry: President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney believe that more wealth for the most fortunate will somehow lead to success for everyone else. We believe that America always does best when all Americans have the opportunity to do well. They believe we can make America safe entirely on our own. We believe that we must never hesitate to defend our people, but that we can only truly be safe if we lead the world in a way that rallies support and commands respect.
Today, our country faces challenges that are new and profound. We are fighting a global war against a diffuse and scattered enemy that has already attacked us at home for the first time in generations. The great American middle class, whose hard work and ingenuity built the strong America of the 20th century, is being squeezed by declining incomes and the staggering costs that families are facing in education, health care, and energy. At its core, we believe the choice America faces in November comes down to two vastly different visions about how to meet those challenges.
Our vision for America is a nation strong at home and respected in the world: strong at home because our families are strong and the promise of America is secure; respected in the world because our nation is strong and the promise of our example is restored. We are honored to offer America our vision and we are sure of the promise tomorrow holds for the country we love.
They believe America is on the right course.
We believe it is time for a new direction.
Questions for this interview were compiled by Eric Spratling, Brian Clapp and Amanda Keim. Reach them at eric.spratling@asu.edu, brian.clapp@asu.edu and amanda.keim@asu.edu.
