US Presidential debate: Senator John Kerry revived his flagging campaign for the White House with a strong performance against President Bush in a presidential debate on Thursday evening, unprecedented in its personal ferocity, writes Conor O'Clery, North America Editor in Coral Gables.
Sample polls from among the record 55 million viewers who watched showed that most believed the Democratic challenger landed more telling blows. A snap Gallup poll for CNN gave Kerry a 46 per cent to 37 per cent win over the President, and showed Mr Bush's lead over Mr Kerry tightening to only four points - 51 per cent to 47 per cent.
The President was seen pursing his lips and looking ill-at-ease as Mr Kerry attacked his decision to go to war right from the start of the 90-minute debate at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.
"This President has made, I regret to say, a colossal error of judgment," the Democratic challenger said. "And judgment is what we look for in the president of the United States of America."
He also accused Mr Bush of invading Iraq without a plan or a genuine coalition, and of leaving alliances around the world "in shatters".
The President retorted, "I don't see how you can lead this country to succeed in Iraq if you say 'wrong war, wrong time, wrong place'. What message does that send our troops ... to our allies ... to the Iraqis?"
In another sharp exchange Mr Kerry said America needed a president "who understands how to bring countries together" on Iraq, and pointed out that Europeans "have a stake in not having total disorder on their doorsteps".
Mr Bush replied: "I know how these people think ... I deal with them all the time" and they would not follow somebody "whose core convictions keep changing".
A pivotal moment for Mr Kerry followed Mr Bush's statement that not every American agreed with his decisions, but that "people know where I stand, people out there know what I believe". The Massachusetts senator retorted: "It's one thing to be certain. But you can be certain and you can be wrong."
After Mr Bush recalled that Mr Kerry once said he voted for $87 billion in Iraq funding before voting against it - a frequent taunt at Republican campaign rallies - the Democrat admitted he had misspoken. He then added: "The President made a mistake in invading Iraq. Which is worse?"
Trying to persuade voters that he is tough enough to be commander in chief, Mr Kerry said, "I believe in being strong and resolute and determined. And I will hunt down and kill the terrorists, wherever they are."
Mr Bush, who hit back by repeatedly charging Mr Kerry with inconsistency, recovered some ground when he allowed himself to show emotion. Speaking of his decision to send soldiers into harm's way, he described "tearing up" as he comforted the wife of a dead soldier.
With 31 days left to the November 2nd election, the debate, the first of three, was the first opportunity for voters to directly compare the two candidates.
While the tough exchanges may not have changed voters' minds overnight, they gave demoralised Democrats a huge morale boost, Kerry supporters said.
The often long-winded senator did not betray irritation, and obeyed the agreed time restrictions, whereas Mr Bush used words like "totally absurd" and "ludicrous", and ran over his time on five occasions.
The debate also ranged over Iran and North Korea but barely touched upon the Arab-Israeli conflict: both candidates, with an eye to the Jewish vote, have muted their criticism of Israel.
As he resumed campaigning yesterday in Pennsylvania, Mr Bush sought to retrieve lost ground by stepping up his defence of pre-emptive action.
Referring to Mr Kerry's call for a world summit on Iraq, Mr Bush said, "I've been to a lot of summits. I've never seen a meeting that would depose a tyrant, or bring a terrorist to justice."
He emphasised he would never submit America's national security to an international test and "the use of troops to defend America must never be subject to a veto by countries like France".
He said Mr Kerry's mistake in voting against the $87 billion Bill was not what he said but what he did. "But ... does that mean our troops are dying for a mistake?"
In Tampa, Florida, Mr Kerry told supporters that Mr Bush's assertions that he wanted to pull out of Iraq were not accurate. "He says, 'We don't want to wilt or waver'," said Mr Kerry. "Well, Mr President, nobody's talking about leaving, nobody's talking about wilting and wavering. We're talking about winning and getting the job done right."