Election hopeful Kerry wants monthly debates with Bush

US Democratic hopeful John Kerry has called for monthly debates with President George W. Bush to elevate the tenor of a presidential election campaign that has opened with a relentlessly negative tone.

“Surely, if the attack ads can start now, at least we can agree to start a real discussion about America’s future,” said Kerry, speaking on Saturday in Quincy, Illinois.

“America shouldn’t have to put up with eight months of sniping,” said Kerry. “We need to get off that detour and back into the true path of democracy.”

Kerry put a lock on the Democratic presidential nomination on Saturday as he reached the 2,162 delegates needed to become the party’s candidate to take on Bush, according to a delegate tally by The Associated Press.

He did it by picking up the last 162 he needed through superdelegate endorsements and pledges to vote for him at the convention and then padded it with 32 won in the Kansas caucuses.

Though eight months remain until the presidential election, Bush has launched an attack ad campaign bashing Kerry, and Kerry has fired back with a campaign of his own. For months, Kerry has bashed Bush as he campaigned against his rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination.

“We confront big issues – as big as any in our history – and they call for a new and historic commitment to a real and informed exchange of ideas,” said Kerry. He argued that “2004 can’t be just another year of politics as usual”.

Kerry made his call in Quincy, the largest city to host the 1858 series of debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas during a Senate campaign eventually won by Douglas.

On October 13 of that year, 20,000 people gathered at Quincy to hear the sixth of what would be seven debates between the two men.

“Both candidates laid out their positions plainly and honestly,” said Kerry. “They clashed but over differences in policy, not personal attacks.”

Kerry argued the Lincoln-Douglas debates included “sharp exchanges, but they were a serious, honest discussion of important questions of the day, sparking enormous public interest”.

Voters of that earlier era were energised by the Lincoln-Douglas debates, he said.

“Today campaigns too often generate more heat than light, firing up partisans while leaving increasing numbers out in the cold,” said Kerry. “Everyone in politics shares the blame, but I have come here today because I believe this campaign should be different.”

Steve Schmidt, a spokesman for the Bush campaign dismissed the debate suggestion, arguing that Kerry is largely responsible for the campaign’s tenor.

“After calling Republicans crooks and liars, running 17 negative ads over 15,000 times and spending 6.3 million dollars attacking the president, John Kerry is calling for a civil debate on the issues,” said Schmidt. “John Kerry should finish the debate with himself.”

The dynamic of this year’s presidential contest is unique. Kerry emerged from the nominating season relatively quickly and without suffering deep scars from the primary process. That left him as the presumptive nominee months before the two political parties officially award their nominations at national conventions.

With his Democratic rivals dispatched, Kerry has been free to focus his fire on Bush, and Bush has returned the favour, launching an attack ad campaign this week accusing Kerry of being a big-spending liberal who is weak on national security issues.

Kerry said voters are yearning for a return to the days when candidates discussed issues the way that Lincoln and Douglas did, noting the two men left Quincy together on a steamship headed for their next debate.

“Maybe George Bush and I won’t travel on the same boat or the same airplane,” said Kerry. “But we can give this country a campaign that genuinely addresses our real issues and treats voters with respect.”

Kerry said he views the race in light of his hard-fought 1996 Senate campaign against then-Gov. William Weld, a race where the two held a series of eight debates.

“Millions tuned in and millions said the debates helped them make informed decisions on the issues,” said Kerry.

Kerry’s call is unlikely to have much impact on the series of presidential debates to be held next autumn, with an independent commission controlling the debate schedule. There likely will be three debates between Bush and Kerry, and one debate between the vice presidential candidates.