Ron Brownstein offers this capsule preview of tonight’s debate:
Bush’s goal, in short, is to aggregate the choice voters face into a single referendum on government’s size and scope, while Kerry wants to separate the debate into sparring over his ideas — and Bush’s record — on key domestic issues.
“The debate will see a contrast between discrete issues versus a larger governing philosophy,” said the senior GOP strategist. “Our strongest ground is talking about the golden thread that runs through John Kerry’s record, which we would say shows that he’s a liberal. His is saying, ‘I reject labels, and I deal with these issues discretely.’ I think that’s what you can expect.”
Kerry aides see the debate — the last of three between the candidates — in similar terms. One senior Kerry aide said the campaign thought its best chance of blunting Bush’s drive to portray the Democrat as a “big government” liberal is to flesh out his specific plans. That would contrast with Kerry’s responses in Friday’s debate, when he spent more time telling voters he had a plan than explaining it to them.
I doubt Kerry will do this, but he could turn Bush’s attack right back at him. Since Bush’s campaign is clearly trying to shore up the conservative base, it would be interesting for Kerry to remind them of this:
Total federal outlays will rise 29 percent between fiscal years 2001 and 2005 according to the president’s fiscal year 2005 budget released in February. Real discretionary spending increases in fiscal years 2002, 2003, and 2004 are three of the five biggest annual increases in the last 40 years. Large spending increases have been the principal cause of the government’s return to massive budget deficits.
Although defense spending has increased in response to the war on terrorism, President Bush has made little attempt to restrain nondefense spending to offset the higher Pentagon budget. Nondefense discretionary outlays will increase about 36 percent during President Bush’s first term in office.
In short, if Bush tries to paint Kerry as a big government liberal, just remind everyone of the incumbent’s own record.
Oh, and if Bush tries that “you can run, but you can’t hide” line, Kerry should simply point out that Bush himself has headed one of the most secretive administration’s in U.S. history (see e.g., the Cheney energy task force).