After concerns to the contrary, President George Bush and Sen. John Kerry have agreed to meet three times in the coming weeks to debate the issues of the campaign for president.

When negotiations began with the Commission on Presidential Debates, the president was reluctant about one forum, a town-hall-style debate in front of undecided voters who would ask the candidates questions.

According to reports, the Bush team has relented on its two-debate limit and has agreed to all three.

The debates are essential for the two candidates to meet face-to-face and make their case for election without the warring words of intermediaries, staff filters or the sound-bite politics of television ads.

In addition to the three presidential debates, Vice President Dick Cheney will face Sen. John Edwards in a debate of their own.

Each of the debates will last about an hour and a half. The first debate, scheduled Sept. 30, will focus on foreign affairs. The second debate, slated for Oct. 8, will be the town hall meeting. The final debate will take place Oct. 13 and focus on domestic issues. Cheney and Edwards will debate Oct. 5.

Many analysts believe the debates are especially important for Kerry, and former Sen. Max Cleland, during a visit to Maine last week, said the events offer Kerry a chance to connect with a large national audience of voters and show he is capable of leading the country.

That perceived need may have prompted Bush’s reluctance to initially agree to three debates.

The president is often described as plain-spoken and he occasionally trips over his words. But it would be a mistake to underestimate him. He has never lost a debate, besting former Texas Gov. Ann Richards and former Vice President Al Gore.

In 2000, Bush was so able that Gore was portrayed as being forced to reinvent himself after each meeting to counter his opponent’s effectiveness. While too much was probably made of the story line, Bush clearly beat Gore and established himself as a credible candidate for president.

Now that task falls to Kerry. As the race reaches the stretch run, the debates could be his last, best opportunity to reach voters who are still making up their minds.

The presidential debates are important for the candidates, and they are important for voters. They are a battle of ideas, wit and personalities, televised for all to see.