The Dallas Morning News

(KRT)

THE CANDIDATES:

JOHN KERRY

Democrat of Massachusetts

Age: 60

Height: 6 feet 4 inches

Education: Yale, Boston College Law School

Military Service: U.S. Navy, fought in Vietnam, awarded Bronze Star, Silver Star and three Purple Hearts

Experience: County prosecutor, lieutenant governor, four-term senator

Strengths: Quick on his feet. A commanding knowledge of the issues. A stickler for details. Accustomed to pressure-cooker politics. A strong finisher.

Weaknesses: Can be long-winded, too nuanced and open to flip-flop charges. Often aloof. Has trouble connecting with voters.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Republican of Texas

Age: 58

Height: 6 feet

Education: Yale, Harvard MBA

Military Service: Texas Air National Guard

Experience: Oilman, baseball executive, governor, president

Strengths: Affable. Plain speaking. Determined. Disciplined. Prepares a game plan and sticks with it.

Weaknesses: Sometimes tangles his syntax. Can be abrupt and dismissive. Rarely looks back. Not a detail man.

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SETTING THE STAGE

The campaigns negotiated the scene down to the finest detail:

Two plain lecterns, 50 inches high in the front, with no signs or frills, set 10 feet apart.

No risers of any kind. No chairs or stools to rest on.

Moderator at a table, facing the candidates, his back to the TV cameras.

Camera-mounted timing lights for the candidates and other lights visible to the in-person and TV audiences.

No camera shots of the audience, including the candidates’ relatives, from the first question through the closing statements.

Only one aide and one personal photographer for each contender in the wings or backstage.

One dressing room for each candidate, of similar size and proximity to the stage.

A makeup artist for each candidate.

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RULES OF THE GAME

The Bush and Kerry campaigns negotiated a 32-page “memorandum of understanding” on the format:

More Q&A than debate. Think sound bites.

A 90-minute debate, with no opening statements and a two-minute closing for each contender.

Each candidate will have two minutes to answer the moderator’s question, and his opponent will have 1 1/2 minutes to respond. The moderator may extend the discussion by giving each man 30 more seconds.

Neither candidate may directly question the other, though rhetorical questions are allowed.

Neither may confront the other with a proposed pledge.

No props, notes, charts, diagrams or “other writings or other tangible things.” Each candidate may take notes, using the type of paper and pen or pencil that he prefers.

The candidates will greet each other at center stage with a handshake at the beginning, then stay behind their lecterns until the end. No roaming the stage.

The studio audience may not applaud; only “silent observation” is allowed.

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10 DOS AND DON’TS

Tips for each candidate to succeed:

Be yourself. Voters are quick to spot a phony.

Smile, but don’t smirk.

Lighten up. Use humor once in awhile to make a point.

Relate. Voters may not be looking to put the guy next door in the White House. But they do want to connect with – and even like – their president.

Be nice. Bullies are bad.

Keep it simple. Bury the nuances.

Don’t look at your watch.

Mind your manners. Groans and sighs are proven distractions.

Bring along a memorable line or two. But remember: Not every line is memorable. “Are you better off now than you were four years ago,” worked well for Ronald Reagan, but “lockbox” didn’t cut it for Al Gore.

Watch your makeup. A little dab will usually do you.

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WHAT TO EXPECT

A spirited discussion of the war against terrorism, the war with Iraq, its aftermath and a way out. Look for each candidate to press his case relentlessly. Their goals:

BUSH

Be presidential and make no mistakes. Stay cool while defending his policies. Project leadership, particularly in the fight against terrorism. Convey that he has an endgame for Iraq and a well-rounded domestic agenda for a second term.

KERRY

Reintroduce himself. Project likability, confidence and competence. Convince voters that he can be president. Offer an alternative and stick with it.

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(Compiled by Dallas Morning News correspondent G. Robert Hillman.)

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(c) 2004, The Dallas Morning News.

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AP-NY-09-29-04 1936EDT