LEWISTON – To a roomful of Bath Iron Works union workers, Thursday night’s presidential debate wasn’t even close. Sen. John Kerry carried the presidential debate so decisively, he may have changed the course of history.

“I think he just won the election,” said Joe Flanders. “I have never seen such an overwhelming victory in a debate.”

The 48-year-old Mechanic Falls man was one of about 50 BIW union workers who watched the showdown on a big screen at the Ramada Inn.

Throughout the 90 minute debate, there were stretches of silence punctuated by gasps and groans, snickers and cheers. When it was over, the celebrating began.

“John Kerry put on the best performance of any candidate I’ve ever seen,” said Flanders, who has watched every presidential debate since the mid-1970’s. “George Bush just seemed to stammer and stutter through the whole thing.”

Flanders has a wife, a home and three kids between the ages of 18 and 23. The economy is very important to him, but so is the prospect of a yearslong war. Flanders said he believes Kerry is the candidate who will best handle both issues.

The shipbuilders from the Bath plant gathered Thursday night to support Kerry and to hear the two candidates discuss the issues. The debate focused little on the economy, an issue important to the BIW union members worried about jobs being lost to foreign competitors.

It didn’t matter. What the workers saw was a John Kerry they viewed as more confident and honest than his opponent at the other podium.

“Kerry was calm, composed and focused,” said 43-year-old Jim Alexander, of Gardiner, who has worked at BIW for 18 years. “Bush seemed agitated and lost. I don’t think he had anything bright to say. It stunned me how unprepared he was.”

The shipbuilders worry that under the policies and practices of the current president, their security at the Bath shipyard might be in jeopardy. They worry that plants across the country may be sold and local jobs will be lost.

Kerry, they said, is the one to prevent that.

“Bush does not support the unions,” said 40-year-old Steve Sherburne, of Durham. “John Kerry does. He’ll fight for workers and for jobs.”

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