2004 United States presidential debates

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

The 2004 United States presidential debates were four CPD-sponsored events during the presidential campaign of George W. Bush and John Kerry. The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), a bipartisan group, organized three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate. Only Bush and Kerry met the CPD’s criteria for the presidential debates; the VP debate matched Cheney and Edwards. Third-party candidates did take part in debates outside the CPD framework.

Presidential debates
- First presidential debate: September 30, 2004, at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. Duration: 90 minutes. Moderator: Jim Lehrer (PBS). Each candidate answered nine questions. About 62.5 million viewers watched. Notable moments included questions about the Iraq War and some talked-about pauses and exchanges. There were later rumors about a “bulge” or earpiece, which were not proven; explanations described it as a jacket seam or similar.

- Second presidential debate: October 8, 2004, at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri (town hall format). Duration: 90 minutes. Moderator: Charles Gibson (ABC). Questions came from voters in the audience.

- Third presidential debate: October 13, 2004, at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. Duration: 90 minutes. Moderator: Bob Schieffer (CBS). Questions from both candidates on domestic and foreign policy.

Vice presidential debate
- October 5, 2004, at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Duration: 90 minutes. Moderators: Gwen Ifill (PBS). Candidates: Dick Cheney (Republican) and John Edwards (Democrat). The debate covered Iraq, economy, and social issues, and drew large viewership (about 43.6 million).

What the debates covered and how they were run
- Each debate lasted about 90 minutes with a live audience.
- There were no opening statements; each included near-equal questioning and closing statements of two minutes.
- In September, the CPD announced topic aims and later adjustments; the format included some follow-up questions from moderators.
- The CPD’s criteria for inclusion emphasized constitutional eligibility, ballot access, and national polling support. Third-party candidates largely did not meet the 15% polling threshold to be invited.

Public reaction and impact
- Post-debate polls generally favored Kerry, especially after the first and third debates, with Kerry seen as the winner by watching audiences in many polls and days after the debates.
- In the vice presidential debate, viewers split more evenly, with Edwards generally seen as strong on economic and social issues, though Cheney also received praise for certain answers.

Legal actions and protests
- The Arizona Libertarian Party filed a lawsuit over the third debate host venue and its funding, arguing exclusion violated ballot access rules; the debate proceeded.
- Outside the St. Louis debate, libertarian and Green candidates were arrested during a protest, then released with trespassing citations.

Overall, the 2004 debates were a key part of the campaign, continuing a tradition of televised presidential debates and shaping public perception in the run-up to the election.