Issue date: 9/29/04 Section: Opinion

What will you be doing Thursday night? I know that it's Thirsty Thursday, a weekly tradition that I have come to know and love, but I may have to delay my requisite rum and coke this week in favor of the first debate between Senator Kerry and Mr. Bush. Thursday night's debate, being held in the electoral vote rich state of Florida, will focus on foreign policy.

I am a Democrat but I am not totally enthusiastic about John Kerry's campaign, so I have high expectations for this debate. I live in Massachusetts and Kerry will undoubtedly win here, meaning that he will get my electoral vote.

However if Kerry doesn't live up to my expectations, a vote for Ralph Nader or Green Party candidate David Cobb might not seem too far fetched for a liberal like me.

If he does live up to my expectations however, I might volunteer for him or at least I will actually use that Kerry-Edwards bumper sticker that is sitting in my top drawer.

Here are the most important of my expectations:

1. Senator Kerry has never been clear about his position on Iraq and so he needs to be clear on Thursday night. The best thing that he can do is to admit that he was wrong in voting to authorize the war.

It would be a refreshing precedent for a politician to admit making a mistake and it would allow for progressive discussion, rather than stagnant discourse. It would logically follow that Kerry should continue by laying out a plan to withdraw. He must ensure that the war does not escalate into a "new Vietnam," as Ted Kennedy describes it, while he also advocates a responsible and dignified withdrawal that respects the human rights of the Iraqi people.

2. Much of the Middle Eastern problem, and the consequent terrorism, stems from the situation in Israel. Kerry could really be a landmark candidate if he were to advocate a more even handed approach insofar as Israel-Palestine, while condemning the terrorism of both sides. This would not only offer a refreshing break from the failed anti-Palestinian policy of the United States, but it would also help the United States to make some Muslim friends. Wow, the war against terrorism doesn't have to be a war at all!

3. Lastly, Kerry must explain how he will restore our place in the world. How can the United States regain the moral high ground? How can the United States be looked at as a renowned world leader rather than a violent super-power? Kerry should start by truly acknowledging the importance of the United Nations, something that Mr. Bush has failed to do. However, he must also commit himself to listening to the concerns of the world and he must promise to act accordingly.

I have many more expectations of Senator Kerry and hopefully you do too. Thursday night's debate deals with one of the most important aspects of the presidency and for Kerry to be revered by the Progressive Democrats, he needs to address the concerns that I have laid out. I concur with most of my comrades that almost anybody is "better than Bush," but realistically I do not want that to be the philosophy behind my vote for president.

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