Memorably Forgettable
Even after hearing both Bush and Kerry, most of these uncommitted voters seemed as uncertain as ever. Eight out of the 10 said Kerry's speech had made them more likely to vote for him -- but six in 10 said Bush had strengthened his case as well. But neither candidate inspired these voters, they said. Neither candidate particularly scared them, though Strawn, whose Republican inclinations had strengthened over the five weeks between the two speeches, said Bush had scared him with his long recitation of new programs, which he said was "Cintonesque" in its breadth.
But everyone agreed that Bush had been more specific in laying out his agenda for his next four years. "Bush [provided] more details in his plans as to how he would address certain issues," Miraszek said. "Kerry kind of skimmed on the issues -- didn't get into depth."
The reaction of the group suggested why candidates offer specifics to voters at considerable peril.
"He absolutely made me very angry," said Mohar, startling some members of the group. She was infuriated at Bush's claims to have increased college aid. "He is lying. I just graduated last year. My sister is now in school. She has a lot less now than I did just a year ago. It was because he pulled funding from them."
She seemed embarrassed by her own reaction to Bush. She apologized to the group but continued with her attack. "He just played everybody off. 'I am going to say what you want to hear. But I am going to say it because you want to hear it, not because I did it or not because I am going to do it. But because you want to hear it.' "
Many Americans are soured forever on politics after encountering such vast dissonance between what they believe to be true and what a politician says is true. But Mohar was not yet ready to give up on politics, at least not yet. The president's comments turned her off to Bush, but not to politics -- at least not yet. She still intends to vote reluctantly for Kerry. "Somebody has to be president," Mohar said.
Others were more impressed with Bush. "I think it was the best speech I have ever heard George Bush give -- except it was a little long," Strawn said.
Even Mohar acknowledged that only Bush did exactly what these voters wanted both candidates to do -- talk specifics. "I didn't like a lot of the things he said, but he was in-depth. I would rather hear someone talk about things like he did rather than roundabout."
Members of this group had heard Kerry speak more than a month earlier, putting him at a disadvantage. After Bush spoke on Thursday, they struggled to remember anything his opponent said, until Strawn recalled his opening line: "I'm John Kerry, and I'm reporting for duty."
"I remember watching it," said Paul Wickles, 52, a communications worker who five weeks earlier said Kerry had nearly won his vote after hearing him speak. "At the time I remember thinking, 'Kerry is the man.' Now I don't remember anything about it, honestly."
"I don't remember anything about it," Harris said. "I will probably forget this one tomorrow."
So was it worth their time watching Kerry and Bush at their conventions? The reactions were subdued and mixed, but several of these voters said they had learned something from each speech.
And would they miss the conventions if they were to disappear?
"No" Miraszek said.
"I wouldn't miss them," Wickles said.
"I would watch them," said Mohar. "But if they went away, I wouldn't stay up late at night being sad about it. . . . It wouldn't be exceptionally life-changing."
