Josh Benson over at the New Republic echoed my thoughts in this
article. Basically he and I think Kerry should simply ignore the rules. So should the moderators and the Networks as far as I'm concerned.
Below the fold is why:
But Kerry does have an amazingly simple way out of the predicament imposed by this last rule: He can ignore it. Americans have a right to ask tough questions of their president. So does the Democratic nominee. You might say that asking tough questions is the moderator's job. But the mainstream journalists who run these debates almost always serve up softballs. And time and again in this campaign, the media has abdicated its duty to press Bush on the Iraq war. Don't expect Jim Lehrer to do any differently tonight.
Challenging Bush directly would expose a rich vein for Kerry to mine politically. The public doesn't think Bush is being entirely truthful on Iraq. And Bush has demonstrated a stubborn unwillingness to explain otherwise. Kerry needs to flesh out this idea by putting Bush on the defensive. Moreover, hard-nosed questions on Iraq will shift the focus away from Kerry's inconsistent positions and onto Bush's consistently disastrous ones. Many voters sense (correctly) that Bush has built a rock-hard shell of denial around the facts on the ground. A direct confrontation could expose the extent of Bush's self-deception.
Plus, Bush can be rattled by persistent questions, growing patronizing and, occasionally, mean. That's how John McCain succeeded against him during a debate in 2000. With any luck, Kerry could replicate the feat.
Josh then wonders if this would backfire on Kerry. Hell no. Bush looks like a whiner if he or Republicans complain. From Josh:
If either Bush or the moderator challenges Kerry for breaking the rules, a handy line would turn the tables right back: "This isn't about rules," Kerry could say. "It's about the right of our soldiers' families to have answers." Kerry becomes the candidate prioritizing patriotism and honesty; Bush becomes the one hiding behind legalese.
That's right on. So what do you think? Should Kerry ignore the rules?