Evening Newscasts Wrap - 9/29/04
WASHINGTON, Sept. 29, 2004 — -- A product of Noted Now and The Note
WEDNESDAY WRAPS: ABC's Terry Moran says the President and his campaign team arrived in Miami "oozing confidence—even cockiness." "It's clear they think they can finish off Senator Kerry here tomorrow night." Bush aides say the President has three goals for tomorrow's debate: "Project confidence and conviction about his policies, especially in Iraq; lay out a clear plan for victory there and against Al Qaeda; and hammer John Kerry for what the Bush campaign claims is his "weakness and waffling" on national-security issues." Dr. Phil's interview with President Bush, which aired today, took care of the likeability factor. NBC' David Gregory led with video of Bush's tour of the Hurricane damage and said Bush, "seeking to overshadow his opponent, has gone out of his way to visit" Florida since Hurricanes began to land. Meanwhile, Gregory said, Kerry "tried to clarify" his position on Iraq, saying on GMA "I would not have gone to war knowing that there was imminent threat..." DEABTE PREVIEW: CBS' John Roberts wraps Bush's arrival in Florida today. He points out Al Gore's editorial in the New York Times today which warned Kerry to prepare "for the toughest debate of his life." Roberts says Kerry's challenge is to change the dynamic of the debate by challenging Bush's leadership on Iraq. Bush aides say that the President prepared with late night sessions to make him used to the late hour of the debate. NBC's Andrea Mitchell looked at Bush and Kerry's debating styles. DRAFT: NBC's Jim Miklaszewski looked at how pervasive rumors of a military draft are on the Internet (and repeated the rumors!). He included Vice President Cheney's strong denial today that anybody in the Administration planned a draft and noted that the Pentagon believes the all-volunteer army is working and would increase incentives to volunteer if it needed to increase troop levels.