Kerry: People Still Can Be Swayed

Nov. 1, 2004 — -- ABC News' Peter Jennings interviewed Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry on Saturday, during the final weekend of the campaign. In an excerpt from the interview, the man challenging President Bush said he believes he can win converts through the final days of the race.

PETER JENNINGS: You're in the final motivation phase. Are you going to win any people now? Are are you just going to get your own?

[BOTH SPEAK AT ONCE]

SEN. JOHN KERRY, D-MASS.: Yes.

JENNINGS: -- people to turn out.

KERRY: No, I am going to win people now. And I believe I'm going to win people now, Peter, because there are still people undecided, number one. And number two, I think there are people -- even if they say they're committed to somebody -- they're still thinking about it.

And in a presidential race, those last hours tend to have a seriousness, a kind of weight that nobody can describe accurately. When somebody walks into that polling booth, our future as a country -- their future as a family, their hopes, their dreams -- are all on the ballot suddenly.

And I believe I have a better set of choices for America than the president in almost everything -- on the deficit, on responsibility, in foreign policy, how we make ourselves safe. So I'm hoping in these last hours we're going to see more movement, and I think it already is moving in our direction.

Later, Kerry argued he's got more experience in foreign policy, and therefore would be a better terror-fighter than Bush, though polls suggest Americans believe otherwise.

JENNINGS: Osama bin Laden has imposed himself on the American people again, and your Republican competitors think this works for them if it works for anybody, and some of your supporters think it might cost you the election.

KERRY: I think it's unfortunate that anybody puts Osama bin Laden into any political context in the United States' election. I'm outraged that he has appeared. I'm outraged that he inserts himself in any kind of way into the electoral process of America. And I think that Americans are clear in their willingness and ability to make this decision based on what's good for America and where we're heading. Let me tell you something: I can fight --

JENNINGS: Can I interrupt you for one second, sir? I apologize.

KERRY: Sure. Absolutely.

PETER JENNINGS: In fact, it was some of your surrogates who made it as much a political issue, right at the beginning --

[BOTH SPEAK AT ONCE]

KERRY: Well, they shouldn't. I don't want them doing that.

JENNINGS: -- and even before the Republicans.

KERRY: Well, I don't want them doing that. I think that's wrong. I think that every American is outraged at the sight of Osama bin Laden and at anything that he says about the American electoral process.

I'm going to hunt down, capture or kill the terrorists, and I believe I will wage a far more effective war on terror than George Bush has, Peter.

I know I can do a better job of bringing allies to the table to help make America safe. I know I can do a better job of homeland security, where they haven't even done what's necessary to protect our passengers flying properly, they haven't done what's necessary to protect our ports. They're cutting cops from the streets. They still haven't done what's necessary to protect chemical and nuclear plants.

I will do a better job of funding and directing America's homeland security, and I know I'll do a better job of bringing other countries to our side."

JENNINGS: But whatever you might wish at the moment, the Osama bin Laden videotape is now a part of the final days of the presidential election campaign. And if you judge by the polls, the president has a country mile on you in terms of handling terrorism.