World News 04-10-2004 Kerry Roars Back Into Race who: Senator John Kerry what: Recovers 11 point deficit to regain the edge over Bush in campaign race where: Washington DC when: Yesterday snippet: "Muddled" George Bush has fallen behind John Kerry in the race for the White House "after botching their first Presidential debate", says today`s Mirror with no little satisfaction after the latest popularity poll figures were revealed. "President Bush had led Kerry since June until faltering in the TV debate in front of 60 million - they saw him mispronounce words and phrases, and get rattled and defensive on several occasions during the 90-minute discussion dominated by Iraq." BBC News Online agrees that Kerry has won back the ground he has been steadily losing over the last few weeks; a survey for Newsweek "is the first for some time" to put Senator Kerry slightly ahead in the race for the White House. "Few of even Mr Kerry`s most enthusiastic supporters could have reasonably hoped that there would be, in effect, a near ten-point swing in favour of the Democratic challenger after the first debate," says The Scotsman, but points out that the TV debate was many Americans` first opportunity "to have an extended look at Mr Kerry that went beyond the evening news soundbites and the Bush campaign`s portrayal of the senator as being inconsistent on policy." "I think Kerry just got his point over better," said carpenter John Harvey, who was polled for the LA Times. "When they were showing the split screen, every time Kerry said anything critical ... Bush`s lip would quiver like a little kid." While The Telegraph says John Kerry`s wife Teresa, heiress to the Heinz fortune, is being pulled from official campaign duties "because her outspoken and unpredictable manner is regarded as an electoral liability", tomorrow night will see the next round of debating. Dick Cheney steps into the ring with Kerry`s running mate John Edwards, who The Independent calls "one of the most charismatic campaigners on the stump. By contrast, the experienced Mr Cheney, 63, relishes the often ruthless traditional role of a vice-presidential nominee as an attack dog." [... more]

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