"No knockout punch," says Pa. tourist at Sea-Tac lounge

By Sara Jean Green
Seattle Times staff reporter

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At one table in the front sat a Democratic lawyer and his teenage son; at another, two Republicans, a firefighter and a federal law-enforcement officer.

Though the men at the two tables held opposite views, they agreed the debate wasn't won or lost by either candidate. Instead, they said, this debate made clear the differences between President Bush and Sen. John Kerry.

"There was no gaffe, no knockout punch, but there certainly was a contrast in the way each of them spoke," said Joe Rattman, an attorney from Stroudsburg, Penn., who rushed to the lounge with his son, Jonno, 14, as soon as their plane touched down.

"Bush was repeating a lot of the advertising phrases from his campaign without explaining his position clearly," said Rattman, who came here for a sightseeing trip to Mount St. Helens. "Kerry was much clearer and detailed in explaining his point of view."

Lee Fox, an officer with the U.S. Forest Service, and his friend, firefighter Greg Case, both of Ashland, Ore., were waiting for a flight home. Both men support Bush, especially the president's handling of the war in Iraq.

"Bush reinforced a lot of my opinions — he just solidified my position because [the candidates] solidified theirs," Fox said. "... I think all the decided voters are just a little more firmly decided. They [the candidates] clarified their positions, and for undecided voters, that's good."

But the debate didn't get Port of Seattle police Officer Chris Seigler any closer to a decision.

A U.S. Army veteran who fought in the Gulf War, Seigler said he's concerned about homeland security and the war, but he's also worried about "the homeland economy," outsourcing of jobs and rising gas prices.

"I'm still undecided," Seigler said, "but I think both were well-prepared and both addressed the issues."

Michael French, a Tacoma medical researcher, stood with her eyes glued to the TV. If Bush wins, she and her partner will likely move to Canada — or Denmark or New Zealand, she said.
 
"I think it's the most important election of my lifetime because the country is hinged to go in either one direction or a completely opposite direction.

"I think it's a tie so far," French said of the debate. "In the first debate, the president clearly lost his cool. In this one, he's holding his own."

Sara Jean Green: 206-515-5654 or sgreen@seattletimes.com