The rules for the debate don't allow candidates to interact with one another or ask questions. Kerry can achieve the same goals, probably more effectively, by reminding viewers of the issues the incumbent should be addressing.
Bush is the incumbent, and must be held accountable for his record.
To do this, Kerry could slip into each and every one of his speaking opportunities a phrase that starts, "I hope tonight the president will explain..."
- I hope tonight the president will explain why he didn't send troops to Afghanistan's borders before Bin Laden slipped out.
- I hope tonight the president will explain why he didn't let the weapons inspectors stay to prove there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
- I hope tonight the president will explain why he says September 11th changed everything to rationalize an Iraq invasion that had been drawn up before September 11th.
- I hope tonight the president will explain why he couldn't distinguish between Sadam Hussein and Al Qaeda when Sadam is secular, Al Quada is based on radical fundamentalism, and the 9-11 commision insists there was no connection.
[the list goes on...]
- I hope tonight the president will explain why he put so much trust in Ahmed Chalabi who the CIA distrusted and our allies had nicknamed "curveball".
- I hope tonight the president will explain why he can't find the mole in his White House who endangered CIA agent Plame and her contacts.
- I hope tonight the president will explain how Iran came to know that we'd broken their encryption code.
- I hope tonight the president will explain why poppy production has increased in Afghanistan since our focus moved to Iraq.
- I hope tonight the president will explain why Secretary Rumsfeld keeps misrepresenting the Iraqi troop strength.
- I hope tonight the president will explain why he took no action in response to the PDB, "Bin Laden Determined To Attack Inside the United States".
- I hope tonight the president will explain why he didn't immediately call to scramble fighters when he was told America was under attack.
- I hope tonight the president will explain why he ignored the advice of General Shinseki that it would take hundreds of thousands of troops and hundreds of billions of dollars to secure Iraq.
- I hope tonight the president will explain why our shipping containers still go unchecked when the entire program would cost as much as four days in Iraq.
During his concluding remarks, Kerry could say: I think everyone watching tonight would agree that if the president wants their vote, he should be expected to level with the American people about his record over the last four years. I know these debates are short, and the president has been busy answering Jim's questions, but I hope when we all open our morning papers or turn on our television sets tomorrow, we'll be able to see the president's answers to each of these questions.
Repetition would make the challenge unforgettable, and the media couldn't just ignore it. Kerry could provide surrogates in advance with the list so that during the "post game shows," every surrogate could ask why we don't know the answers to these questions already and make the post-debate debate about Bush failing to own up to his record.
Positioning the issues like this in the debate would escalate them as talking points in the weeks to come, with surrogates insisting, "the president still hasn't explained why..."
This was off the top of my head, and I know it's incomplete. Please help with the list. I hope tonight the president will explain...