John Kerry and President George W. Bush. (Photo: Photo: Kerry: © Kerry-Edwards 2004, Inc. / photo by Sharon Farmer. Bush: White House photo by Eric Draper)

Thursday, September 30—President George W. Bush and Democratic challenger John Kerry will square off in their first live, televised debate tonight in Coral Gables, Florida. As they go head-to-head on foreign policy and homeland security issues, each candidate will try to convince the American public why he is best qualified to lead the nation.

With just less than five weeks left until Election Day, the stakes will be extremely high for both parties. After months of finger pointing and negative campaign ads, Americans will finally hear directly from the candidates themselves.

Recent polls show the President holding a modest edge over Kerry. So while Bush will be looking to build on that lead, Kerry hopes a strong performance at the podium will swing the polls in his favor.

"Kerry has to demonstrate he's up for the job," says Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. "That's what a challenger has to do. President Bush has to demonstrate that the country is headed in a better direction, [and that] he's the safer bet over an untested Commander in Chief."

Millions are expected to tune in to the 90-minute event, which will be moderated by PBS news anchor Jim Lehrer and broadcast live at 9:00 p.m. ET. Thursday night's contest is the first of three scheduled presidential debates.

The Rules

While all eyes will be on the candidates Thursday night, the rules took center stage. A 32-page agreement spells out a long list of "do's" and "don'ts" for the debates. Among the rules, candidates cannot approach each other, ask each other direct questions, or use props, charts, or diagrams. The rules even dictate the temperature of the room and the height of the podiums.

The Commission on Presidential Debates, an independent organization that will host the three Bush-Kerry contests, has sponsored the presidential debates since 1988. Besides nailing down the locations, dates, and moderators for the debates, the commission works to ensure that the debates provide the American public with the best information possible.

In the past, presidential debates have both helped and hurt candidates' bid for the White House. The first nationally televised debate in 1960 helped a young and dynamic John F. Kennedy defeat an unshaven Richard Nixon. More recently, in 2000, many voters were turned off when Al Gore sighed impatiently during his debate with George W. Bush.