Nationally syndicated columnist David Broder still remembers the first time he interviewed George W. Bush.

It was during Bush’s campaign for governor in Texas in 1994. The interview took place in a small office in Dallas.

“At some point in the interview, he fixed me with his gaze and told me, ‘I am going to be the governor of Texas. I don’t care if you believe it, Broder. I believe it,” Broder told an audience of about 1,200 Wednesday night at the Lied Center.

Bush’s self-confidence and purpose struck the journalist who has covered every presidential election since 1960.

Broder, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Washington Post, said he hoped the upcoming campaign would turn into a discussion of serious issues facing the nation.

He said the war on terror, the economy and the growing national debt would be important issues in the campaign. He also outlined the strengths and weaknesses of Bush and presumptive Democratic Party nominee John Kerry in the speech.

“It was a good, concise, accurate description of the major issues in this political cycle,” said Jonathan Slemmer, of Lawrence, who attended the speech. “He’s one of the few columnists I trust to tell the truth.”

Americans are not familiar with Kerry yet, Broder said. He will have to use the presidential debates to strike a clear difference between himself and President Bush.

Syndicated political columnist David Broder, left, responds to questions as Toni Dixon listens in the Simons Family Media Center at the Dole Center of Politics. Broder spoke about the upcoming presidential election, the media and the terrorist attacks in Spain on Wednesday at KU.

In a roundtable discussion held earlier in the day at KU’s Dole Institute for Politics, Broder pointed to the mad rush of primaries and caucuses after the New Hampshire primary as a reason the public does not know Kerry well.

“Kerry won on momentum,” Broder said. “Momentum is the most fragile, irresponsible, least substantial reason to vote for somebody.”

States like Tennessee that held early primaries did not get a chance to hear from many of the candidates.

“Basically all you know is, well, people seem to be voting for this fellow Kerry, so I guess we’ll vote for Kerry this time,” Broder said. “That’s an absurd system.”

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As a strength in the upcoming election, President Bush will be seen as a decisive leader who sticks to his positions, Broder said. Bush’s stance on economic issues is a weakness. Conservative Republicans are questioning the growing national debt and most voters are worried about jobs.

“People are watching jobs in their communities with hawk-like closeness,” Broder said.

When asked whether he thought the media had a liberal bias, Broder offered the audience an insight into the lives of political reporters. He described how he had no idea who his close friend Walter Mears of The Associated Press voted for in the past six presidential elections.

“We’re not talking about what American policy should be,” Broder said. “We’re gossiping and talking about political maneuvers. I am skeptical of a left or right bias in the press because of my experiences.”