On September 3, CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider characterized as “name-calling” Senator John Kerry's response to attacks leveled at him during the Republican National Convention. Kerry delivered his response in a speech at midnight September 3.

From an exchange between Schneider and anchor Wolf Blitzer on the September 3 edition of News From CNN:

SCHNEIDER: And a lot of Democrats are saying, “At last, John Kerry is responding”-- something they wanted him to do weeks ago because he more or less lost the month of August when he was getting beaten up by these independent ads. So they're saying they're welcoming his fighting back. But I think he has to get off that message soon, because this election really shouldn't become a name-calling campaign. He has to talk about Bush's record and about his own agenda.

BLITZER: Some Republicans were suggesting to me at the convention last night that, in effect, they were baiting John Kerry on these issues and that he took the bait. And they're happy he is because they think that this is going to backfire against him.

SCHNEIDER: That's why I say he has to get off this name-calling quickly. He responded, punched in the nose, now go on to something else. And the reason is, his best issue is that George Bush has divided the country even after he promised he'd be a uniter. Well, Kerry can't look like he's going to divide the country even more.