So What Did You Think Of The Presidential Debate?

[Lee]

Personally i think both parties spoke very well (for a change).

They both had well thought out answers and rebuttals.

Anyone else have any comments?

Regards,

Lee

[Xstr8guy]

Originally posted by Lee
Personally i think both parties spoke very well (for a change).

They both had well thought out answers and rebuttals.

Anyone else have any comments?

Regards,

Lee

Couldn't agree with you less, Lee.

Bush came across as a confused mess. John Kerry was eloquent and actually answered the questions and more importantly, he had the right answers.

[Lee]

Jim,

I think they both had the right answers to the wrong questions personally although there were a few times when Bush mumbled on about nothing in particular the points he was making [when he did answer the questions asked of him] were sound ones.

I was particularly interested in the bipartisan talks stuff about N. Korea and, i have to side with Bush slightly on the subject, if that does happen all the work and progress (no matter how small) that has been made up to this point will have become worthless.

On the flip side of the coin overall though, i agree that Kerry is definately the better speaker of the two but, lets be honest about it, we knew that before the debates even took place.

I really do give the both of them 10 out of 10 for their effort, i certainly couldnt have done either of their jobs this evening.

I think overall though Kerry does appear to have come up trumps on this round however, im still of the opinion that the show isnt over until the fat lady sings (or the moron screws up).

Regards,

Lee

[Lee]

Oh and it is also the first time i have heard Bush use a word with 5 syllables in it

Regards,

Lee

[Xstr8guy]

... and we know who that moron is, right?

[Lee]

Originally posted by Xstr8guy
... and we know who that moron is, right?

Of course

Regards,

Lee

[Xstr8guy]

Originally posted by Lee
Oh and it is also the first time i have heard Bush use a word with 5 syllables in it

Regards,

Lee

What word was that?

Did you notice that he never even tried to say nuclear? He just kept babbeling on about proliferation...

[Lee]

You know i actually cant remember the word now LOLOL

It was something like polymorphonical or something like that.

Ill try and remember it when i see the replay

Regards,

Lee

[BDBionic]

Bush kept beating a dead horse, and whereas I think this horse served them ok so far in the campaign, he beat it beyond reason tonight, didn't even do it effectively, and came across looking like he had nothing else to say but:

"Consistency! You can't say "wrong war, wrong place, wrong time" and be president! He's not consistent!"

That's all he had to say. When given the opportunity to give specifics, he just accused Kerry of being inconsistent. When given the opportunity to provide details on his plans with Iraq, he just accused Kerry of being inconsistent. When given the opportunity to discuss homeland security of North Korea or anything else, he just accused Kerry of being inconsistent.

Again, that may work at campaign rallies and it may have struck a chord in campaign commercials and speeches up until tonight, but it's as if he killed it tonight. He took what was a good argument for his campaign and beat it in to the ground and made it look not like a valid assessment of Kerry's inability to settle on a decision, but like the only thing his campaign has to fly on.

And that's not good for him.

He looked flustered. He looked annoyed. At times he sounded like a child.

Bush-
"I did too!"
"I knew that!"
"We had Poland!"
"I know that guy!"

Again, I can't say how bad it looked for him to beat that "consistency" horse tonight. Kerry eloquently gave specifics and laid out plans and policies and firm details and specifics. Bush kept going back to "consistency". It's all he had, and he just totally committed overkill on it.

People went in to the debate worried that Kerry was inconsistent.
They come out of the debate seeing that Bush has nothing better to do than accuse Kerry of inconsistency.

Bush - "The only consistency he's shown is being inconsistent!" I have expected Bush to hold up a big sign that said "PWNED!!!" there. What was that?

Now, whenever the Bush campaign tries to play the inconsistency card, it just makes it look like they have nothing better to say and no real argument to make because they just watched the President flounder with no other point to make than that.

Kerry - "I might have said the wrong thing. But invading Iraq was the wrong thing. Which is worse?" That scored points for him.

Really, Kerry's campaign could not have done a better job denouncing the "inconsistency" accusations from their opponents than Bush did himself tonight by making it seem not like that's a valid point, but instead like it's the only thing the Reps. can think of to say this year.

Kerry did what he had to do. He came across as decisive and Presidential, he came across and eloquent and informed, he came across and aggressive and confident and willing to speak the truth and give details.

Bush came across as annoyed and angry, flustered and frustrated, even childish and arrogant. And unable to offer up anything else than character attacks and an argument he turned from advantageous before the debate to overkill during it.

[basschick]

BDBionic - you're talking wishful thinking.

more than ever in my life, the republicans love character attacks. so do other people. look at reality shows and scandal sheets. the public really loves that stuff. they mistake it for entertainment.

and lots of people love aggressive.

i doubt it matters how kerry does in the debates - they're just good t.v. the only thing that matters is if bush ends up in a great big scandal that's more difficult to sweep aside.

[BDBionic]

I disagree, Basschick.

A hefty portion of Americans didn't watch tonight's debate. Their impression of the debate and who performed how will come from media coverage after it. From critics comments after it. From newscasters comments on it and the talking heads' assessments of it. And I really do think that most people will hear that it was Kerry that performed best in this debate and Bush that did poorly.

That'll contribute to a positive impression of Kerry and a negative one of Bush.

Further, tonight was Bush's chance to shine.

His debate negotiators fought hard to make foreign policy and national security the topics of the first debate. They knew more people would watch the first than any other. They knew most opinions would be swayed by this first debate than any other.

And they also knew that foreign policy and national security were Bush's strong points and where voters favored him most.

He had the advantage going in. He was positioned to really hurt Kerry here.

And he didn't.

Yes, the American public is extremely influenced by character attacks and rhetoric. But they can and will detect contrast when it's so plainly apparent before them, as it was in the case of this debate. This wasn't months and months of discrete inference, suggestion, stump speeches, media coverage and the like.

This was A and B. On a stage together. Up against one another. Contrast between the two as apparent as night and day.

And whether or not someone agrees that Kerry is a flip flopper is very different from whether or not it appears like Bush has nothing better to do than accuse Kerry of being a flip flopper. And it's the latter that came through tonight.

[jIgG]

i tuned MSNBC for a jiffy and heard Joe Scarborough say that for him Kerry won the debate hands down, and he's a GOP guy.

FoxNews also mentione, even Brit Hume, Bush performed poor, looked angry etc

I think Bush didn't exactly get clobbered but did not shine at all. All these faces and looks and lip chewing and stuttering - not good. Oddly my bf's dad hasn't called but I'll be curious what they have to say tomorrow being one of these people that would vote for Bush because he's religious and we have to help God and blah blah....

[D-man]

hahaha - the debate is on - not that one this one -

I agree with Lee - N. Korea is a big issue and Bush was right and Kerry is wrong - I have followed the story and this fuck running N. Korea is an American freak, a nut bag, has nuclear weapons and we do not want to sit down with him - trust me Bin Laden needs to be taken care of but N. Korea and Iran have on going nuclear weapons programs and Bush was right on that topic - A way bigger issue for our future then Bin laden or Iraq -

Kerry says he agrees with Bush on the war with Iraq but that we need to get out and faster then Bush says - I disagree we should have not wasted our time in the first place - BUT right or wrong - we have to get out but not leave a ticking time bomb there - It's the same issue as the gulf war - right or wrong we MUST follow through to the end on this or the same shit will happen only this time WORSE

I think both did well tonight - Kerry did a good job - if not for 9/11 I think bush would be fucked - and trust me I DO NOT WANT 4 MORE YEARS OF ASSCROFT - but my life blood aside I am not sure I can justify in my mind voting for Kerry because of business - I want my kids to be safe 20 years from now and I think the redneck is the better man to do that then Kerry

There were many points made - some of Bush's points on the things that Kerry had said about our key allies are right on - also Kerry's point of building back the relationships we had pre 9/11 and the war ARE a big issue - but someone who has bad mouthed the friends we do have is not going to archive that - that like calling a girl a cunt and then asking her out later after she has heard what you said about her - (sorry for the straight analogy)

Kerry wants to cut the starwars program that Regan started - BAD IDEA - IE Iraq, Russia, China et al - anyone who thinks we don't want a ICBM defense program is just living in a dream world - Some crazy fuck is going to catch on to the technology and fuck us - If you don't think it can happen then you have forgotten 9/11 and what they did and you probably still leave your teeth under your pillow!

As for the debate reviews and Bush - I think he was frustrated with Kerry's political rhetoric and the actual facts of would events - Bush does have 4 years of on the job training that Kerry does not have. Bush took a hit for that and I think next time he'll do better at hiding his "you're a bumbass disdain" and not show as much emotion

Finally I heard they both agree on most topics but that Kerry feels he can do a better job - hummm - to vote or not to vote - that is the question!

[BradleyFL]

My opinion on the whole thing was Bush looked and acted like he always does. Hes very childish and very defensive. All he did was try to fight with Kerry on everything he said, which is part of a debate but Bush could have at least said what he was going to do in the next 4 years instead of fighting. I think if you're the president and you know you have a better plan then be confident not defensive. When asked questions he repeated the same things over and over again. Not to mention I thought he was going to cry when he said "Its hard work being president, its hard". LOL. Maybe a little too hard for someone who can't even keep the names straight of the world leaders he deals with as he said "everyday". Funny how he had most of their names down pat at the debate but couldnt even pronounce them a week ago. I guess the wife sat down with him and played flash cards before going on stage.

[neilxod]

Can I wade in on this issue?
Please.. these guys are exactly the same. Dubya is surely a putzvatik and Kerry is a schlamazel.
Does anybody out there really believe that someday Iraq will be "free and democratic"? Or that Dubya attacked Iraq to make them free? No, he did it to avenge daddy. He trumped up the entire WOMD charge.
Kerry, the schlamazel has yet to bring up the Bush connection to Saudi Arabia. Whats he waiting for???
Bush speaks to Gd and Gd tells him what to do....veddy scary. Only Gd knows who Kerry is talking to and who is telling him what to do...also scary.
Bush is no friend of ours and I'm not sure still where Kery stands on that issue....is anybody?
Ok, nuff venting for now........can I retain the right to re-visit the issue?? LOL