Horseface will either be completely paralyzed, not knowing which of his Heinz 87 positions is the "right one" to give in response, or will stick his foot in his mouth again and again.
To put it another way, I think most Americans today see anything and everything they view on TV as entertainment- it's all of equally little value, except for titillation or a laugh.
Unless one candidate really screws up. ala Al Gore in 2000, it won't mean much.
According to Kerry's personal friend and debating coach at Yale, only William F. Buckley was better than Kerry. Rollin Osterweis felt there were none better than Buckley and then Kerry. But I watched as O'Neill debated the issues with Kerry in the 70's and I didn't get the feeling that Kerry was superior in any way. And now we see Kerry coming unglued in this campaign. It will be interesting to see these debates between Bush and Kerry, for sure.
The Kerry campaign is trying to lower the bar for Kerry by talking up Bush's debating skill. My own feeling about it is Bush is in command of the issues and is more likely to give a straight story. Kerry has changed his position on many of the issues and it makes it much more difficult to be coherent. Plus, Bush is far more likeable. Kerry is arrogant and aloof. Kerry has that aristocratic european fringe about him that most Americans just aren't into. The way Osterweis scores a winner is likely very different then the way you or I might. That said, I think Bush might just walk away with these debates. Easily.
You should properly rephrase this to: He went on to win the election by voter Fraud. Had Nixon been of such low moral character as Al Gore he could have contested the election and would have WON. Nixon knew unlike Gore that while this was undeniably true it would have harmed the country so he stepped aside and ran again later.
Kerry definately CANNOT win the debates on charm or looks. Bush has him beat in both areas hands down. I don't see Bush having a major misstep in the debates either.
Every question asked Bush can simply point out the LACK of a Kerry record on the topic (in spite of 20 years in the Senate) or the repeated waffling on it by Kerry over the past 20 years.... Kerry will be on the defensive throughout the debate if the moderators ask anything remotely relevant.
Expect Kerry to handed his own ass on a plate!
I expect the debates to be a fight for the middle/undecided. If they turn-out to be anything more, I will be pleasantly surprised.
Bush: Before we get started, I got someone here I'd like y'all to meet. Could you guys bring Mr. Bin Laden out here please?
The debates bother me. Bush will look like a short little man next to lurch, and I hope it does not make him look like Dean did.
The writer needs to check his facts.
The Nixon-Kennedy Debates had zero to do with the election of Kennedy; voter fraud had everything to do with it in Cook County, ILL, and elsewhere. The debates were merely public perception and window dressing.
I think the only debate that really matters is the first debate. That's the one where the undecideds will get the chance to size up the candidates one on one. If Bush is seen as the winner or as holding his own, that's all that matters, IMO. The other debates will be anti-climactic.
Actually, I am looking forward more to the VP debate. Expecting some priceless Cheney quotes to come out of that one.
I hope Bush just plays it straight and cool, but at the same time not too shy about hitting it pretty heavy on Kerry's inconsistency.
Bush needs to be prepared (while not getting dragged down into the details) for a severe attack on the economy, and be ready to point out the Clinton years having more unemployment, etc.
IMHO, these debates will be meaningless. Other than to reinforce Kerry's constant blowing in the wind.
Hm. A subtle way of saying Kerry's smarter. I just don't see that. Kerry is more "arrogant," but "smarter"? Suppose it depends on how one defines "smart"....
Just goes to show, it it goes back at least 30 years, DON'T TRUST THE PRESS.
The media is almost always wrong. they think Kerry is ahead and will win. Imagine their "surprise" when Bush wins in a landslide. The only other people who will be surprised are the people who rely only on NBC, CBS, and ABC and AP stories in their local papers.
One of the things Bush does, is take unscripted questions from the crowd. Apparently this is a pretty standard thing. What that means is, he's been practicing for the debates for months, now. He's not only figured out what people are interested in, he's also figured out how to answer these questions in an affable, understandable manner. (You see the positive results of this at work in his more recent press conferences.)
Kerry's going to come off as a stilted, pompous ass.
Bush will be Bush. Voters will join Poppy Bush in saying, "That's my boy!
Well, Kerry may try to do that, but it isn't in him. Arrogance is his normal state. Natural and friendly are not normal to Kerry. I think he will provide enough glimpses of the real John Kerry to drive his numbers into Dukakis-ville.
Congressman Billybob
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