Here are my thoughts on this debate:
1. I don't think Bush can loose any support on the foreign policy debate, his base is firmly behind him in the war on terror.
2. I don't think any of the leftist peaceniks could ever be convinced to vote for Bush, they don't want us to defeat terrorism. However, they could begin to see Kerry as too militant and move more toward Nader.
3. Bush was wise to have the foreign policy debate first. In two weeks none of the undecideds will remember any of it. The undecided vote will make up their minds based on how homeland security and Iraq look right before the election.
4. The leftist media has done too good a job convincing people that Iraq is a quagmire, nothing Bush can say will change that. So it's better to deal with this issue now and let it fade.
A sound point and it just goes to show that there needs to be an end to the "mainstream media" monopoly over presidential debates.
In the future the GOP needs to say to the dems "look, we'll do two debates. You pick any one of your favorite left wing ABCCBSNBCPBS network anchors to do one and we'll pick Fox to do the other."
The alternative, which I know will never happen though I personally think it would be ideal and the fairest, is to bring them both on in a Hannity and Colmes type of a format. Hannity can rip Kerry and Colmes throws him softballs. Colmes can rip Bush and Hannity throws him softballs. But at the very minimum we know exactly where the questions are coming from and exactly how they're being answered. No more of this pretended "neutral moderator" BS because the moderators in this debate and I venture to predict the next two are all open Kerry partisans.
I think this may play well for the Pres. An awful lot of folks got a wake-up call with the black and white exposure of Rather and CBS. These are people who are usually not that political but pay a little more attention at election time. Just like everyone becomes a handicapper around Kentucky Derby time. NOW they are starting to notice the MSM bias. And here comes Jim (he must be good, he's on PBS) Lehrer and dumps that bucket of slop!
I think this may help.
Just my 2¢
I totally agree. Kerry knew what was coming before Lehrer finished his questions. Also, how could any THINKING (let me highlight that word!) person read through those questions and not see how obviously slanted they are????
Lehrer is like Rather Biased another anti-Bush Texan. Lehrer went to junior college in Victoria, a city some 30 miles from the Gulf Coast. But Lehrer is much better at disguising his liberal views than is Rather.
I used to like Lehrer.
Not anymore. I was stunned at how he stacked the deck. It was insane.
The objective is to make things more equal, always. And some animals are more equal than others.
There were no questions about why Democratic Senator's from Georgia might think Kerry was so questionable and downright dangerous due to his work in the Senate as it relates to military spending and votes on equipment.
There were no questions about why Kerry would not release his complete record of service. What we saw was a liberal journalist seeking to ease concerns about the challenger. Lehrer is a more cunning version of Rather.