I survived the Democratic Debates and all I got was this lousy headache.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

This evening I was dishonored to attend the Democratic Presidential Debate at the fabulous Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan.

I was surrounded by 5,000 Democrats. To make things worse I was also in the same room at the 9 candidates, Carl Levin, Debbie Stabenaugh, Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick, Debbie Granholm and TERRI MCAULIFF!!!

Fox News Reporter Kelly Wright was the MC. He told us that we had to clap loudly when the show started, and then to control ourselves during the show.

There is an irony here. The debates were carried on Fox News, but you can't get Fox News on local Detroit Cable. You have to have a dish. Kelly asked how many folks want Fox News to be carried in Detroit and he was met with a round of Boos. It's obvious that Detroit doesn't want Fox in their homes.

Kelly then introduced all the VIPs in the audience. Jennifer Granholm, Debbie Stabenaugh, and Terry McAuliff got the loudest applause and standing ovations. It was puke making.

He told a couple of jokes and sang a little and then the show was on.

I noticed that I was sitting next to a John Kerry supporter, a couple of Edwards supporters, Dean, Braun and Sharpton.

The debate was on. I took vociferous notes, but I am not going to bore you with every question and answer, so if you would like a specific impression of a question, feel free to ask.

I will mention the highlights.

Carol Mosely-Braun is a liar. She stated that she left her office with dignity and that her reputation remains intact. If her reputation is that of a scoundrel and a thief, then yes, her reputation is intact.

The audience HATED Joe Lieberman. There was no clapping for him. Only booing and heckles. I don't know if it is because the audience was anti-semetic or that Lieberman supported the war. The audience was highly anti-war, and totally anti-Bush.

Shaption was a hit. When he blasted the Patriot Act and said that he would negotiate with Arafat, the audience was spell bound. Then when he stated that this election was a 'Battle between the Christian Right and the Right Christians" the crowd lept to their feet in a deafening applause. I haven't heard applause like that since I saw Styx and the Babies at the Cow Palace in 1979. ( in my notes it states..."I am surrounded by idiots and morons")

Kusinich is a total lightweight. He said that he wanted to start the Department of Peace to bring non-violence to America. He stated that last month Detroit had a slaughter of 300 people.

My friend and I looked at each other and said " did we miss something? When did we lose 300 people? Ok, Dennis, whatever you say.

My impressions of the candidates in person..... Kerry is scary. He is HUGE. He is even scarier in person. He has no presence.

Edwards... Pretty boy. The gals loved him. Even my friend said that he had a nice smile. I told her that it was the smile of a snake.

Sharpton is a buffoon, but he was definately a crowd pleaser. Most people said that they liked Sharpton.

Kusinich is a freak. He had a large following there, since he is from Ohio. He thinks that we need to give 12,000,000 students 'free' tuition. He said that we need to give 'free kindergarden' to 3-5 year olds, therefore saving parents $7000. Where is Dennis going to get all this ' free' money?

Braun is annoying, Lieberman tries but he just can't get any respect, but it was Dean and Clarke that are evil.

Dean is Frankestien. I swear that his head had to have been sewn on. It's not the right head for the body. He's evil and mean and I want to smack in him the face with an oar. He revels in his anti-war stance.

Clarke is crazy. He's that uncle who took a hit to the head in the war and you have to cut his meat for him. That guy has big problems.

I can conclude with what the democrats taught me tonight.

...Bush is wrong about everything.

...Cheney, Powell, Rice, Wolfowitz, and Rumsfeld are stupid people and don't know what in the world they are doing.

...We lost the Iraq War. We have no end strategy and it's another Vietnam.

...Speaking of Vietnam, did you know that Kerry was a veteran? I am glad he mentioned it 3 times or I wouldn't have known.

...The Bush tax cut is bad.

...We are all going to hell in a handbasket.

It's far worse to be in person with these people than to watch them on television. I am never going to do that again. I learned my lesson and taken my punishment.

[Badray]

Thanks for the ping. It was a great report.

[JoJo Gunn]

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

What concerns me the most is that a good pecentage of the Dems usual supporters will vote with their checkbooks and not give as much as they normaly would due to them figuring out that these candidates are as goofy as we know they are. I want them to waste their money and give till it hurts on this losing effort. Otherwise they might instead spend their money on elections they can win.

[PGalt]

Thanks for the synopsis. I was right around the corner with my mom (her 73rd birthday and that's what she wanted) at Greektown casino. I had a much more enjoyable evening and we both won!

[budwiesest]

let me try to clarify #69.

Like RightonLine said, too many people buy into their crap and it's scary.

My question is: why don't more people buy into our crap? Our crap could conceivebly save your life. Our crap might even get you out of a mess that you didn't plan on getting into. Our crap might even get you into a doctor's office sooner than the next month or so. Our crap puts a price on citizenship and may lower taxes as a result of fewer benefits being paid to non-citizens. Some people buy our crap 'cause it's environmentally friendly.

This may sound like a lot of crap, but when compared to what THEY have to offer my crap-detector goes off. Seems theirs is nothing but a load of crap.

[lainde]

We salute you for the completion of a successful perilous mission!

[lainde]

Is Terry McAwful as sleazy up close as he appears on TV?

[Peace will be here soon]

I hope you are right about what Normal Democrats are hearing.

---

I must admit when my father said he would just not vote if one the the current Dem candidates was his parties choice, my jaw dropped and hit the floor. I was shocked beyond belief. My father hates Bush with a passion , I mean he """HATES"""" Bush !! And if my father is saying he is not going to vote to get rid of Bush, there is something very wrong with the democratic party. And he was not just saying this, he really meant it. I think the California recall was a good example of things to come. People are just fed up with the radical liberal left , even democrats themselves. They are splitting that party in two. And some of the moderates will jump, others will stay home. Kind of like what happened in the recall election.

---

"I would welcome any Democrat to switch parties,"

---

As far as my father goes, it ain`t happening. He would stick glass in his eye before voting for Bush. But if McCain was his choice, he would jump.

[Tall_Texan]

I took vociferous notes,

LOL! Very mouthy notes? Reminds me of the guy who tried to impress his date by telling her that her hair looked "ravenous".

Seriously, you deserve combat pay for enduring the dwarf drivel live and in person. I'd need more painkillers than Rush Limbaugh to put up with that.

[GulliverSwift]

Dean is Frankestien. I swear that his head had to have been sewn on. It's not the right head for the body. He's evil and mean and I want to smack in him the face with an oar. He revels in his anti-war stance.

No, he's actually someone else:

[Timesink]

I haven't heard applause like that since I saw Styx and the Babies at the Cow Palace in 1979.

Wow, you saw The Babies?

[Sapper26]

Primary= go left to get the nomination
General election = move center to get the votes


This time around, I think the Dem's are going to have a hard time doing that. The lesson many took from the 2002 election was that the party had to move left (ex. Pelosi becomes minority leader).

The war in Iraq has caused a natural split between the candidates. Dean's popularity comes from his anti-war stance. The other's (Kerry, Leiberman, Edwards etc) will have to move further left than usual to make up for their vote for the war.

So, moving to the left is no problem, coming back to the center will be.

[RonDog]

From the LIVE thread:

To: Afronaut

Nope. Here is Howard Dean:

1,193 posted on 10/26/2003 6:38 PM PST by Miss Marple

[mewzilla]

You're a braver man than I, Gunga Din. Thanks for the report!

It's obvious that Detroit doesn't want Fox in their homes.

Says lot about Detroit, doesn't it?

[Iowa Granny]

Great Report. Thanks.

[EternalVigilance]

Says lot about Detroit, doesn't it?

Hey, what do you expect for a town where the black precincts enjoy 100% turnout. /sarcasm

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Wow, you saw The Babies?

The Babies were the opening act.

[Alas Babylon!]

Dang! What was the demographics of the audience? It seems Sharpton got all the good lines and applause, but all the talking heads said Dean won. I suppose a great deal of the audience was black?

[maica]

I second the motion of awarding you the FreeRepublic Medal for Courage and Intestinal Fortitude. And you were strong enough after your ordeal to write a report! Wow! Great Work!

When Kathleen Kennedy Townsend ran for governor of Maryland the only debate that her handlers allowed was sited at Morgan State U., a historically black college. Kweisi Mfume of the NAACP was the host, the questioners were very biased, the audience was raucous, KKT was EXTREMELY insulting to her opponent, and

end result - that debate turned the tide in a state with 3-1 dem voter registration and democrats voted hugely for the Republican. We now have a Republican admin after 36 years of dem rule in Annapolis.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

What color shoes was Clark wearing?