Posted on 09/30/2004 10:10:14 AM PDT by rumrunner
DJ Kerry Team Wants Debate Lecterns Free Of Timing Lights
09/30/2004
Dow Jones News Services
(Copyright © 2004 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP)--Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's campaign demanded Thursday that the lights signaling when a speaker's time has expired during debates with President George W. Bush be removed from the lecterns because they are distracting, but the commission hosting the debates refused.
An angry exchange between representatives of the Kerry campaign and the Commission on Presidential Debates took place just hours before the candidates were to meet at the University of Miami for the first of three debates, The Associated Press learned. Kerry's team threatened to remove the lights when they visit the debate site with the candidate later in the day.
"We'll bring a screwdriver," said a Kerry aide familiar with what several people called an angry exchange. The commission did not return a call seeking comment.
The commission placed the lights on the lecterns in clear view of the television audience and those in the auditorium. An agreement between the Kerry and Bush campaigns specified that timing lights "shall be placed such that they are visible to the debate audiences and television viewers."
However, Kerry's team contended that the agreement doesn't specifically say where the lights should be placed, and it said putting them on the lecterns creates a distraction. The Bush team pushed for the lights in negotiations with Kerry advisers.
The commission is a nonprofit and nonpartisan corporation that has sponsored all the presidential debates since 1988.
The agreement says that if Kerry's not happy, he can drop out.
Let him.
If a Presidential candidate is distracted by a little blinking light, how can he possibly lead the nation in a time of war???
Kerry's single biggest weakness is that he's exceedingly long-winded. He likes those long, "nuanced" blather-fests because they make him seem intelligent without having to actually say anything.
The light will be going on for Kerry all night or (his campaign is correct) he'll be so worried about the light going on that he'll make a muddle of his responses.
Bush, by contrast, is able to make his points clearly, and in a relatively few words.
Can't even abide the agreements they signed.
Too many lights = runny, goopy Sudden Tan.
Nice of them to admit that their candidate is easily distracted.
W should be gracious, let him talk all he wants. When the audience dozes off, W can go back to running the War.
Kerry's mock debates must be awful.
He's probably incapable of staying within the 2 minute time frame and therefore , the lights and the rules, have to go.
I don't know what color the lights are, but,it's also possible that his team realizes that the lights will clash with whatever hue Kerry's skin is, today.
I have no problem with this, actually.
The more kerry speaks, the bigger his circle of BS gets. He talks incessantly, but says nothing substantive - which leaves the listener simply confused.
Let him yap all day long, I say!
Rules are to be followed by everyone except Democrats.
"Turn out the lights, the party's over."
I'm with you, but I would like it if there were a button that would deliver an electrical shock to Kerry's podium whenever he ran over time.
Lights that one should be paying attention to so that they are followed in their time alotments are a "distraction"? If that's a "distraction" for Kerry, I sure don't want this guy in the White House! Hell if he can't answer questions with lights on his podium, why the hell would anyone want him in the White House?
Can he walk and chew gum at the same time?
The reality is everyone knows this guys a long winded blowhard and while venting lots of Carbon Dioxide, never says anything of note with it. Kerry camp doesn't want these lights on TV because they know their candidate can't answer questions without consistently going over his time limit with longwinded meaningless diatribes.
They're supposed to be distracting, doofus (doofai?). The candidate prattles on over the limit, the light comes on in a manner that assures that he notices (yes, it distracts him), and he does what he is supposed to do, namely STFU.
Don't want your candidate to be distracted? Tell him not to speak over the limit.
Doh.
So I guess they're proposing the lights be placed UNDER the podiums. Or in the dressing rooms. Or behind the curtains.
Anyplace but right out there WHERE PEOPLE CAN SEE THEM. (Yelling on purpose.)
I was in Viet Na....OOOOOOH Look at the pretty light.
My guess is that Flipper, during practice, couldn't discipline himself enough to stay under the time limits and got flustered instead. Too funny.
Now, to really top this off, let's hope the lights in question are orange...
oh too good!
This is already the most hillarious campaign I've ever seen. This just adds to the comedy.
Seems to me that if the Kerry people have a problem it should be with Vernon Jordan. Once again James Baker took the Dems to the cleaners.
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