FR Live Thread: Bush Kerry - First Debate - Thread 2 - Here we go!

[Admin Moderator]

Thread 1 - Pre-Debate discussion

[steveegg]

Thank you. I have been in the debate club and Dubya lost tonight.

I still love him and wish him victory, but he lost this round with all the bullsh*t and nonsense spewed and not quelled or challenged for explaination by the moderator.

Given the motivation of the "moderator", and the fact that in instant scoring, it doesn't matter whether the truth is spoken or lies are spewed, there was no way for Bush to "win". In fact, because there's still a full month, all Bush needed to do was survive and allow Kerry to lie in his attempt to "win" the debate.

[AmericanMade1776]

Did Kerry ever really lay down what he wanted for Iraq? I mean really? he hemmed and hawed...he zigged and zagged. NO ONE STILL knows what John Kerry stands for.

[ArmyBratCutie]

yep they were slanted...we should have ALL worked harder to get Leher off.....BUT that said, we werent the only ones that noticed!!!.....
President Bush didnt have to hit a home run tonight...he didnt fumble and Kerry didnt make any good dings, so its all in all a lame thing to even worry about...it wont hurt the polls....

[Diva Betsy Ross]

"We" didn't miss anything. There was no plan. Just statements that there was some mysterious plan. Please....

[republicanwizard]

Frankly, I'm a bit sick and tired of everyone here who has commented on Bush looking tired. Damn it, I'd look tired too if I were a wartime commander-in-chief. FDR looked horrible in 1944, and when Republicans commented on it, Roosevelt only did better because people knew what he was going through. Lincoln looked awful in 1864. In fact, when he was sworn in a second time, the Bible was opened to a verse reading "None shall be weary or stumble among them..." as if in contradiction to the president's worn visage. Bush does not lose by looking weary. He gains. The American people see a man who worries night and day about the problems facing them and their children. I expect better from many of you than I'm seeing tonight.

[Little Johnny Galt]

Wish Bush would've said, Senator, what IS your plan? They weren't allowed to ask direct questions to their opponent.

[Salvation]

Did I hear Kerry right tonight?

Did he say he would dismantle the missile defense system? Or am my mistaken??

Right there -- I think he lost a lot of Republicans, if that is really what he said.

In addition, he started off saying he was against the War in Iraq and he ended up saying that it was the right thing to go into Iraq and get Saddam Hussein.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.

Praise GOD that...
President BUSH has promised...
During a BUSH Presidency...


FREEDOM's return to:

Communist North Korea
Communst Vietnam
Communist Cuba ..as well as..


FREEDOM's arrival to:

All the countries of the Middle East


...as America's best Self-Protection against future terrorist attacks here at home.



Signed:.."ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer / Veteran-"WE WERE SOLDIERS Battle of IA DRANG-1965

(Photos)
http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_set1.htm
http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_set2.htm
http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_set3.htm
http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_collection.htm


'MODERN DAY HEROES: In Defense of America' - Contributing Author

(Website)
http://www.ModernDayHeroes.com/aloha
Hit: 'Resource Center' Hit: 'Aloha Ronn

[firewalk]

.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"Oh, for God's sake, Tonkin... will you PLEASE cut out posting pictures on such a busy thread???
You're slowing down EVERYONE!"

Nope EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE REMINDED WHO HANOI KERRY IS!

[HRoarke]

I hope you washed your hands right away...

[nmh]

"Kerry needs to do some fact checking though."

Kerry is a pathological liar. He won't check anything. give him an inch and he'll take a mile. He exploits the ignorant and fires up the radical left.

[VRWCer]

Ol' Billy is my favorite author! (And that is one of my favorite quotes!)

[Richard Kimball]

I agree. I've never been good at judging debates, but Bush made short, clear statements that will play well later. Also, in the post-analysis, Kerry will be dissected because he contradicted himself several times.

I agreed with another poster that I would have loved for Bush to say something along the lines of "as long as I am President, we will not be offering nuclear fuel to Iran."

I think a lot of people here expected Kerry to make some of the statements he's made on the stump. Kerry was playing to his base then.

The only points I saw Kerry making was that he was able to stay on the stage with Bush. Where I thought Bush made his best points was in his insistance that we will not turn our sovereignty over to foreign leaders. He made good points on the International Criminal Court. Based on substance, Bush was stronger. Kerry continued his theme of "Bush did everything wrong, but I won't change anything.

One thing that worked better for Kerry was having the audience remain quiet. Senators spend a lot of time speaking to groups that don't react. One thing that was extremely difficult for Bush is that he plays to an audience, and made points that would be applause lines, and gave a pause for the applause.

Bush blunted Kerry's attacks about "closing fire stations" pretty effectively.

[Mo1]

BUT dear friends, by the time the polls are taken, people will have heard how many lies Kerry told tonight.

Exactly

[Howlin]

I can't wait to pick apart the trasnscript of this.

Brian Williams was doing just that on MSNBC....he rolled off a few that Kerry was flat wrong about.

Just wait till they have time to go over the whole thing!

[patriciamary]

I think were are all kind of upset because we care if Bush wins this election I know I do,I was so nervous and upset tonight was screaming at the TV!

[TXBubba]

I was amazed at how many non-foreign policy issues sKerry could jam into his answers. He would jump from the Sudan to stem cell research. There were a couple of answers I truly wondered if the man was loopy.

[A Citizen Reporter]

Come on Hannity, ask Franks the question. Ask him if the President "pulled the troops out from under him," as Kerry said.

[Coachm]

It's the high hopes/expectations thing. If W didn't cover the spread tonight, who cares? In the end he just has to win.