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

[Admin Moderator]

Thread 1 - Pre-Debate discussion

[untwist]

Your niece made a very astute statement. Kerry's lift, if there is one, will be temporary. I think Kerry gave lots of fodder for commercials over the coming days that shows he's an empty suit, all talk, all negative. Kerry has no plan and nothing that can sustain him to victory.

Bush nailed him on the disrespectful things Kerry said about the troops, Allawi, America's failures, the grand diversion..., and I think that the country will rally behind our president because he always puts our country first. I am disappointed about a lot of the negative comments on this thread because I and my sons watched this debate and felt that Bush was credible and Kerry came across like a lawyer defending a guilty client.

[TheHube]

I just about choked when kerry said that you have to criticize the war, not the warrior. Maybe he does get it finally.

[4bushinOH]

i don't know if he got the questions before hand...he answered them better because he's a smooth talking lawyer...it's the impressions that are important..not the content...his content was weak on most parts but the presentation was better than the "flustered looking" Bush..

the questions should not have been stacked against Bush. Foreign policy was supposed to be his strong point!He wasn't prepared or he was over prepared

[MistyCA]

The President didn't make any homeruns but he held his own. Kerry sounded good but the substance of his statements further amazed me because it showed his continued inconsistency.

I think when this debate is broken down and looked at more carefully, Bush will come out as having the most coherent message. I only wish President Bush had hit Kerry a little harder on the details of what he said.

I also could not believe Kerry is still on the Vietnam hero kick. Sheesh!

[international american]

Thanks for the update. I am with Fred.....unphased!

[B Knotts]

Isn't that pretty much what I just said? Kerry was weak on facts, but just seemed better prepared. But, that was to be expected, as he has spent 20 years debating in the Senate.

[rodguy911]

"Bush only 12"--CNN Poll"

What do you expect they don't call it the Clinton news
network for nothing. Besides you have to remember there are those who look at a debate like tonight simply from the "soap opera" standpoint or show value, on that basis it was a near tie with a possible Kerry edge due to all his BS.

From a practical standpoint, who made the points, who was not lying, who knew what he was talking about,who actually has what it takes to be President, it was a 90/10 Bush win. Not even close. Unfortunately we live in a near sop opera climate today.

Soap opera trials on t.v.,reality shows, oprah, it never ends everything is measured in terms of BS. Measure in terms of who is real, who can actually do the job and isn't even close.

[jbarkley]

Now that my emotions are more even, I don't think it was bad tonight at all.

Over the next few weeks, the numerous false and outright unbelievable statements by Kerry will hammer in the last nails of the coffin. Bush might not be a smooth talker, but he has a fantastic campaign behind him and the message will continue to get out.

I thought Al Gore wiped the floor with Bush in the first debate and now it's used as a classic example of what not to do. I guess it goes to show you never know what the American people are going to do.

[jwalsh07]

The most important thing that came out of tonights debate is Kerrys' "global test" for America defending itself. It makes him a loser. Foregt the deabting point sh6T.

That notion along with his promise no to establish forward operating bases in Iraq, which would cost American lives should we have to go to war with Iran or Syria, and his promise to unilaterally end the tactical nuke bunker buster program will show him for exactly what he is, a man who would make Aemrica less secure.

It ain't the economy dude, its security and Kerry left himself wide open.

It will take a few days to filter out but filter out it will.

[Little Johnny Galt]

Just signed up today,to post THAT drivel? Retread,are you? Go back to LP. I don't know what "LP" is, but, no, I had a different name here a year or so ago. I just couldn't remember what it was, so I made a new name tonight. And I don't know if you're pissed at me because I said Bush didn't knock a homer tonight, or if you're pissed at me because I said Kerry didn't knock a homer tonight.

[Gunder]

I'm feeling down, too. All this up and down is making me crazy. I want this election to be over.

[pollyg107]

I'm with you, Howlin. If you ignore the silly college debating points and focus on the substance of what was said tonight, President Bush delivered a solid performance, and Kerry delivered a bunch of whoppers.

[McGavin999]

You're right, he did fine. He got to the audience he intended to get to.....women voters. Kerry came off as a pampered bully, and Dubya came off sincere and tired. After all, he spent the entire day comforting Americans who lost everything in the storms, while Kerry spent the day at a spa getting a manicure!

[GraceofGod]

May I say that our Prez did just FINE!!! Yes this will be a close race again, but I think we will as a nation choose to "stay the course".. Putting our heads in the sand to the ever increasing threat of terror as the dems do is ridiculous and is in stark comparison to Bush's way of facing this threat head-on, because we cannot wish it away, we cannot pretend it doesn't exist. There's a word for that.. DENIAL (Maybe being a dem is a disease)

[CyberAnt]

I agree .. even though I have seen the President articulate much better .. he still stayed with his core beliefs which is important.

Kerry was talking too loudly .. and the President too softly. It might have been done on purpose but I'd be checking to see that it wasn't the microphones being purposefully set that way.

Kerry was too agressive and arrogant .. his usual. I find his voice very hard to listen to.

All Kerry ever said was I have a better plan .. but he still never said what the plan was.

[JesseJane]

Ok.. restated....

Pres. Bush.. After listening to the Senators answer, I suggest America ask the Senator, WHAT IS YOUR PLAN?

[Joy Angela]

Kerry's military plans
include the Draft.

How else is he going to confront
China about North Korea and get-in Russia's face?

KERRY is a Traitor
and he's on a mission
to take US down.

[Alia]

lol. He was raaaather put out by that, yeknew. :)

[tuckrdout]

NO! Kerry didn't say a thing! If Bush would have hammered Kerry's very own horrible record on foreign policy, and pointed out that if Kerry could have really helped get other countries on our side in the war in Iraq, why didn't he? He would have walked away with the election!

Bush was thrown. He didn't prepare. He let us down.