THE PROBLEM IS....a big part of how the UNDECIDEDS see this...has to do with atmospherics.
If they really looked at issues.....they would not be undecideds at this point.
"Looking like a President" really is a big part of how the debate comes off.
Sure...it may have been a draw....but Bush could have finished this tonight. Instead...Kerry...sounding pretty...was enough to give his folks some fire.
And now its gonna come down to two debates (that were supposed to favor Kerry) and everyday of the rest of the campaign.
Bush did well enough to hold his own...but that should never be the target goal.
Bush tapered off at the end. One has to bring more than an hour of statements...to a 90 minute debate.
In the next two debates...Bush has to avoid the trap of being defensive. He needs to ignore some of Kerry's statements.
He can still point out where Kerry has made a bogus statement...but he can't let that take up all of his time.
He still needs to sell himself.
After tonight...we are now in a tighter race than we were yesterday.
I disagree.
Typical undecideds are that way because they don't feel pressure to pay attention to the election cycle until the final days of the campaign.
They have no personal attachment to either candidate, they are focused only on their own lives until it is demanded they show some attention to the events of the day.
These people are looking dispassionately at the debates weighing both style and substance. Style will decree Kerry either won or had a draw.
They will vote according to two issues.
1) Substance
2) Momentum
On substance, Bush won. Momentum is whom they perceive to be the majority's candidate in the final few days of the election. It is unknown who will have the edge on the big "MO" at this time.
Stylistically, victories are meaningless except for bragging rights.
If they really looked at issues.....they would not be undecideds at this point.
"Looking like a President" really is a big part of how the debate comes off.
Sure...it may have been a draw....but Bush could have finished this tonight. Instead...Kerry...sounding pretty...was enough to give his folks some fire. And now its gonna come down to two debates (that were supposed to favor Kerry) and everyday of the rest of the campaign.
Bush did well enough to hold his own...but that should never be the target goal.
Bush tapered off at the end. One has to bring more than an hour of statements...to a 90 minute debate.
In the next two debates...Bush has to avoid the trap of being defensive. He needs to ignore some of Kerry's statements. He can still point out where Kerry has made a bogus statement...but he can't let that take up all of his time.
He still needs to sell himself.
After tonight...we are now in a tighter race than we were yesterday.
I disagree. Bush did a lot better tonight than a lot of people are giving him credit for. :)