Posted on 09/30/2004 11:28:58 PM PDT by kattracks
October 1, 2004 -- IT'S a mark of how high- toned last night's debate was that the only real howler came when John Kerry called the Moscow headquarters of the KGB "Treblinka," which was a Nazi concentration camp, rather than by its actual name, "Lubyanka."Yes, it was exactly the sort of debate that warms the cockles of every pompous commentator's heart — you know, the sort of person who complains that politics has gotten just so terribly dirty.
The debate was high-minded.
The candidates discussed their differences.
They didn't take cheap shots at each other. Bush said, over and over again, that you need to be consistent and resolute as president. Kerry said, over and over again, that the Iraq war was a mistake but that since the mistake had been made, he had a plan to win it.
They tussled on the question of whether bilateral or multilateral talks are best for dealing with North Korea. They agreed on the role of the African Union in dealing with the problem in Darfur.
The president admired John Kerry's daughters. John Kerry admired the president's wife.
[snip]
Bush wanted to make clear that he intends to win the war in Iraq and that people think of him as a strong leader. He did so by contrasting his own consistency with John Kerry's vacillations — and he did it over and over again, until even his eyes seemed to glaze over from the repetitiveness.
[snip]
One more thing. John Kerry said, "They had to close down the subway in New York when the Republican Convention was there."
Um, no. They didn't.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
I guess while we're splitting hairs, Treblinka wasn't a concentration camp at all, it was a death or more properly a liquidation camp. One of several under Operation Reinhard. There were no facilities for any longterm detainment of prisoners except for staff and forced laborers. Hardly more than a rail spur, makeshift officers quarters for the SS, undressing rooms and property "claim" areas, a secured sunken ditch walkway to the gassing facilities known as "the shute" and corpse disposal areas, all surrounded by barbed wire concealed with tree boughs.
I think that it's too early to tell what affect the debate will have on the election polls. I saw a couple good sound bites to use against Kerry, and I'm sure that the GOP has it's film editors going full speed ahead. I think that the term, "global testing," will be about the only thing remembered from this debate in a few days.
Podhoretz missed the telling thing about this. After Bush said nice things about Kerry, all Kerry could say was that he'd chuckled at some of the twins' comments. Very condescending and rude.
yes. it was as exciting as watching the grass grow. Guess the other two debates won't get much viewship.
If ever a man cried out to be brought low it is Kerry. My guess is that he wa referring to the girls at the convention.
Bush better get his act together ASAP , or this Nation'll turn a corner from which we'll never recover. Pres. John Kerry(and his wife), an internationalist who cares nothing for the values and ideals this country was founded upon will be President. There'll be joy in EVERY terrorist camp. We won't have to wait until January to feel their graditude!! We get what we deserve. God allows leaders to rule. Where has this Nation put Him lately??
Good post......welcome to FR.
No - it wasn't. It was downright scary!
But I agree. Bush missed SO MANY opportunities to simply correct Kerry or point out even a flip-flop during the debate on 'internationalism' vs. his 'go it alone' in N. Korea. Maybe Kerry thinks it's not really diplomacy, you know, because France and Germany weren't included?
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