"And the fact Kerry spoke to Lehrer and not to me and not to voters and seemed more intent on showing how much he knows rather than how much he cares? I just think that's a killer."
Ping for the SE PA ping list.
Amazing. I was expecting disasterous reviews for W today. Thats hardly the case.
The thing everybody will remember down the road is "you can't lead our troops in a war, if you call it the wrong war at the wrong time".
Hehehe... G.W is the consumnate mastery of strategery. And opponent has been terminally done in when was basking in his rival's praise. Bush killed John F*ckin' with a smile last night.
Today, people are thinking about what he said, not how he said it.
Kerry needed a knockout, and he didn't get it
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Actually, the debate is more like round 12 of a 15-rounder than round one. Kerry is so far behind he needs a knockout. Bush played defense and avoided any hard blows.
I didn't see the entire thing so maybe things happened in the parts I didn't see, but it looked more like a draw to me. Bush seemed a little defensive in some of his answers, while Kerry didn't enlighten me on what he'd actually do in Iraq if he were President, other than use the sheer fact of his being John Kerry to rally allies to our side.
I agree with those that say that the President did well enough last night. Kerry is a good debater, but the President showed last night that he is, too. No change in the race dynamics.
My coworker, who is non-political, watched last night and said that looked good, but couldn't believe all the things that he was promising to do. People are now considering what he said and it doesn't ring true. I thought Bush could of ended by saying in his closing remarks that Kerry promises alot, but can you believe him - he will change the next time the winds change
Is this a liberal newspaper?
My thoughts exactly on the debate! Kerry does chance positions depending on who he is talking to!
Bless you Hermann for finding & posting this column!
Pinging Freeper Friends.......hey guys.....this columnist saw what some of us saw last night!
Enquiring swines want to know.
pardon me for a DQ but is the second debate tonight?
This is ridiculous commentary. There was no way Kerry could have scored a knockout on issues he has "repositioned" himself all along (Iraq war, foreign policy). For Kerry to score even a draw (many say he won) on an issue which he has waffled on for years, Bush is in big trouble when they get to issues which Kerry has been consistant (though completely wrong) on.
Bush is the candidate that needed a knockout on foreign policy. When they get to tax increases and government handouts, Kerry has been steadily on the wrong side his entire career. He will look like Robinhood by comparison to Bush and the "what is my country going to do for me" crowd (the "undecided"s) will fall his way.
Lehrer shook hands with Kerry--and gave him a wink. Liberal bias so obvious, only the most deeply in denial missed it.
The debate was vintage Kerry: Unexciting and uninspiring.
This editorial is way to kind to Bush. He just didn't do well. Stylistically, that is. And he missed many opportunities to nail Kerry.
But style won't win votes for Kerry. The DNC is already making an ad showing Bush's "reactions", the smirking, etc. People all ready know this about Bush; it's already factored into the polls.
On the other hand, Kerry left himself open on several points that the RNC could exploit: The "global test" could be a killer ad, especially if it's true Kerry lifted that line from a De Villepin interview earlier this week.
Also, Kerry's idea of a summit to get France, Germany and Russia involved in Iraq is not a "plan"; it's an "objective". What is Kerry's plan to convince Chirac, Shroeder and Putin to contribute troops to a war that Kerry himself doesn't even believe is a just war? Tough sell.
Bottom line: Bush sucked last night in delivery. Kerry was eloquent, but way short on specifics. In other words, a draw, which is a good as a defeat when you're as far behind in the polls as Kerry.
According to certain members of Free Republic (MoJo refers to them as the "FReeper PMS Brigade") last night, "we lost the election" last night.
*YAWN*
Thank God none of them are running this country. I would half expect them to be WORSE than Kerry. And that's truly pathetic.