HUGH HEWITT: "Kerry sinking as we speak" (LIVE THREAD)

radio show ^ | 10/01/04 | Hugh Hewitt

[Steven W.]

Hugh on fire with the correct analysis on last night's debate.

[quidnunc]

Perception is realit and the perception is that Kerry mopped the floor with Bush.

Bush had to convince the undecided voter who weren't paying attention before and won't pay attention in the future that he deserves to be re-elected.

With these people he had just this one shot and he didn't make the sale.

Granted, Kerry gave Bush some good sound bytes to use, but Bush could have still gotten those bytes while looking like he cared what was going on around him.

Bush gave the Kerry campaign new life.

[Steven W.]

I commented about this last night, after the debate, and noted that observable fact - being Kerry's total anti-war position now - only serves to rev up his base. What does that say about where the race is now while any general election campaign should be focused on the middle.

Think about it - if anybody is on the fence between Kerry & Bush, they're NOT anti-war candidates. Anti-war candidates, whom Kerry was targeting with his posture in last night's debate, were split between Nader & Kerry. He did nothing to reassure true moderates who want to win the war on terror.

[hershey]

GW seemed tired last night, and no wonder. Imagine being President 24/7, campaigning, and going up against a very skilled debater who got the questions early!

[jbwbubba]

If you don't do as well as you'd like in the debate, Rove will use the clips of Kerry, re: global test and other absurdities.

I think the deal made for the debates were that no clips could be used in ads. This is what I heard, could be wrong. Wouldn't apply to internet ads

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

Kerry's camp probably feels they are on the offensive

They certainly are offensive.

[Maceman]

The bright side of all this is that it really lowers the expectations for Bush in the next debate.

[JennysCool]

they are offensive.

[My2Cents]

One thing we got out of last night's debate was a month's worth of damaging soundbites from Kerry. We'll see who actually "won" this debate when the final vote is take a month from tomorrow.

[fortheDeclaration]

I'd take Clinton or Gore over Kerry any day

There isn't a times worth of difference between the three of them.

[SVTCobra03]

You hit the nail on the head. Kerry spoke to his base while Bush spoke to the swing voters; and the swing voters were turned off by Kerry's attacks and mean-spiritedness. And Kerry gave the Republicans ammo with his ill-advised comments on Global Testing, nuclear-tipped bunker busters and North Korea. Bush gave up a tactical loss in order to gain a strategic advantage. Kerry is bleeding out and doesnt even realize it.

[JennysCool]

Beaten by 24 seconds! Drat!

[Richard Kimball]

Personally, I've always found it easier to get others to disarm when I have a bigger gun. It's probably one of those ethnic Texan things.

[jbwbubba]

I disagree, most experts say that the debate was even. Many gave the win to Kerry but it wasn't a knock out.
Bush made no big mistakes, but Kerry and "global test" will haunt him for weeks

[Steven W.]

Bush had to convince the undecided voter who weren't paying attention before and won't pay attention in the future that he deserves to be re-elected. With these people he had just this one shot and he didn't make the sale.

That is TOTALLY wrong - note my point above.

For such a person is definitely NOT anti-war or else they'd already be for Kerry or Nader (or Dean) and NEVER for Bush. Kerry didn't target those people at all; it was all negative, derogatory anti-war michael-moore-onics galore, even Halliburton and war-for-oil stuff. No moderates are swayed by that and, in fact, likely ended up in Bush's camp (I guessed a small percentage, probably 1%).

[crazyhorse691]

JFK did not cry so the Rats are happy. But did anybody pickup anything remotely resembling a sound plan of action from JFK? I tend to agree with Hewitt that JFK has just sealed his own loss. No place in the Constitution does it say the executive branch must prove anything to the world before any defense of America takes place. JFK advocates the conditional right of self-defense. Idiot.

[My2Cents]

Not only is Kerry a skilled debater, he spent the day yesterday getting preened, fluffed, botoxed, lip-glossed, and pampered. When you consider that Kerry is a guy who has hardly shown up for work in the Senate the past year, no wonder he looked more rested than Bush.

[My2Cents]

Dems: "Kerry won."

Translation: He didn't pee his pants on national TV.

[M1911A1]

I read on another thread that using the clips is verbotten until after the election, due to the debate rules agreed to.

Dunno if it is true. Certainly the statements can be used.

[Richard Kimball]

Au contraire mon, friar.

Clinton is smarter and smoother.

Gore's still trying to figure out what he wants to be when he grows up, although I think he's narrowed it down to either slimfast spokesperson or man who stands on the street corner shouting at no one.

Kerry's just as big a liar, but a lot less smooth than Clinton.

[My2Cents]

The left agrees with Kerry's subjection of American sovereignty to foreign control. That's why they're so giddy today. But this won't play well everywhere from New Jersey to the Nevada/California border.