DISPARITY IN THRUST AND TENOR OF DEBATE QUESTIONS.

These are the questions posed to President Bush and to Senator Kerry in Thursday evening's debate.

QUESTION 1 TO KERRY: Do you believe you could do a better job than President Bush in preventing another 9/11-type terrorist attack on the United States?

QUESTION 2 TO KERRY: "Colossal misjudgments." What colossal misjudgments, in your opinion, has President Bush made in these areas?

QUESTION 3 TO KERRY: As president, what would you do, specifically, in addition to or differently to increase the homeland security of the United States than what President Bush is doing?

QUESTION 4 TO KERRY: Speaking of Vietnam, you spoke to Congress in 1971, after you came back from Vietnam, and you said, quote, "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?" Are Americans now dying in Iraq for a mistake?

QUESTION 5 TO KERRY: . You just -- you've repeatedly accused President Bush -- not here tonight, but elsewhere before -- of not telling the truth about Iraq, essentially of lying to the American people about Iraq. Give us some examples of what you consider to be his not telling the truth.

QUESTION 6 TO KERRY: Can you give us specifics, in terms of a scenario, time lines, et cetera, for ending major U.S. military involvement in Iraq?

QUESTION 7 TO KERRY: What is your position on the whole concept of preemptive war?

QUESTION 8 TO KERRY: Senator Kerry, you mentioned Darfur, the Darfur region of Sudan. Fifty thousand people have already died in that area. More than a million are homeless. And it's been labeled an act of ongoing genocide. Yet neither one of you or anyone else connected with your campaigns or your administration that I can find has discussed the possibility of sending in troops. Why not?

QUESTION 9 TO KERRY: if you are elected president, what will you take to that office thinking is the single most serious threat to the national security to the United States?

QUESTION 1 TO PRESIDENT BUSH: New question, Mr. President, two minutes. Do you believe the election of Senator Kerry on November the 2nd would increase the chances of the U.S. being hit by another 9/11-type terrorist attack?

QUESTION 2 TO PRESIDENT BUSH: New question, Mr. President. Two minutes. What about Senator Kerry's point, the comparison he drew between the priorities of going after Osama bin Laden and going after Saddam Hussein?

QUESTION 3 TO PRESIDENT BUSH: New question, Mr. President. Two minutes. What criteria would you use to determine when to start bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq?

QUESTION 4 TO PRESIDENT BUSH: You have said there was a, quote, "miscalculation," of what the conditions would be in post-war Iraq. What was the miscalculation, and how did it happen?

QUESTION 5 TO PRESIDENT BUSH: Has the war in Iraq been worth the cost of American lives, 1,052 as of today?

QUESTION 6 TO PRESIDENT BUSH: Does the Iraq experience make it more likely or less likely that you would take the United States into another preemptive military action?

QUESTION 7 TO PRESIDENT BUSH: Do you believe that diplomacy and sanctions can resolve the nuclear problems with North Korea and Iran? Take them in any order you would like.

QUESTION 8 TO PRESIDENT BUSH: Clearly, as we have heard, major policy differences between the two of you. Are there also underlying character issues that you believe, that you believe are serious enough to deny Senator Kerry the job as commander in chief of the United States?

QUESTION 9 TO PRESIDENT BUSH: LEHRER: All right. Mr. President, this is the last question. And two minutes. It's a new subject -- new question, and it has to do with President Putin and Russia. Did you misjudge him or are you -- do you feel that what he is doing in the name of antiterrorism by changing some democratic processes is OK?

Is it just me, or did most of the questions posed to Kerry have within them a stated premise which cast President Bush in a bad light and provided Kerry with a springboard from which to launch an attack on The President?

And is it just me, or did most of the questions posed to President Bush have within them an accusatory premise which automatically placed The President in a defensive position and forced him to try to disprove the premise of the question; such as, "Do you still beat your wife;" or, "Have you stopped molesting children?"

It's not just you, plus it seemed as though Kerry may even had a heads up on some of the questions because he answered too quickly, without a moments hesitation, like a game show contestant.

3 posted on 10/01/2004 9:13:27 PM PDT by FesterUSMC (If you don't have the hammer your going to be the anvil, and I would rather be the hammer!FesterUSMC)

Of course it's not just you. Of course the questions were slanted. We knew going in that Lehrer was going to throw softball questions for Kerry and curveballs for Bush.

Not just you. It was clear to me as well. And it all lined up perfectly so the talking heads could start with the "Bush was so defensive" mantra. Sickening.

Lehrer didn't ask Bush, "You've accused Senator Kerry of flip-flopping on various issues. Give us some examples of what you consider flip-flopping."

nailed it. I always though Lehrer his his political persuasion well. PBS or not, I couldn't tell his political bent. Now I can.

Not a single question on Kerrys Senate record voting against weapons systems, appropriations and squaring that with what he now says.

Bush was ambushed by Lehrer. PBS should be proud.

Michael Savage was a little off when he called lehrer a "Baggie-Eyed Bolshevik". It looks a little more like "Beadie-Eyed Bolshevik". His eyes look like those big marbles that are glued to a teddie bear. Make that a Teddy-Kennedy bear.

I can't help but blame James Baker for this (getting Lehrer on board). He did the negotiating, couldn't he stay the hell away from the PBS wack jobs? Remember, this last year or two, unlike any other in recent memory, all bets are off, civility has hit a new low (Rather has ruined himself for the cause, Alec Baldwin trashed his own career for the cause, Senators are now shouting "Liar" in the well of the senate, the shreiking and desparation of the democrats has hit a new high, and on and on....)

Bush needs to get rid of all his Pop's people and find some of his own. His Pop's people have done nothing but hurt him in so many ways. Time to let go...if not too late.

He could have told Baker NOT to expose him to all these liberal moderators, or, at least have a Brit Hume type ask questions also.

W was set up and it is not always the enemy without! Whoever prepares him also is no friend.

Let's not forget that it was Bush answering the questions from Lehrer. Why blame all the people around him, and not give Bush part of the blame?

All Bush had to do was throw those questions right back at Kerry. As soon as Kerry opened his mouth about a "global test" Bush had him by the hairy's, but he didn't even make an attempt to use that opening.

When Bush was asked about the hunt for Bin Laden and fighting in Iraq at the same time Bush should have answered that: "US forces can walk and chew gum at the same time." Something Kerry doesn't think possible.

Bush is where the buck stops, and if he makes a lousy showing then we can't blame only the people around him.

As soon as Kerry opened his mouth about a "global test" Bush had him by the hairy's, but he didn't even make an attempt to use that opening.

You obviously weren't watching or listening to the debate. Bush wrote it down and pounced on him for saying it without leaving Kerry an out so that now it's a campaign issue & Bush is using it effectively on the stump.

Seriously people have to start paying attention here!

You obviously weren't watching or listening to the debate.

I watched the debate from start to finish, and saw a lot of chances for Bush to "gut" Kerry but he didn't.

I like Bush, and he's the the man I'll vote for, but I'm not going to shut my eyes to the fact that he was off his game.

At the next debate try to watch everything, try being objective, and not just see what you want to see.

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