Posted on 10/01/2004 9:41:18 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
The differences couldn't have been more stark.
Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, the Democratic nominee, criticized President George W. Bush's handling of the war in Iraq again and again. He defended his own position as consistent and hammered away at the deterioration of the security situation in Iraq.
Bush, a Republican running for a second term, said time and again that the war in Iraq was the correct policy for the United States to follow and that Kerry was undercutting the effort by saying it was the wrong war, at the wrong time in the wrong place. And, at every opportunity, he claimed that Kerry had changed his position on Iraq, saying that demonstrated Kerry would not be an effective commander in chief.
It was a case of Kerry on the attack and Bush counterpunching. To the extent that Kerry was more aggressive and Bush more defensive, the debate seemed to help Kerry. And his points about problems with the war had a ring of truth. The debate could have been half as long, given the frequent repetitions both candidates made. But whether the sharp exchanges and the clear policy differences expressed will affect the campaign will only be determined in the days ahead. It usually takes days, if not longer, for the dust to settle and the lasting impressions to emerge.
One of the sharpest differences occurred when Bush charged that Kerry had "changed his position on the war in Iraq." Bush said, "You cannot lead if you send mixed messages . . . there must be certainty."
Kerry countered, saying: "It's one thing to have certainty. . . you can be certain and be wrong." He said the president has not recognized how badly the situation has deteriorated in Iraq and doesn't have a plan to improve it.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
As Hugh Hewitt said, Bush was going to the body. He was hitting body blow after body blow, which weakens Kerry and wears him out. Kerry's hurt and he doesn't even know it.
There are five weeks left in this campaign, and Bush is going to knock him out in a later round.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.