Did Kerry Violate Debate Rules By Using Cheat Sheet?

Mensnewsdaily.com ^ | October 3, 2004

[AmericanMade1776]

Democratic Presidential Candidate John Kerry may have violated the rules governing last Thursday's presidential debate.

According to Section 5 (pps 4 and 5) of the Memorandum of Understanding that was negotiated and agreed upon by both the Bush and Kerry campaigns:

(c) No props, notes, charts, diagrams, or other writings or other tangible things may be brought into the debate by either candidate. ...

(d) Notwithstanding subparagraph 5(c), the candidates may take notes during the debate on the size, color and type of paper each side prefers. Each candidate must submit to the staff of the Commission prior to the debate all such paper and any pens or pencils with which a candidate may wish to take notes during the debate, and the staff or commission will place such paper, pens and pencils on the podium, table or other structure to be used by the candidate in that debate.

On Sunday, INDC Journal and Daily Recycler produced a video and close-up stills showing that Senator Kerry apparently violated the rules signed by his campaign.

The video shows Kerry pulling what looks like crib notes from his jacket and placing them on his lectern at the start of the debate.

The website zombietime.com has posted a frame-by-frame view of the event here.

Use of crib notes during the debate would constitute a material breach of Memorandum of Understanding, though it is unclear if Kerry would be sanctioned.

[Just mythoughts]

Makes me wonder if the camera guys who had to see this slick move aren't the ones who leaked it.

[stockpirate]

Well I think there is more to come of this.

[Just mythoughts]

I would think so as well, Fox has the tape and they can enhance all their videos and show us all a more clear picture of a huge white "cornered" pen.


Reminds me yesterday of how Brit Hume on Fox Sunday went on and on about how JFKerry did the best he had ever seen him. Maybe there are reasons why JFKerry sounded like a "super-debator".

[Iwo Jima]

Those who say we shouldn't focus on this are wrong! This is exactly what we should focus on because it's exactly the sort of thing that undecided or swing voters care about and will form the basis of their votes.

Maybe the Bush campaign shouldn't focus on it, but as with the Swift Vets and the CBS TANG memos, someone else definitely should.

And we're just the guys to do it.

[stockpirate]

Have you seen the first thread on this? It has over 40,000 hits and 1,700 posts.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1234146/posts

[stockpirate]

I think the Kerry campaign is going to be blasted by this. With it moving from FR to Drudge in a matter of minutes and some have said it has been on Fox News.

I would hope that Rush and Hannity speak about it today.

The first thread is
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1234146/posts

[Just mythoughts]

Yep was there when the first thread began, title change, and followed through out the day.

You did great work ALL day yesterday...

[stockpirate]

Thanks, I wanted to be sure that when the "Killer Bees" attacked they would not succeed, and boy they tried.

Someone created a logon last night and wrote a post to me claiming that Bush had an earpiece and on and on. The mods deleted the account and the post.

Then there were posters saying it is no big deal and to get a life.

[Iwo Jima]

Yes I have and thanks for the headsup.

Kerry should have to spend the rest of the week addressing the allegations that he cheated. He will probably have a dozen different conflicting explanations -- "I didn't pull anything from my pocket, that's a Bush lie. I just took a handkerchief from my pocket. The note cards I took from my pocket were blanks to write on during the debate. All debaters take their note cards with their notes to the debates, but Bush and you people wouldn't know that since you're not expert debaters like I am. Bush did it, too. "

[stockpirate]

Here is something I have picked up on FR. That it may have been a text messaging divice, and that someone sadi it appeared that John removed an earpiece at the end of the debate.

[Just mythoughts]

"Thanks, I wanted to be sure that when the "Killer Bees" attacked they would not succeed, and boy they tried.

Someone created a logon last night and wrote a post to me claiming that Bush had an earpiece and on and on. The mods deleted the account and the post.

Then there were posters saying it is no big deal and to get a life."

Was a strange contrast of posters who seemed not interested in what the "pictures" showed, and those you sought to point a finger of blame to the President.

What makes me think he pulled "help" out of his pocket other than the "pictures", is the contrast of his speech/debate and that midnight show in Ohio the night of the Republican Convention, JFKerry was a complete lunatic that night and nothing prevented him from reading a prepared speech that night.

[Just mythoughts]

"Here is something I have picked up on FR. That it may have been a text messaging divice, and that someone sadi it appeared that John removed an earpiece at the end of the debate."


I read those posts as well, however, need more than claims need video/photos.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

Mancow just brought this up on F&F and E.D. said it was a "PEN." I know she's a dem, but in the blowup of that footage I do NOT see a pen!

The thing is, if the Dems think that Bush isn't so smart, and they think that Kerry is so intellectually challenged that he cannot defeat Bush in a debate without notes.... they really do not care about this country. I know that they don't, but.... this makes it all the more obvious. They know Kerry is just an empty suit, and still, they would put him in charge of the lives of their children and grandchildren. Unbelieveable.

[stockpirate]

I just created another thread to cover the earpiece and text messaging device. Hope it doesn't get deleted and we can find out the answers to theses two questions.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1234631/posts

[Just mythoughts]

Keep the pressure on FOX, holder of the video feed to show us all camera angles of what that object with corners and straight lines was that came out of JFKerry's pocket.

[Iwo Jima]

I'm sticking with note cards. It looks like notes cards to me, and Kerry would be familiar with/comfortable with/reliant upon note cards to get him through a debate. Plus, he could have an innocent explanation (albeit not a very convincing one) if he got caught. What's he going to say if he got caught with an earpiece? "It wasn't hooked up...I didn't know it was against the rules to wear an earpiece..."?

[Iwo Jima]

That's sad that ED would think that it was a pen. It's clearly not. Some people -- even some FReepers -- just WANT there to be an innocent explanation so badly that they fall for anything.

[IrishRainy]

I wouldn't be surprised if Kerry WANTED Bush to see him bring out those cards, knowing it would infuriate him, then distract him all through the debate. Supposedly, Bush doesn't do well when he's ticked off, so maybe that was the plan all along. Kerry pry figured Bush was too classy of a guy to make a big scene, and he was right. So he got away with it THIS TIME.

[benice]

DRUDGE JUST SAID THE NY SLIMES IS PICKING THIS UP FOR TOMORROW (FRONT PAGE).........WHOO-HOOOO!!!

Oh GOD, I hope so!! Can't wait to listen to Rush later....he better spend all 3 hours on this...all week.

[LibSnubber]

"So he got away with it THIS TIME."

In a liberal's universe it's only cheating if you get caught - and then sometimes not even then. If that had been the President - the news would have been everywhere in the world.