Posted on 10/08/2004 8:25:59 PM PDT by ambrose
Posted on Fri, Oct. 08, 2004
Bush Fights to Keep Emotions in Check
RON FOURNIER
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - President Bush smirked and winked and chuckled to himself. He jumped from his stool, chopped at the air and interrupted the debate moderator. As he fought to keep his emotions in check in a testy, personal debate with Sen. John Kerry, the president asserted, "That answer almost made me scowl."
Several answers brought Bush's emotions to the surface, for better or worse, as he sought to curb Kerry's momentum.
The question that hung over the second of their three debates was whether Bush's aggressive, hyper style was an effective tool or a damaging habit - an extension of his disastrous first debate performance. Reviews were mixed.
Bush "seemed wound a bit too tight. He was a little like Nixon - sort of jumping out of his suit," said David Niven, political science professor at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. "He looked bad on the TV close-ups."
"Kerry was way too wordy and Bush was folksy, feisty," said Charles Franklin, political science professor at the University of Wisconsin. "Bush looked comfortable, and produced a plausible story line."
As for voters, especially those in the shrinking mushy middle yet to make up their minds, both Bush and Kerry presented an angry, negative face to national politics.
Several said they were disappointed by both men.
"They're very argumentative. I'm actually disgusted," said Jennifer Schmitz, 38, a mother of three in Klamath Falls, Ore. "It's the same old back and forth meanness."
In their 90-minute faceoff, Kerry was cooler and windier, but no less confrontational.
"He gave you a speech" on Iraq "and told you he'd plan carefully," Kerry told the crowd of uncommitted voters standing in for millions of Americans watching the debate. "He didn't. He broke his word."
At times, Kerry swiveled to address Bush directly, forcing camera angles that caught the president's facial reactions. Bush seemed to be aware that his reactions were being watched; as Kerry spoke, he scribbled notes or looked at the Democrat.
"He rushed to war," Kerry said. "This president hasn't listened."
Both candidates sought to address their political vulnerabilities - for Kerry, assertions that he is a flip-flopper and, for Bush, the self-inflicted wounds from the first debate.
Kerry summed up Bush's re-election campaign strategy nicely - "He wants you to believe that I can't be president." Then he accused Bush of waffling on crime and education polices among others before turning the topic back to Iraq. "Let me tell you this, I have never changed my mind about Iraq," Kerry said, glossing over his history of inconsistency on the topic.
As for Bush, voters said last week they were turned off by his repetition of a few talking points during his turns at the microphone and his peevish facial expressions during Kerry's remarks. He did so poorly_ about a third of voters formed a less favorable view of him during the debate, according to an AP-Ipsos poll - that he had nowhere to go but up.
Bush cut down on the antics Friday night, but didn't eliminate them.
Early in the debate, Kerry quoted Republican senators expressing concern about Iraq. Television cameras caught Bush laughing to himself, then smirking, and finally giving a quick wink to somebody in the crowd.
He and Kerry repeatedly jumped from their stools to respond, wandering the red-carpeted stage to make their points. Bush was the most aggressive, at one point overrunning moderator Charles Gibson's attempt to pose a question after Kerry said he was "not going to go alone like this president did" in Iraq.
"I've got to answer this," Bush said, cutting off Gibson, then indignantly responded to Kerry. "You tell Tony Blair we're going alone."
Often, Bush's voice rose to nearly a shout. Was is too much? That's in the eye of the beholder.
"Bush looks the most determined. He's up and down, but he's not angry. He focused on how he responds," said Chris Montgomery, 48, an uncommitted voter in New Orleans who leaned toward Bush before the debate.
He said Kerry kept talking about his plan for Iraq, "but where was it?"
Craig Swatland, 40, an uncommitted voter listening to the debate on the radio in Bozeman, Mont., said Bush was "pretty heated up, but he's just being aggressive.
"I would just like one of these guys to answer a question," he said. "I'm tired of listening to the rhetoric and the carping."
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Bears repeating...
THE AP IS NO LONGER A NEWS SOURCE. THE AP IS A TRANSCRIPTION SERVICE FOR THE DNC!
And I'm tired of you being an "uncommitted voter", dude. If you haven't figured out which candidate will get your vote by now, you should just wear earplugs for the next few weeks and leave the country November 2nd.
Ambrose just posted the article. He didn't write it. He is a Bush supporter.
Next time, read and comprehend the article before commenting.
RON FOURNIER just wrote one of the worst hit pieces I have ever read from AP. I know that name though, I need to google him again.
Bush did quite well. Bush did well defending and explaining his position on everything from the environment to homeland security. Certainly an improvement from his performance at the first debate. He did seem, though, to have a uncomfort in his jaw. I realize that's me just being picky. He came across "cool" too. Not that cocky attitude that was on display last week. Good for him. You know what he believes in and he doesn't pander. I think Bush could've done a better job answering the final question about his mistakes. He should've been better prepared for that one.
Kerry, as expected, seemed comfortable (he's done plenty of these townhall meets) some of the time and stiff at other times. Surprisingly (he's been trained well), Kerry actually put some zest behind some of what he talked about. Still on certain questions he insisted that he "respects" a difference in opinion (eg, abortion) to the point that he comes across as pandering in an attempt to attract voters for the sake of doing just that. [Really, really, did you hear Kerry repeatedly say "really"?? Ok, enough, we gotcha Mr. Kerry.] And, that's problematic in that he doesn't seem genuine. Kerry enjoys to hear himself talk, doesn't he?!
Kerry's ongoing problem is that some of his past (eg, votes) doesn't quite gel with some of what he said (and continues to say on the trail). How do you believe someone who says one thing today, but did/said quite different in the past? Votes in the Senate to cut intel funding, while now he's all for mucho spending. (At one point during this debate, Kerry even admitted that he's going to have to cut back on some of his "favorite programs." As scary as it might seem, it begs the question about how many "favorite programs" he really has. Yikes. $$$$)
Yes, different circumstances, and yes things aren't always cut and dry, but it's still not clear who Kerry is and what he stands for. Kerry says things now, portraying himself as a moderate, but his nearly 20 years in the Senate clearly shows a different man. Hysterical how Kerry tries to wiggle out of it by complaining about how we shouldn't "label." Yah, but all your leftist surrogates can label your opponent, Senator? [Senator, in all fairness, you did refer to Bush as the "compassionate conservative" and mocked it.]
Wasn't it the nonpartisan National Journal that, after going through Kerry's voting record, placed the Senator left of the ideological center? If that's who he was for so long, how can it be that he's changed just in time for the presidential elections? Or, should we simply ignore Mr Kerry's voting record and fall for whatever he shovels our way?
Overall, no low blows or gaffes. Bush, 2; Kerry, 1.
###
When AP says the reviews were "mixed," that means Bush won hands down.
Did anyone notice Bush slipping his hand into his jacket a few times(as if to adjust tie or such)?
That was a tribute to Rodney Dangerfield!!! I don't get know respect!
He did at least admit Kerry "glossed over" his positions on Iraq.
Frankly, for a Fournier piece, this is pretty balanced in my opinion and shows we won big.
hehe, could be!
Yeah- is Mark Halperin related to Soros buddy Morton Halperin?
MSNBC pundits just said the press room has been wanting to write the 'anger story' about Bush all week. They ended by saying "I wouldn't be suprised if we see a story tomorrow".
Funny. Looks like they won't have to wait.
Kerry contradicted himself within a few minutes tonight on Iraq:
At one point he said that he's always thought Saddam was a threat and has never changed that position.
A few minutes later he said the president took his eye off the ball and went after Saddam even though he wasn't a threat to us.
Yep,you can tell that Ron Fournier was in quite a tizzy when he wrote his little diatrabe for AP. He knows Kerry the Alter Boy got whacked, so Ron throws a hissy fit to help little Johnny. Here's Ron:
The Portland Oregonian Newspaper Offers More Misleading And Biased Articles on President Bush
"Kerry fights to keep stuffing inside as Bush rips it out.
What a biased headline."
Media biased??? I would neverrrrr have guessed.
"Fournier's gangrene: A horrendous infection of the genitalia that causes severe pain in the genital area..." http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=19551
Mrs. Schmitz should refrain from operating heavy machinery or ballot booth equipment at all costs.
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