FR Live Thread: Bush Kerry - First Debate - Thread 2 - Here we go!

[Admin Moderator]

Thread 1 - Pre-Debate discussion

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"Oh, for God's sake, Tonkin... will you PLEASE cut out posting pictures on such a busy thread???
You're slowing down EVERYONE!"

Kerry : Help is on the way!
Hanoi Jane Partners with MoveOn.Org
Click Here


"First I picked Edwards BUT now I pick Hanoi Jane!"

Edwards played football in 1971 when he turned 18
instead of serving in Vietnam.
Hanoi Jane at least was a Viet Cong!
Just like me!

Hanoi Jane and I know how to demoralize US Troops serving today!

We hate US Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We hate all US Troops!

We lie about them in 2004 the same as we did in the 60's and 70's!

We vow to insult and undermine Iraq Prime Minister Ayad Allawi

We vow to protect the UN and the Oil for Food Scandal

We vow to keep secret the ties between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaida

We vow to free Saddam Hussein with help from our old friend Ramsey Clark.

John F. Kerry
Timeline of a traitor.
Click Here

Free online version of
Kerry's "The New Soldier"
You can read it online right now.

[gocats]

Gen> Tommy Franks just called kerry a liar on FOX.

[Howlin]

Tommy Franks just said "Senator Kerry, who reads the same intelligence we do, said that Osama bin Laden was in Afghanistan; I don't think there's a single person in the Intelligence community that would agree with that."

[Cincincinati Spiritus]

The questions were clearly biased...question after question to Kerry concerned what he will do in the future, but I'm hard-pressed to think of a similar one for Bush.

Actually, I disagree. Lehr asked the good questions about what Kerry plans to do, because Kerry avoids saying what he plans to do -- in my opinion because he doesn't really have a plan (can't decide).

[hoosiermama]

Only got to hear the last half hour or so....How can Kerry want only bilateral talks with NK, but insist that we should have had a larger coalition for Iraq? It doesn't seem consistent to me.

[Tennessean4Bush]

Polls will be moving in the wrong direction over the next week

I doubt it. While anyone watching the debate saw Kerry as confident and slick and probably scored more debate points, Kerry left himself wide open for recasting during the next week as contradicting himself several times again. Bush got a simple message out tonight, that he would continue to be consistent, strong, and resolute in protecting America and waging the war in Iraq and on Terror in general.

[Concerned]

I STATED: "As I said in an earlier post, it is clear that Kerry had the questions ahead of time."

SINKSPUR RESPONDED: "That is just bullshit. What's the matter with you people? Bush turns in a clunker performance, and you want to come up with a stupid conspiracy!"

SINKSPUR ADDED: "Let's do better next time, but please, people, let's not turn into kooks."

Sorry, Sinkspur, but Kerry confidently referred to knowing the question would be coming up later in the debate.

[OldFriend]

Do you get the feeling that some in the media are deathly afraid of a Kerry presidency?

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Yep. People need to stop and think about this logically.

If Joe 6-pack, Mr. or Ms. Undecided is watching this, he/she is expecting to hear about the war on terror and homeland security.

Kerry spoke in his usual platitudinal manner and then threw in the crap about more cops and firefighters.

HUHHHLLLOOOO!!!!! Cops and firemen come into play AFTER we are hit. My son-in-law is a police officer. They receive warnings and the like, but they can't really do much to stop a terrorist act unless they happen upon something specific.

Bush made it crystal clear that it is our job to be on the OFFENSIVE; not hire more people for the clean-up. Geez Louise !!!!!!!

[Pukin Dog]

I wanted to read through all the posts before I gave my opinion on tonight, because I was hoping that someone else would have made the point before me.

Some folks have gotten caught up in the style argument and forgetting about substance. In this single debate, Kerry said Saddam was not a threat, then later he said he WAS a threat. It does not matter how smooth Kerry looked while he was standing there lying, he LIED.

As Rush said, the media would give Kerry the nod tonight no matter what happened, so get over it. I think you will find over the next few days however, is that Kerry will NOT move up in the polls, because no matter how well he is able to wiggle out of answering a question, he is an unlikable SOB who cannot connect with the majority of America.

Did Bush knock him out? No, I don't think so. I think that Kerry has disappointed many Democrats by attempting to suggest that he would try to win the war instead of pull out. I think Bush scored on Kerry's denigration of the coalition, but overall, I would call the debate a draw, and based on that, it was a victory for Bush.

[jq2]

I've been trying to submit my vote on CNN.com for the last 20 minutes it comes up with the "page not found error"

With all the internet activity, the entire web is acting screwy. I have had a bear of a time posting here

CNN has 10,889 votes for Bush and 48,578 for Kerry at 11:39PM

[B Knotts]

Agreed. I will say this though: somewhere (maybe Dales' site?) I read something about the effect of debates on elections, and the facts seem to show that they have very little lasting effect.

The exception was 1980, when the sole debate was held one week before the election.

[Lee Shore]

Flash, Kerry's technique was to throw as many dubious accusations as he could during his time segments. An acccusation takes much less time to make than a rebuttal. It's an old debater tactic and Kerry used it to the full.

Dishonest? Of course it is. We're surprised that Kerry is dishonest, after his Winter Soldier capers and subsequent activities?

[Dolphy]

Undecideds will still lean toward Bush.

My love for the President has long been somewhat of a curiosity to me since I typically lean toward the more articulate. Initially, I didn't think he did very well tonight. Now, an hour later, I can't recall a thing Kerry said that translates into policy and I can remember many things the President said. Yes, the President missed some chances to specifically attack Kerry's charges but in the end, I think the President leaves a stronger impression.

[MeekOneGOP]

Karen liked the way the President showed his true self!

And so did I !!! Thanks. :^D

[A Citizen Reporter]

I just love that General!

[Theophilus]

The problem I have is that I'm not that smart, but I had five different comebacks to Kerry's accusations that would have made the Senator look like a fool.

Our Rocky needs a Paulie (ZELL MILLER) to coach him for the next debate.

[handy]

Kerry....still voted for a War In Iraq, and voted against spending money to support the war, and then had the audacity to say..that he would provide high tech armor for our troops. KERRY IS A BOLD FACE LIAR.

Yup. I thought Bush missed a lot of opportunities to illustrate this.

[Cosmo]

Oh,I know you weren't dissing Dubya. I think Kerry needs to be called on his unwillingness to do the job he already has.