The Presidential Debate

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

Why the HELL would you bring that up?

See my response earlier. If you want to scare a certain segment into voting against Kerry, the fear of foreign judges prosecuting Americans is probably a good way to do it.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

You guys know what the final analysis will be, don't you? 1) Kerry hits a HR as he had to or 2) Kerry didn't hit a HR when he had to.

Bush tries to butt in again.

Why don't you just say "Well I think either Bush will win or Kerry will win"

[sabotai]

Kerry just did the "Clinton thumbs up" again. I can't help but to laugh when I see it.

[Peregrine]

Wow a question not about Iraq...

[Young Drachma]

I don't think indepedent voters watch the debates en masse. I think that its people who are already decided and they watch to cheer like sports fan - or to call the other guy names.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

Wow a question not about Iraq...

It IS a foreign affairs debate.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

See my response earlier. If you want to scare a certain segment into voting against Kerry, the fear of foreign judges prosecuting Americans is probably a good way to do it.

true that....i thought of that after i posted it.

I was more thinking it would go over the heads of most voters, tis' all.

[Warhammer]

Love Kerry's comments on NK, we want bilateral talks with NK. But, he says we are being to unilateral elsewhere. Gotta love that since Bush is doing in NK, what Kerry said he should have done in Iraq.

[Sharpieman]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

Bush does seem incredibly aggravated. I'm not sure why.

Regardless of what political spectrum your on, I think everyone pretty much agrees that Bush doesn't like to be questioned about his actions. Some see it as assertive, others see it as stubborness.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

I don't think indepedent voters watch the debates en masse. I think that its people who are already decided and they watch to cheer like sports fan - or to call the other guy names.

I disagree. I heard about half of the expected voters will be tuning in. I think some will be entrenched in their candidates (as most here are, me included) but a lot will be undecided voters.

[Warhammer]

Kerry talks about a backdoor draft, but then states he is going to make two more divisions... Where is he getting the troops for that?

[Young Drachma]

The problem in Sudan is.....

Not all the killers are Arabs. There are black folks who are killing, too. It's not genocide. It's more complicated than that. If we went there, things would be a lot worse because we just don't understand the dynamics of the situation.

That said, Sudan's government sux.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by Chubby

But he's playing to voters who have already decided to vote for him, not sound strategy IMO.

That's pretty ignorant, esp. considering past elections. The key in presidential elections is who gets the vote out on voting day. Modern elections (since WW2) has shown that it is tougher to get the Dems out to vote. In other words, they have to be excited about their candidate to get out and actually vote for him. It happened in 92 and in a reverse way, in 96 (where the Reps didn't get the vote out). We'll get 60% of the eligible voters out, the other 40% don't need paying attention to.

[Suicane75]

is Tootie going to Iraq? Why not Blair or Natalie? Just don't send Jo, she stays here with me.

[Sharpieman]

So far, this debate is pretty much even, I think Bush is winning because he's more on the offense than the defense.

[Peregrine]

Some see it as assertive, others see it as stubborness

Either way its not a bad thing in a President, though it does make it tough in debates. Kerry keeps prodding him and prodding him and you can just see him getting madder and madder, and trying to keep calm.

[Celeval]

I think Kerry won the second half-hour of the debate, but Bush is picking up ground in the last bit. He seems to have gotten control of himself a bit, and is sniping at Kerry a bit more selectively.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Chubby

But he's playing to voters who have already decided to vote for him, not sound strategy IMO.

I get the impression he's playing to the "potential voters"--the people who may or may not vote at all. Keep in mind that a small percentage of those eligible to vote actually elect the President. If either candidate could give the "I-may-or-may-not-vote" people a compelling reason to show up at the polls, he'll win. There are plenty of people in the battleground states who are generally politically apathetic, but if they hear that Kerry wants to let "furreners" prosecute American troops, that might get 'em to show up at the polls.

[SackAttack]

DC, I gotta agree with you on the 'root for their guy' thing. I think the independent voters are probably fairly sick of the whole thing and probably already know for whom they're going to 'hold-my-nose-and-swallow.'

Sharpie, I agree that he doesn't like to be questioned, but I've seen him field questions of this nature before without getting so downright restless and aggressive. I can see where it might be wearing on him, but this just isn't the venue to be showing his irritation.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

I don't think indepedent voters watch the debates en masse. I think that its people who are already decided and they watch to cheer like sports fan - or to call the other guy names.

Bingo.

[Young Drachma]

So, its obvious that they get some sort of prep on these questions prior to the debates. I think people at home might think its all impromptu.

I think I meant that for the non-savvy people...

[Sharpieman]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

Sharpie, I agree that he doesn't like to be questioned, but I've seen him field questions of this nature before without getting so downright restless and aggressive. I can see where it might be wearing on him, but this just isn't the venue to be showing his irritation.

Yea, though he seems to be calming down a bit.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

That's pretty ignorant, esp. considering past elections. The key in presidential elections is who gets the vote out on voting day. Modern elections (since WW2) has shown that it is tougher to get the Dems out to vote. In other words, they have to be excited about their candidate to get out and actually vote for him. It happened in 92 and in a reverse way, in 96 (where the Reps didn't get the vote out). We'll get 60% of the eligible voters out, the other 40% don't need paying attention to.

Then why have debates at all


Here we go "Kerry is a flipflopper" routine again, and he's flubbing it too.

[Ben E Lou]

Oh isn't this sweet, why don't they just kiss each other and take a picture while they talk about their wives and daughters?

[Chubby]

"I kind of put a leash on them" - Bush on his daughters. HA!

[Sharpieman]

Wow Friendliness...I want to see a huge

[GoldenEagle]

Originally Posted by Sharpieman

So far, this debate is pretty much even, I think Bush is winning because he's more on the offense than the defense.

I agree. It seems up and down. No one has hooked a big fish yet. Just when one seems to be gaining ground, they stumble.

[Sharpieman]

I don't know about you, but I would suspect that a lot of people think both these canidates are extremely flawed

[Buccaneer]

We have debates for the same reason we have televised political conventions - they sell ads.

Televised debates are meaningless, imo - always have been. To find out true positions, without the pressure TV lights blinking, read a good newspaper.

[Sharpieman]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

I agree. It seems up and down. No one has hooked a big fish yet. Just when one seems to be gaining ground, they stumble.

Yea, but if that happens, in the end, Bush wins because Kerry doesn't get a jump in the polls.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

I agree. It seems up and down. No one has hooked a big fish yet. Just when one seems to be gaining ground, they stumble.

About what I expected....

Though its interesting how Bush makes the distinction about how he's been President and how he's done it because he's the leader. I think that's probably a good company line to trumpet.

I dunno if it does anything to get new voters to his side.

[Celeval]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

So, its obvious that they get some sort of prep on these questions prior to the debates. I think people at home might think its all impromptu.

It's not like there's all that many directions the questions are going to go in. I imagine each campaign has a team putting together dozens of potential questions to be prepped for.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Sharpieman

I don't know about you, but I would suspect that a lot of people think both these candidates are extremely flawed

Well, I would hope that is obvious. I've thought all along that neither is getting my vote, and tonight has done nothing to change that.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

We have debates for the same reason we have televised political conventions - they sell ads.

Televised debates are meaningless, imo - always have been. To find out true positions, without the pressure TV lights blinking, read a good newspaper.

I'll get in my time machine and go back to 1950 like you'd like.



Just look at 4 years ago for an impact on an election debates gave.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by Sharpieman

I don't know about you, but I would suspect that a lot of people think both these canidates are extremely flawed

Raises hand. What has become of the political game is flawed.

GE: WHich was the basis for my comment earlier - Kerry's behind and have to hit a HR. Of course his allies and handlers will say that he did.

[Chubby]

Kerry solid on nuclear proliferation and bringing up the bunker busters. We'll see if Bush stumbles on nuclear...

[KWhit]

Great answer by Kerry about nuclear proliferation.

[Celeval]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

We have debates for the same reason we have televised political conventions - they sell ads.

Er... that explains the total lack of commercial breaks, Bucc.

It's not like it's not on every single channel anyway.

[Joe]

Kerry needs to mention Kennedy a few more times

[KWhit]

Originally Posted by Chubby

Kerry solid on nuclear proliferation and bringing up the bunker busters. We'll see if Bush stumbles on nuclear...

And on "proliferation" too.

[Peregrine]

I don't know about you, but I would suspect that a lot of people think both these canidates are extremely flawed

Definitely that's my view too.

[Sharpieman]

Originally Posted by Chubby

Kerry solid on nuclear proliferation and bringing up the bunker busters. We'll see if Bush stumbles on nuclear...

you mean the word or the question?

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by Chubby

I'll get in my time machine and go back to 1950 like you'd like.



Just look at 4 years ago for an impact on an election debates gave.

Funny, none of the in-depth post-elections analyses by the various think tanks mentioned them.

By the way, don't you read the papers today at all or are you like the many that has to see it on TV?

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by George W Bush

Kerry needs to mention Kennedy a few more times

You need to mention the 10 million new voters in afghanistan and that Kerry flip flops too


Bush is only worried about nukes in the hands of terrorists??? Bad answer, very bad.

[Peregrine]

We busted the A.Q. Khan network? Does he mean in the sense that we exposed him, Pakistan issued a rubber stamp pardon and went on their way as normal?

[BigJohn&TheLions]

I think the only thing that we may be able to agree upon is that after this debate people who went in liking Bush will think he won the debate and plan on voting for him and the same for Kerry. It's not like anyone will be swayed by anything in this debate.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by Sharpieman

you mean the word or the question?

the word.

Bucc - I read a paper everyday, thanks. I actually read the Buffalo News because the Rochester paper blows but thanks for the concern. TV has a much greater influence than a newspaper, if you think otherwise you are foolish.

[GoldenEagle]

Is anyone else surprised that North Korea has became such a focal point in this debate? I really do not think it is that big of an issue on voter's mind right now. Kerry is attacking it though.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by Celeval

Er... that explains the total lack of commercial breaks, Bucc.

It's not like it's not on every single channel anyway.

You obviously didn't see all of the "pre-game" stuff on the news and cable. But stick around for the post-game show. Everyone wants to see who won and such. And then we get the day-after-game QBs which the newsies will be playing the one-liners and sound bites to their audience. Ratings will go up.

[Chubby]

Bush is on a one name basis with Putin now?