Presidential Debate #2

I have left JC. If my deletions disrupt continuity, please accept my apology, but JC is no longer the place to be, as far as I am concerned.

[Dr Dave]

Question for Kerry: When did you stop working for Michael Dukakis?

Question for Bush: When did you stop hitting up Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud for beer money?

[lynn]

Hook them up to lie detectors. That's something they're not prepared for.

[sonic1]

Bush subjected to lie detector??? Oh my god, I would give anything...

[jaka]

Are television studios blast-proof?

[lynn]

So true.

[sonic1]

All I have to say is: If Kerry screws this one up, I will really lose faith, because it could not have been handed on more of a silver platter than this!

He should gain more momentum from here if he doesn't screw it up.

[Slurpy]

Originally Posted by lynn

Hook them up to lie detectors. That's something they're not prepared for.

You folks pretty much beat me to it but:

Oh yeah, I could just see it now. After Bush is hooked up, Moderator speaks to Bush: "In accordance with Federal Elections Commission regulations Section 27, Sub-Section 3, paragraph one, it's is required that a real-time recording and observation of bio-metric readings be scientifically and statistically analyzed and that those biometricies be immediately reported". Do you understand? "Yes" (KAABLAAAM!!!!) The thing blows up.

[RBS]

Originally Posted by sonic1

All I have to say is: If Kerry screws this one up, I will really lose faith, because it could not have been handed on more of a silver platter than this!

He should gain more momentum from here if he doesn't screw it up.

He's a very bright guy with Carville behind him. I don't see that happening.

I hope you're right about him gaining more momentum.

[graypencil]

Originally Posted by Slurpy

You folks pretty much beat me to it but:

Oh yeah, I could just see it now. After Bush is hooked up, Moderator speaks to Bush: "In accordance with Federal Elections Commission regulations Section 27, Sub-Section 3, paragraph one, it's is required that a real-time recording and observation of bio-metric readings be scientifically and statistically analyzed and that those biometricies be immediately reported". Do you understand? "Yes" (KAABLAAAM!!!!) The thing blows up.

Slurpy deserves five stars for that one!

ROTFLMAO

Another possibility is we could have John Travolta or Tom Cruise show up unexpectedly and pull a Scientology "audit" on them with the tomato cans thing ..( similar in nature to a polygraph, I've been told )

help DUBBya get rid of his "engrams" ( or whatever )

[tippy]

hey guys what time is debate Eastern time? Nine again?

[tippy]

thanks man--I know but just realized i had to run out now and didn't want to miss it if it was at 8.

[kedoane]

At least I am not watching the debate from work. Tonight, I will be either in front of the computer or working out in the gym, trying to stay far away from it as I can.

[patricia]

Originally Posted by tippy

thanks man--I know but just realized i had to run out now and didn't want to miss it if it was at 8.

Unless it's different this time, the debate will be re-broadcast in the regular rotation on CNN. I watched the last one until 1AM.

[patricia]

Originally Posted by Chris A

[b

The Patriot Act: [/b]Bush wants to extend the Patriot Act, even as prosecutions based on it are falling to pieces in the federal courts. The Democrats all voted to support the act, with little dissent. It's doubtful anyone actually read it through. Now that the courts are beginning to toss out parts of it, the Dems may gain the nerve to oppose it, or at least parts of it.[/indent]Research: David Botti

I doubt whether ANYONE has read the Patriot Act from beginning to end. That is, I think, because if you do, you will see that most of it is composed of amendments to previous legislation. Unless you are prepared to look at each piece of already exiting legislation, in place before the Patriot Act was passed, it's doubtful that anyone ever will.
Oddly enough, there were already laws in place, before Sept 11, 2001 that permitted the government to do pretty well anything it wanted to when it came to security threats. They just weren't doing them.

[BFrank]

washingtonpost.com


Something to Watch For Tonight
Friday, Oct 08, 2004; 9:29 AM

Here's a debate-watching tip: Perk up your ears every time President Bush says "of course" tonight.

Because if recent history is a guide, what's coming is a statement that his supporters might find obvious, but that his critics might consider a whopper.

I first noticed this after last week's debate. (Here's the full text.)

"Of course we're after Saddam Hussein -- I mean bin Laden," Bush said early on.

Depending on where you're coming from, politically, that's either manifestly true or a Freudian slip exposing a significant falsehood.

Later in the debate, Bush said: "And, of course, Iraq is a central part in the war on terror."

Well, that was precisely the number one point of contention that night.

So I decided to see when else Bush said "of course." And here is every other use of the phrase on debate night:

• "Of course we're doing everything we can to protect America."

• After Kerry asserted that Bush rebuffed the United Nation's offer to play a role in post-war Iraq: "Of course, the U.N. was invited in."

• "First of all, of course I know Osama bin Laden attacked us. I know that."

• "Of course, we change tactics when need to, but we never change our beliefs, the strategic beliefs that are necessary to protect this country in the world."

They all have something in common, don't they?

Bush's views were being challenged that night, and his use of the phrase "of course" sounded defensive in nature. So I decided to go back and look at how Bush used the phrase in other situations recently where he was confronted by tough questions.

Here's Bush's sole use of the phrase at his joint press conference with Iraq's interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi, last month:

• Talking about his decision to attack Saddam Hussein, Bush said: "Of course, I was hoping it could be done diplomatically. But diplomacy failed. And so the last resort of a President is to use force. And we did. And now we're -- we're helping the Iraqis."

And do you remember Bush's last prime-time press conference in April? Here's every time he used the phrase then:

• "And of course I want to know why we haven't found a weapon yet."

• Speaking of the President's Daily Brief that he received a month before Sept. 11, 2001, headlined: "Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in US," Bush said: "And of course that concern[ed] me."

• "[I]s there anything we could have done to stop the attacks? Of course I've asked that question, as have many people of my Government."

• "But of course, I expect to get valid information. I can't make good decisions unless I get valid information."

• Speaking of the war on terror: "And my fear, of course, is that this will go on for a while."

• "One of the interesting things people ask me, now that we're asking questions, is, 'Can you ever win the war on terror?' Of course you can."

[Vince Kargatis]

For some reason, I hear the "tonal success" of the candidates as opposite of the first (where I thought Bush dominated stylistically) - here Kerry sounds more confident off the bat.

...later...

Gotta mention Kerry's one killer zinger - when he said if Missouri was a country in the coalition, it would be the third largest contributor of troops. Zing! Dunno if it's true, but ouch!

[sonic1]

Kerry missed one:

When Bush was asked to list 3 mistakes, he could hardly mention even one, "I wish I didn't appoint certain people, but don't wanna go into that" (paraphrased).

Why didn't Kerry HAMMER him for not being able to mention one mistake. Bush spent that whole question defending himself, not admitting any mistake. He STILL cannot admit any mistakes.

Kerry might have done a slightly better job, but he could have taken it home if he was on the ball a little more. There were other times I was yelling at the TV because Kerry was missing some good shots.

Oh well, at least we have Bush to incriminate himself!

Kerry also could have said what he said about middle class taxes a little clearer. He was asked to say it in a few clear words and he rambled. I don't think he will raise taxes on middle class, but he is almost as long winded as me! Get to the point mother fucker!

I know others here will bash Bush, so I will let them do it. But I don't think Bush did too well tonight. I will just say that he can't admit mistakes. He has no humility and he is the best buck passer I have ever seen.

Jared

[BFrank]

DRED SCOTT EXPLAINED....Huh? "Dred Scott" is code for "Roe v. Wade"? That flew right over this blue-stater's head, but it does explain one of the more bizarro aspects of last night's debate.

Damn. It's really hard to keep up with these guys.

—Kevin Drum 6:49 PM