Marcus Bryant
10-01-2004, 12:13 PM
This guy saw the debate I did.
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/9806488.htm
1st round goes to W.
Kerry needed a knockout, and he didn't get it
John Baer
Philadelphia Daily News
HILLARY won.
Or one of the Johns. You know, McCain or Edwards.
Or anybody else seriously looking to run in '08 after George W. Bush serves out his second term.
That's because John Kerry, who had to score a knockout last night, landed some punches but didn't take the title.
Yeah, he looked a little tougher than when he's windsurfing off Nantucket in spandex.
And, OK, he had a good line about how it's one thing to always be "certain" but one can, after all, be certain and wrong.
And he even seemed somewhat directed and focused.
But this debate, critical if not determinative to the outcome of the election, did not take Kerry where he needs to be.
Instead, the champ at staying on message is still the undisputed George W. Bush.
How so?
Because of one moment that defined the debate and the race.
When debate moderator Jim Lehrer asked Bush if there are "character issues" that maybe should keep Kerry from being president, Bush showed he's a consummate politician.
He first did some aw-shucks plain-speak. "Whew, that's a loaded question."
See, he's just folks.
Then he graciously praised Kerry's service to country and family, calling him "a great dad," and even praised his service in the Senate.
It was Bush being the nice guy, the guy people like. Brilliant.
Then he hit Kerry with the message of the night, indeed the campaign:
"He changes positions."
It was the pat on the back before slipping in the shiv.
It fit perfectly with his performance throughout the 90-minute encounter.
Bush over and over tagged Kerry for changing his position on Iraq and said several times one can't lead if you say, as Kerry has, it's "the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Ah repetition. The mother's milk of campaign victories.
Plus Bush looked the part: aggressive, firm, strong.
From the moment he stalked across the stage (first one out of the wings) to Kerry's podium to shake his hand, to his tight-lipped PO'd look caught on camera as Kerry sniped at him, as opposed to Kerry's smiling and nodding as Bush swiped at him.
(Don't you think they should have traded ties? Kerry wore red, Bush blue, but their states are just the opposite colors.)
When Kerry got to answer the "character" question, he floated off on something about stem-cell research and global warming (the debate topic was foreign policy and homeland security).
And the fact Kerry spoke to Lehrer and not to me and not to voters and seemed more intent on showing how much he knows rather than how much he cares? I just think that's a killer.
Bush worked the camera and Lehrer with a nice mix of eye contact and practiced talking points.
He used his occasional 30-second extensions, a debate rule allowing for continued discussion of a single question, to answer every charge Kerry made.
Kerry, at least once, tried to do the same and couldn't even get Lehrer's attention.
Mostly Bush very much stayed the course.
The war is hard work, which he said, I don't know, a dozen times, but we're going to win. Saddam was a threat. America's safer.
"We're going to win this war in Iraq."
Kerry, when he finally looked into the camera for his closing remarks, said, "I believe America's best days are ahead of us."
For me, stuff like "whew, that's a loaded question" works much better.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/9806488.htm
1st round goes to W.
Kerry needed a knockout, and he didn't get it
John Baer
Philadelphia Daily News
HILLARY won.
Or one of the Johns. You know, McCain or Edwards.
Or anybody else seriously looking to run in '08 after George W. Bush serves out his second term.
That's because John Kerry, who had to score a knockout last night, landed some punches but didn't take the title.
Yeah, he looked a little tougher than when he's windsurfing off Nantucket in spandex.
And, OK, he had a good line about how it's one thing to always be "certain" but one can, after all, be certain and wrong.
And he even seemed somewhat directed and focused.
But this debate, critical if not determinative to the outcome of the election, did not take Kerry where he needs to be.
Instead, the champ at staying on message is still the undisputed George W. Bush.
How so?
Because of one moment that defined the debate and the race.
When debate moderator Jim Lehrer asked Bush if there are "character issues" that maybe should keep Kerry from being president, Bush showed he's a consummate politician.
He first did some aw-shucks plain-speak. "Whew, that's a loaded question."
See, he's just folks.
Then he graciously praised Kerry's service to country and family, calling him "a great dad," and even praised his service in the Senate.
It was Bush being the nice guy, the guy people like. Brilliant.
Then he hit Kerry with the message of the night, indeed the campaign:
"He changes positions."
It was the pat on the back before slipping in the shiv.
It fit perfectly with his performance throughout the 90-minute encounter.
Bush over and over tagged Kerry for changing his position on Iraq and said several times one can't lead if you say, as Kerry has, it's "the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Ah repetition. The mother's milk of campaign victories.
Plus Bush looked the part: aggressive, firm, strong.
From the moment he stalked across the stage (first one out of the wings) to Kerry's podium to shake his hand, to his tight-lipped PO'd look caught on camera as Kerry sniped at him, as opposed to Kerry's smiling and nodding as Bush swiped at him.
(Don't you think they should have traded ties? Kerry wore red, Bush blue, but their states are just the opposite colors.)
When Kerry got to answer the "character" question, he floated off on something about stem-cell research and global warming (the debate topic was foreign policy and homeland security).
And the fact Kerry spoke to Lehrer and not to me and not to voters and seemed more intent on showing how much he knows rather than how much he cares? I just think that's a killer.
Bush worked the camera and Lehrer with a nice mix of eye contact and practiced talking points.
He used his occasional 30-second extensions, a debate rule allowing for continued discussion of a single question, to answer every charge Kerry made.
Kerry, at least once, tried to do the same and couldn't even get Lehrer's attention.
Mostly Bush very much stayed the course.
The war is hard work, which he said, I don't know, a dozen times, but we're going to win. Saddam was a threat. America's safer.
"We're going to win this war in Iraq."
Kerry, when he finally looked into the camera for his closing remarks, said, "I believe America's best days are ahead of us."
For me, stuff like "whew, that's a loaded question" works much better.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Send e-mail to [email protected]