Bush-Kerry Debates

[Wakie]

What does everyone think of John Kerry's challenging Bush to monthly debates?  Should Bush accept the challenge?  Would you watch them?

[zachman]

It won't happen, but I would have a Kerry house party/ poker match.

[WalterMitty]

why does everyone underestimate bush?  

as the old saying goes...be careful what you ask for....

[Gustaf]

It seems like a good idea for Kerry. He needs everything he can get basically. But Bush has little interest in taking that risk, I think.

[zachman]

Its a used political strategy, but that would be surprising if Bush accepted. Kerry would win if he uses the right tone for attacks. That is an important challenge.

[© tweed]

Bush won't do it, because the more time he is on TV the more chances he has to mess up.  He may be giving Kerry a talking point by not accepting the challenge.

[WalterMitty]

never fear.  there will be debates in the fall.

[zachman]

Aren't there only two. I'd like to see Jon Stewart moderate, but Jim Lehrer will be picked regardless.

[classical liberal]

I'd like to see Bush and Kerry on Hardball.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

What does everyone think of John Kerry's challenging Bush to monthly debates?

1) It's the overused and unrealistic ploy of a challenger.
2) It's a sign that Kerry is afraid of dropping off the radar screen.
3) It's on par with Kerry's arrogance.
4) Bush should run commercials (a new one each week) showing Kerry debating himself.

[classical liberal]

4) Bush should run commercials (a new one each week) showing Kerry debating himself.

Kerry's been in Washington long enough to come down on either side of EVERY issue.

[zachman]

4) Bush should run commercials (a new one each week) showing Kerry debating himself.

Kerry should run commercials (a new one each week) showing Bush debating himself.

They tried my segment on the daily show with Gov. Bush vs. President Bush. It was great!

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

They tried my segment on the daily show with Gov. Bush vs. President Bush. It was great!

How did Bush contradict himself?

[zachman]

1. He said he was against nation building.
2. He said he would support the state's decisions if they decided to allow gay marriage.
3. He said that the economy hadn't improved and only the stock market had soared. In recent months he has said that the rising stock market was enough basis to declare that the economy was growing.
4. He also said once accidentally, so I hold this less against Bush, that I am not against abortion becuase it is right...
Those are the changes that I can name off of my head.

He has said numerous exagerations and stupid mischaraccterizations which I won't discuss in this post.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

1. He said he was against nation building.

Yeah, and you probably think the Great Seal of the US is in contradiction by having one talon grasping an olive branch and the other grasping arrows....or the Declaration of Independence's statement of "Enemies in War, in Peace Friends".

Stop playing dumb, it's annoying.  Either you're a man and understand the implied threat of the statement "Don't mess with me and I won't mess with you" or else you have lace on your underwear.

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<<2. He said he would support the state's decisions if they decided to allow gay marriage.>>

Of course, the problem is that the courts are NOT respecting the decisions of the states.

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<. He said that the economy hadn't improved and only the stock market had soared. In recent months he has said that the rising stock market was enough basis to declare that the economy was growing.>>

I don't remember either one of these statement.  Quote please.

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<<4. He also said once accidentally, so I hold this less against Bush, that I am not against abortion becuase it is right...
Those are the changes that I can name off of my head.>>

I don't understand this statement.

[zachman]

The courts have the right to make decisions on behalf of the state. Judges are experts on the law, and seldomly mess up, and gay marriage is not an issue in which they've messed up.

I remember that Bush used the stock market excuse in Republican debates in 2000, and you should recall his recent statement on it.
 Here is what he said about abortion:
I would have said yes to abortion if only it was right. I mean, yeah it's right. Well no it's not right that's why I said no to it.
-- South Carolina, Feb. 14, 2000


Here's a good Bush quote.

I had no idea we had so many weapons. What do we need them for?
-- Demonstrating grasp of America's nuclear weapons system, May, 2001

Here's another

I think we need not only to eliminate the tollbooth to the middle class, I think we should knock down the tollbooth.
-- Nashua, New Hampshire, as quoted by Gail Collins in the New York Times, Feb. 1, 2000

[dunn]

The courts have the right to make decisions on behalf of the state. Judges are experts on the law, and seldomly mess up, and gay marriage is not an issue in which they've messed up.

I remember that Bush used the stock market excuse in Republican debates in 2000, and you should recall his recent statement on it.
 Here is what he said about abortion:
I would have said yes to abortion if only it was right. I mean, yeah it's right. Well no it's not right that's why I said no to it.
-- South Carolina, Feb. 14, 2000


Here's a good Bush quote.

I had no idea we had so many weapons. What do we need them for?
-- Demonstrating grasp of America's nuclear weapons system, May, 2001

Here's another

I think we need not only to eliminate the tollbooth to the middle class, I think we should knock down the tollbooth.
-- Nashua, New Hampshire, as quoted by Gail Collins in the New York Times, Feb. 1, 2000

lol

[Reaganfan]

It seems like a good idea for Kerry. He needs everything he can get basically. But Bush has little interest in taking that risk, I think.

Bush is too busy being the president. Doing his job. Besides, what makes John F. Kerry different than any other candidate?

[zachman]

Bush has plenty of time, don't use that as an excuse, although it does suffice as Bush's excuse.

[NHPolitico]

When they debate, Bush can ask Kerry about this report of a speech he gave at Dartmouth College...

Kerry, who had recently served as president of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, spoke on Jan. 10, 1972 at the Top of the Hop, where he urged students and Americans who opposed the Vietnam War to involve themselves in politics with greater zeal. Regarding Ralph Nader, Kerry said that opponents of the war "must be public citizens in every aspect of our lives," as Kerry apparently thought Nader did.

[snip]

In his 1972 speech, Kerry lashed at then-President Richard Nixon, claiming that he was personally responsible for over 130,000 Vietnam casualties a month, although Kerry also predicted reelection. He also criticized Nixon for trying to request the return of prisoners of war before the war ended. Ironically, Kerry has worked with Arizona Sen. John McCain on lingering Vietnam POW/MIA issues during their time in the Senate.

[zachman]

The Bush team will be risking everything if they go after Kerry for his post Vietnam statement. I don't think it will benefit them.

[Wakie]

They tried my segment on the daily show with Gov. Bush vs. President Bush. It was great!

How did Bush contradict himself?

Bush opposed campaign finance reform but signed it into law.

Bush said he was opposed to deficits and blasted Clinton/Gore for the size of their budget.  Now he himself has a budget that is larger and creates the largest budget deficit in history.

Bush said he was for free trade, but he supported tariffs on steel, and then he repealed them.

Bush argues that state's should decide on gay marriage but takes it out of their hands by suggesting a Constituitional Amendment banning it.

In 2000 Bush said he was opposed to the US taking a role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but over the last year or so has pushed the "road map" for peace.

In the wake of 9/11 Bush said that he would provide money for firefighters, police, and other "first responders".  He dramatically cut funding to these same organizations.

Bush, "The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden."
Bush, "I don't know where he is. I have no idea and I really don't care."

As governor of Texas he opposed an HMO Patients' Bill of Rights then after it passed over his veto he tried to claim credit for it on the 2000 campaign trail.

He argued that negotiating with North Korea was a failed Clinton tactic.  Guess what?  He's negotiating with North Korea.

Bush reversed his campaign pleddge on carbon dioxide emissions within months of taking office.

Bush blasted Clinton for closing military bases, but Rusmfeld has (even after 9/11) indicated that more base closing are required.

In 2002 Bush moved quickly to embrace a tough corporate reform bill after having warned Congress that he felt such legislation was too tough on Wall Street.

The list goes on.  Yeah, Kerry has flipped on issues ... but so has Bush.  Big Time.

[Reaganfan]

Jobs are what people are complaining about. The loss is same as in 1996 when President Clinton ran for his own   re-election.

[Nym90]

http://www.debates.org/pages/debhis.html

Interesting site, by clicking on the year here you can get info on past debates, and they have links to the transcripts of most of them.

[angus]

Nym90,  good stats.  I had forgotton about this site.



September 23, 1976
Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Library (and you thought 2000 was rough?)

Debate History: 1976 Debates
There were three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate during the 1976 general election.

Jimmy Carter (D), Former Georgia Governor and
Gerald Ford (R), Vice President
General Election Presidential Debates

Date: September 23, 1976
Location: Walnut Street Theater
City: Philadelphia, PA
Time: 9:30 - 11:00 p.m. Eastern
Sponsor: League of Women Voters
Moderator: Edwin Newman, Baltimore Sun
Panelists: Frank Reynolds, ABC; James Gannon, Wall Street Journal; Elizabeth Drew, New Yorker Magazine
Viewership: 69.7 million (Data provided by Nielsen Media Research)
Format: No opening statements; each questioned in turn with three minutes to answer; one optional follow-up question with two minutes to reply; two minute rebuttal; three minute closing statements.
Topic: Domestic policy

(see also October 6, 1976, October 22, 1976, October 15, 1976)

This is cool.  Thanks.