# Bush-Kerry Debate: Watch Along Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 1, 2004, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963 "2004-10-01T00:58:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963/41 "2004-10-01T01:23:15Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Ten cents says Bush is the first one to get gonged (I like the underdogs). I’ll take that. Bush’s thoughts are just barely staying ahead of his mouth, he can stop on a moments notice… He seems pretty frazzled at the moment - talking about how he works hard to protect America ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963/42 "2004-10-01T01:24:48Z")
100,000 trained? By whom? Sadr? ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963/43 "2004-10-01T01:24:59Z")
But up until tonight, the catch phrase was always “pre-september **eleventh** mindset”. That’s what I’m so used to hearing, so hearing him alter the date pricked up my ears. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963/44 "2004-10-01T01:25:01Z")
Bush stutters and has to search for the word too often. Kerry looks like a smug ass. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963/45 "2004-10-01T01:25:06Z")
Good Lord, Bush sounds awful. Hesitating, stammering, tap dancing, repeating himself. He reminds me of a high school kid trying to bluff his way through an oral presentation that he didn’t prepare for. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963/46 "2004-10-01T01:25:51Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Well, undoubtedly after this poor performance, the polls will swing strongly towards Kerry, and Bush will lose his lead, since he’s so obviously terrible. > > Right? We shall see. From the perspective of this Bush supporter, I think Kerry is coming across as modestly better, but Bush may have had a moment or two that will look better in the snippets to be played later. And, of course, it’s early. In other news, who let Jim Lehrer and John Kerry choose the same necktie? That should have been in the rules. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963/47 "2004-10-01T01:26:05Z")
Hope is on the way! :drink: ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963/48 "2004-10-01T01:27:13Z")
Bush isn’t able to think on his feet; all he can do is to cling to his carefully coacjed talking points. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963/49 "2004-10-01T01:27:19Z")
Why is Lehrer letting Bush decide when to extend? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963/50 "2004-10-01T01:28:19Z")
“Vietnam.” Drink! ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963/51 "2004-10-01T01:28:27Z")
Kerry was in Vietnam? First I’ve heard. ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963/52 "2004-10-01T01:28:45Z")
(Paraphrasing) Kerry: “Why don’t we just change the rules of the debate?” Anyone get what he said word for word? ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963/53 "2004-10-01T01:29:16Z")
Bzzzt! John, you WILL be asking some poor slob to be the last guy to die for a mistake. You just called the war a mistake about a gazillion times. Trying not to Bush-bash, but he is taking fewer notes, that’s true. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963/54 "2004-10-01T01:29:42Z")
“I made a mistake in how I talk about the war. The president made a mistake in invading Iraq. Which is worse?” Good line, JFK. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963/55 "2004-10-01T01:30:28Z")
I want to see them fight 😉 how many times is Bush gonna’ thump the podium? \ Kerry talks with his hands more than Bush Sr… 😉 they both suck, i’m voting for Kodos… ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963/56 "2004-10-01T01:30:35Z")
So far I don’t see Bush losing. Of course, half of what he’s saying is ridiculous and utterly at odds with the facts, but he’s doing what he has to do to appeal to his votin base; sounding folksy and tough. That’s all he needs to do. Remember that Bush supporters are vastly more likely than Kerry supporters to believe things like “Iraq had a stockpile of WMDs” or “Iraq planned the 9/11 attacks.” Bush doesn’t have to defend or explain those things; he just needs to look determined and tough. If he can do that, he wins. Doesn’t matter what Kerry says. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963/57 "2004-10-01T01:30:42Z")
Halliburton. :drink: I guess you make it up as go. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963/58 "2004-10-01T01:30:58Z")
Tony Blair _hates_ you, Shrub. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963/59 "2004-10-01T01:31:38Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > Why is Lehrer letting Bush decide when to extend? I think it’s like timeouts in football; you get to use them when you think they’re most useful. ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963/60 "2004-10-01T01:31:42Z")
I wonder if the right side of Bush’s mouth is going to connect to his hairline by the end of the evening. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-kerry-debate-watch-along-thread/266963.md?page=4)