Chefguy:not true. See Three crucial debates loom large
I detest the man, but he did well against Gore once he got warmed up in the debates, at least as far as how he came across on TV.
How odd. After the RNC wrapped up last night, the CNN panel was discussing matters and it was apparent from the conversation that they were all bemoaning the fact that there were to be no debates.
Color me confused on this one…
It’s also not true, or at least misleading in a SBVT way, about the vacations. There is no such thing as a vacation for a US president. Not in the sense that ordinary people think about vactinos.
I have to disagree a little. He was a little better than semi-coherent, for one, for another his midnight speech got him into the same news cycle as Bush’s speech and may well have helped blunt its effect. Rather than letting the tame natterers gush on about his vision and leadership, they instead had to go to comparison-mode reporting, as they should. That’s been true on the morning news, too - Bush isn’t getting the entire day to himself, and the impressions he was trying to leave haven’t settled in as easily as Bush wanted to. But we’ll find out soon enough if Kerry was able to limit the size and duration of any putative “Bush bounce” here.
The part where Bush was laying out this alleged domestic agenda (education, Social Security “reform” etc.) seemed pretty painful for him, like he knew he had to get through the Teleprompter script without any major screwups and then he’d never have to talk about it again. But what impressed me more was the golf clapping he got from his own delegates, as if they knew this was all horsedung intended to rebuild that “compassionate” image he tried for in 2000.
[nitpick]
It’s down one tenth of one percent.
[/nitpick]
Yeah. A tenth. As in 0.1.
I gave up on that a long time ago. The cold, hard reality is that nobody is going to get elected president without invoking the deity. The U.S. is, what - 90% Christian? (I forget the exact figure, but I think it’s a very high percentage.) People just aren’t going to vote for a heathen. Probably about the same odds as making it in politics in Iran without mentioning Allah.
I agree with DtC on this one, although I would have said it differntly! While I think GW actually spoke well last night, his content was lacking. 60mins of vague promises and pandering to the flag wavers was just to much for me. However I did miss the last 10mins or so as I had to check out the “Daily Show”, perhaps he finished well, but I doubt it. I dont think the speech was good enough to swing any voters…which I always thought was kinda the point.
Besides how can you support a party where one of the keynote speakers challenges a news caster to a duel?? lol, does Zeller remind anyone else of that scary old man in Poltergiest 2??
“I do not object to his having the ace of trump up his sleeve so much as I object to his pretending that God Almighty put it there.”
Disraeli, about Gladstone
Heh. To me, a tenth = 1/10 = 10%. But I know what you meant. 
Still pretty low, though. What was their prediction at the beginning of the year? 300,000 new jobs a month? Not so hot.
I thought the last part of the speech went pretty well. He seemed to get into the zone in the final ten minutes. It was still utter crap, contentwise, but his delivery vastly improved as he headed towards the final finish. If people were still around to see the ending, they may have gotten a decent impression.
But I don’t know how anyone can possibly believe his pledges to “leave no child behind” and save Medicare and improve healthcare and keep us safe when this administration as been in place for nearly four years after making these same promises last time, and hasn’t done any of it. Is he hoping to hypnotize us into forgetting that he’s been in office since 2000? That we’ve already given him a full term to accomplish … well, anything … only to find that he’s squandered our surplus by wasting our resources and our soldiers’ lives on a damn fool war? That he’s dragged us into a massive debt and a more dangerous situation worldwide? That he claims to have made the world safer one day, and then spends the next whipping up fears of imminent threats from evildoers so he can further tramp on our civil liberties? That his promises to cut federal spending while increasing services for our children and lowering taxes makes no fucking fiscal sense???
Admittedly if I could forget the last four years, I’d be a very happy woman. Sadly, that can’t happen … although hearing President Kerry’s inauguration speech come January will help a great deal!
What horseshit doublespeak.
Now watch this drive…
Whoa! I just googled for that Zell Miller duel thing. Can’t believe it:
Amazing. Unbelievable.
I’m pretty sure that’s changed to “Leave no child’s behind unscathed…”
3 or the most scripted debates known to man. All the questions are known in advance, and here’s the kicker, the moderator isn’t allowed to interupt them!
All your base… Oh fuck it.
DtG probably had this rant composed before he even saw the speech. Hate to say it, but it looks like the Dem’s will be in for quite a shock the day after. It’s just too bad there isn’t a viable third party in this country.
And Bill Clinton’s chest pains sure seem to come at a convenient time. Looks like Kerry won’t get to use him as much as he had hoped. I personally believe the Clinton’s want Bush to win so that Hillary can run in 2008.
Yeah. He played golf. Here’s a statue of him with a Big Bertha driver in the middle of the square at Ballybunion. Oops.
'Scuse please, gotta double check, forum verification…yes, ok, fine.
Fuck you. You’re a guest? Be a memory.
Ooh 144,000 new jobs, according to the new employment figures. Sounds a little too divine, but a little too small to brag about.
Also, there was more substance from Rudy Giuliani’s nose pick than in Bush’s entire speech.
Giuliani’s speech was that good.
That’s a big tin foil hat you’re wearing there guy.
I’ve always said that Bush will win again, and if you voted for him you stupid fucks get everything you deserve. Too bad I’ll be going out right next to you when that nuke in midtown goes off.