Watched in full last night. Much livelier than the first one.
Bush did a heck of a lot better. Kerry more or less stayed the same. Early polls put it at even.
I liked the format and it suited Bush well. He likes talking to the people and looks alot more comfortable doing it. My fiance’ and I laughed as he winked at some girl after he answered his question. Truly a man of the people.
Both made some very strong points. Kerry seems to have some high ambitions that we’re going to have a hard time paying for…He wants to balance the budget, cut middle class taxes, fund the wars, stem cell research, health care, education, military spending, etc…All from taxing those making $200k or more. Doesn’t add up.
Kerry’s momentum will most likely halt. Making the 3rd debate crucial.
Bush is a smart man, a fighter and intensely resourceful and tenacious.
Tom, I have to disagree with the statement that Bush is a smart man. Extremely hard to tell from the way he communicates. Generally not the consencus from many persons.
“Bush did a heck of a lot better. Kerry more or less stayed the same. Early polls put it at even.”
I was at a swim meet, and only heard the very end, but Bush missed a couple of good opportunities to nail Kerry. Bush is just not good in this format, because he’s a slow thinker. His handlers will have more to add after the fact, and he’ll fire back in newsbites.
I was deeply offended by Kerry’s silly “Mike and Chris” comments about his “good friends” Fox and Reeve. Puleeez. Here’s two guys who have medical challenges that stem cell research will not solve, but Kerry drops their names like maybe they’re more important than any of the millions of others who are quadraplegic or inflicted with Parkinsons or any number of other diseases.
Stem cell research is the darling of liberals, but so far it has yielded exactly NADA.
Stem cell research is the darling of liberals, but so far it has yielded exactly NADA.
That’s a stupid comment. Stem cell research isn’t going to cure Christopher Reeve just like current cancer research isn’t going to cure someone diagnosed today with cancer. It’s about the long term.
I am not a proponent of using tissues from electively aborted fetuses for medical research. However, I don’t believe it is accurate to say it has yielded nada. As you are probably aware, several vaccines came about from such research. The arguement, to me, is not whether it is useful, but whether it is ethical.
I have preferred Bush up to this point … mainly due to his “us against them” speech from a couple of years ago. The war situation is a no win for him. The positive outcomes of the war (outside of Hussien being removed) will not likely be realized until Dub-ya is long gone form office.
I don’t get this whole “win the peace” stuff. Did folks really expect everything to go baby smooth in record time?
As for Kerry. I still don’t understand the attraction. I don’t see where he has been an outstanding senator, less alone presidential candidate. IMO, he’s getting a lot of voters by just being “Bush’s opposition”. I haven’t seen where any of his plans (especially his “funding”, as others have said) are really doable. He hasn’t outlined his education plan, but that hasn’t stopped him from nitpicking NCLB. Kerry likes to stay in the “gray area”, not committing to black or white. I sympathize with the situation, but as Bush pointing out, “when you vote, you have to say yes or no” (or something like that).
Agree with Bush or not, he does lay out his opinion on one side or the other, not straddling the fence.
After watching the debates, I’m beginning to like Bush. I like how he talks to folks. I don’t interpret him for being a genius (Kerry isn’t either), but I like how he talks straight forward. Some of his replies were so simple and so effective (i.e., those pointing to Kerry’s voting record), that it seems sometimes that Bush can’t believe he even has to counterpoint some of Kerry’s tatements.
I agree with the analysts … debate #2 clearly outlined the differences between the two guys.
Anyone else feel that if under other circumstances, Bush and Kerry might be friends? During the debate they seem much more like 2 friends argueing over whose sports team is the best, rather than 2 guys argueing about who’s right.
John Forbes Kambodia(Kerry) and the French are cheese-eating surrender monkeys!!(hee-hee)
Sorry. It’s my last big weekend before I start my taper for the Great Floridian and my brain has been slightly fried by the hot Hawaiian sun and winds I had to battle for the whole 5 and a half hours of biking and 1 hour of running after biking that I did.
I think the debate was a tie. Both guys made some good points. The whole stem cell thing is being used by both sides to beat the hell out of each other.
My vote is still going to be based on national security issues. Everything else is a distant second as far as I’m concerned.
Regarding France … even though I am quite proud of my French heritage (last name Bemont) … when it comes to matters of “defending one’s country”, shouldn’t France be the LAST country we seek approval/advice from? Aren’t they one of the least experienced countries in that regard?
I think the debate drew a line in the sand regarding abortion also. IMO, I don’t see where Kerry is justified with the “no-contact of the parent/guardian” thing. Another issue where he wants to stay in the gray on an issue that’s voted black and white.
I need to go do research for a masters paper. Yawn.
“That’s a stupid comment. Stem cell research isn’t going to cure Christopher Reeve just like current cancer research isn’t going to cure someone diagnosed today with cancer. It’s about the long term.”
Don’t call me stupid… (can’t remember what movie that came from)
It’s about the long term, except that so far, stem cell research hasn’t even shown promise for the future. What promise there may be does NOT require embryonic stem cells.
– Both made some very strong points. Kerry seems to have some high ambitions that we’re going to have a hard time paying for…He wants to balance the budget, cut middle class taxes, fund the wars, stem cell research, health care, education, military spending, etc…All from taxing those making $200k or more. Doesn’t add up.
Bush’s ambitions don’t add up either and we’re all going to pay for the mistakes he made, period. That is the fact of running up a monster debt. Even worse is that under all this Bush spending we still haven’t accomplished jack schitt.
The polls show Bush didn’t do anything to stop the momentum. Bush’s biggest problem is the facts are against him and it is taking people a while to reconcile this issue. I read an article that said its like a bad marriage, it takes a while to realize that things are bad and to get up enough courage to make a change.
I’m not sure where all the conservative outrage comes from when they ask “How’s Kerry going to pay for all this”. Aren’t we running the biggest deficit ever with record federal spending under a Republican President? That’s not even close to all being war spending.
