So I listened to the debate and Kerry did okay. But I swear he is trying to loose this election. There is first the fact that he is the Black Hole of Charisma. He makes Al Gore look like a well oiled machine running on pure Charismeum (periodic table symbol CM.) Kerry was Mr. Roboto or Mr. Rambling. He lacked focus or it sounded like he was reading a teleprompter. Bush, on the other hand, rarely actually answered a question, but he sounded coherent in that crazy way he can pull off. He hit his points over and over and over. He also broke the rules. He was better given the circumstances. Bush is a great debater when we have a media that doesn’t stand in the way of the people talking to them and the people listening to them. As long as the media is only regurgitating what others have said and never comment on credibility, Bush will always win. When the media refuses to act as anything rather than a tape recorder, Bush can not answer questions he is asked, he can dismiss a direct quote and say he never said it, he can get rebuttals when he is not owed one, and he can break the rules. No one will call him on it, so he will win. And the unwashed hicks of the USA will eat it up. Bush is an idiot that didn’t answer the questions, but he didn’t tell stupid anecdotes in a passion free tone about being in Wisconsin standing in line. The fact is that Kerry is Gore’s dysfunctional clone. Sure Gore really did win the last election, so maybe the dems are thinking lightning can strike twice now that Gore Vers. 2 is on the scene! Remember when Gore was asked what his favorite ice cream was, and he got that look in his eyes? The look of terror of maybe he might alienate cookies-n-cream voters if he says his favorite is chocolate chip. Kerry is the same way. When it suits him he agrees with the war, when it suits him he agrees with this or that. He has too many handlers and too many pollsters and too few convictions. Bush really drove this home, ad nausum, but it is true. Karry's handlers and pollsters have had him every which way. It is typical democrat never willing to stake an actual stand. Sure, both candidates flip-flop but Bush always seems to come down on the side of screwing the USA. Kerry may come down on the right side or the left side given his current chief handler and given the current tone. At least Bush consistantly does the wrong thing, you gotta give him credit for that at least. The democrats need to learn that Middle of Road isn’t going to do it. When you try and please everyone you please no one. Kerry is in a tough position because he was chosen out of the Anyone But Bush, so he is the least offensive democrat, so that may work for him or it may not. But he has to grow a personality, he needs to have inflection in his voice, he - for crying out loud - needs to stop saying “kill the terrorists” and say “bring them to justice.” Finally, STOP USING NUMBERS IN A VACUUM! When Bush’s says, “there are x number of police officers trained.” So what? How many people are there in Iraq? What percentage is that? Kerry did a good job of giving meaningful numbers. He talked about what percentage American troops where and such he made a very strong argument. I guess the robot can crunch some numbers. I am being a bit mean to Kerry, he did get rolling after a while and really started hitting some blows in the last half hour, but those first 2 half hours were weak as weak could be. But I wouldn’t call him “on fire” in the last half hour either. This is not good. I think of all the issues the war and the world elicits the strongest interest and passion from people. I think Kerry failed to step up and lay down the law. He showed he is just another republicrat aiming to not rock the boat, not change the order, stay the course, a thousand points of light, don’t make big business mad, etc, etc, etc.
Regardless, I think the best solution should be who ever looses November 2nd election should just be automatically elected president of the newly liberated Iraq! Yeah freedom!
