NYT,pg1: Strong Charges Set New Tone Before Debate (both camps:Bush ahead)

[DeepModem Mom]

NOTE: This article is by NYT, Nagourney, but appears sourced by Kerry aides. The good news is that Kerry's aides are reported focused on managing "perceptions" after the debate.


THE CANDIDATES
Strong Charges Set New Tone Before Debate
By ADAM NAGOURNEY and ROBIN TONER

Published: September 27, 2004


....Mr. Kerry, arriving in Wisconsin on Sunday for four days of debate preparation, declared that Mr. Bush had misled the nation about the severity of the situation in Iraq. "He owes the American people the truth and he owes the troops the truth," he said.

A senior Kerry adviser, Joe Lockhart, laid out what Democrats said would most likely be another major theme for Mr. Kerry leading up to the debate, as he accused Mr. Bush of "using the war on terror as a political tool and a political weapon" in seeking to silence dissent....

(Bush communications director Nicolle Devenish responded: "Someone who blinks when things get hard is not the right person to win the war on terror. They are preaching retreat and defeat in the face of real challenges from an enemy bent on our destruction. I think that's bad for the troops, it's bad for our allies and it's bad for our country.")

***

A series of polls since the Republican convention in New York have offered often sharply different portrayals of the race, although the consensus in both campaigns is that Mr. Bush enjoys a lead of about five points over Mr. Kerry. More significantly, Mr. Bush appears to be cementing his lead in states he won in 2000, freeing him up to move on to Democratic turf.

Aides to Mr. Kerry and Mr. Bush both said the debates had the potential of upending and perhaps even deciding the race. But both sides agreed that of the two candidates, Mr. Kerry had the most riding on its outcome....

***

As Mr. Bush prepared in Texas, Mr. Kerry studied up at a resort in Spring Green, Wis., where aides were focused not only on Mr. Kerry's debate performance, but in managing the perceptions afterward. They were keenly aware of how perceptions of Al Gore steadily worsened in the aftermath of the first debate as Bush advisers highlighted what they said were examples of exaggeration by Mr. Gore....


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/27/politics/campaign/27campaign.html

[still_one]

1. Anything ADAM NAGOURNEY reports is suspect

In fact I do not even trust the NY times anymore

[Demit]

2. me either! If it weren't for the crossword puzzle & some columnists...

[DeepModem Mom]

3. Their political reporting displays the same bias...

as all our mainstream media. Aside from that, they often do some good reporting, better than TV, where most people get their news.

They are an influential media outlet that a lot of influential people take, unfortunately, without a grain of salt.

[depakid]

6. Adam Ngourney is so transparent

that even the Times seems to have qualms about him (rightly so- he's a disgrace). Notice that ALL of his articles the past six weeks or so have had co-writers? Hmmmm.

[The Zanti Regent]

7. Yeah but pairing him with that Liar Jodi Wilgoren only makes it worse.

I don't know which one of this Nazis hates Kerry and Teresa more...

Bob Somerby has a long list of lies uttered by this putrid pair at http://www.dailyhowler.com/

[Born Free]

4. the bush coward automatically wins all debates

Get real, these are not debates but a chance for the candidates to say their favorite sound bites and as usual, the bush coward wins automatically by showing up. The only way for Democrats to win back America for the people is by word of mouth, it's not going to happen on TV or radio, or even the print media. All will give the Republicans the upper hand, democrats must accept that and quit hoping things will change, democrats can not waste time hoping for a fair shot with the media today- the days of a fair media are long gone.

[DeepModem Mom]

5. It's probably impossible for us to manage perceptions...

as fed to the public by the media, even if we try. You have a point.

[Chelsea Patriot]

8. Hey,Nagourney, When is Tina going to start sharing your by-line?

Tina's doing all the work now, right?

Tina's always there for you now, right?

Tina's good at keeping the reality of being an repulsively ugly, deformed freak with no journalistic capability, except copying KKKarl's faxes away, right?

Never believe anything a crystal meth addict says and, or writes.

[blm]

9. Hey, Nicole, Kerry can land a plane. Bush CAN'T because he has NO GUTS.

Does she really want to go there? Kerry's accomplishments in life came from NOT blinking when things got tough.

Bush blinked EVERY STEP OF THE WAY and had to be GIVEN every position by his daddy's friends.