Fred Barnes of Weekly Standard analyzes the debate performances

[cryofan]

A short analysis of each candidate's debate performance. This guy is a conservative, and he aint too kind to anyone except Lieberman. But he has some good comments, nice and succinct. He thought Kerry maintained, Clark lost, and Joe gained.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/003/633xrjuf.asp

[bicentennial_baby]

1. Fuck Fred Barnes

"Wesley Clark: He did himself no good by refusing to disassociate himself from left-wing propagandist Michael Moore's charge that George W. Bush was a "deserter." He made things worse by saying others had made the same charge."

[OKNancy]

2. I've been reading around this morning

and only the Faux types are even commenting on this as a negative. They better watch out too because now it is being talked about and it may come back to bite them in the derriere.

And I expect to see Michael Moore coming out like a raging bull on this whole topic.

[in_cog_ni_to]

7. I've been listening to CNN

and have not heard them say one thing about this....yet. No doubt Novak or Mr. Bowtie will bring it up on Crossfire. :eyes:

Expect to see Michael Moore. He is not a happy camper and I think that's a good thing for Clark.

[wtmusic]

6. I wish Clark had gone further

and pointed out the many articles in reputable papers on Chimpy's AWOL stint.

Others *have* made the same charge. Barnes is just revealing his own ignorance of the issue.

[LTR]

8. Clark did the right thing

He holds a valuable card, and presenting it in a short, sound-byte-oriented debate would have been political suicide.

He simply dismissed it with a wink and moved on. Said enough for it to actually open up doubt amongst the media and the public toward Bush.

There are more opportune times to play this card, and I doubt we've seen the last of this.

[TreasonousBastard]

14. Absolutely!

The question was a trap, and a good one. The answer was the right one.

Taking the high road is always the best way out of traps like that. Don't box yourself in with answers that can haunt you.

What Shrub did was wrong, but "desertion" from the Guard is iffy at best and hyperbole at worst. Best to stay away from that and let others take the heat for making the charge.

Slick. Very slick.

I wish Dean could have slid by the LIHOP question that way. Keep these things on the table, but don't let them pound you with it.

[truebrit71]

16. Couldn't agree more

Fuck him, rethuglican lackey...

[stoystown]

3. Wow, another GOP stooge likes Lieberman

Birds of a feather, I guess.

[LTR]

4. This propaganda spin is NOT, I repeat NOT grading a debate

A Critique of a debate should not be based on agreemnet/disagreement of a person's stand, but rather how that person responds and presents himself.

For example, I disagree with much of what Joe Lieberman stands for, but I think he does very well in these kinds of settings.

Fred Barnes is a hack, grade-school level journalist. Wes Clark punked out his guy, and he's pissed off about it. Pure sour grapes. The Weakly Standard is a total Murdoch piece of shit rag.

[mikehiggins]

5. Hard to see how a DUer could give anymore credence to

Barnes than they do to Novak.

He may have been okay at some distant time in a world long, long ago but as a commentator on FAUX (the WWE of Journalism) NEWS he has consistently been impossible to stomach. Even the semi-conscious Kondrake has varied from the Party Line once or twice. Not Fred.

He has the attitude of a jilted lover discussing his old girlfriend.

"Yeah, she won an Oscar and a Nobel Prize, but did you notice those crowsfeet?"

He's a whore.

[papau]

9. Fox is dependable - whatever is said is a GOP lie of the day, Clark gained

2 points overnight to 17, Dean appears to be moving back up, Kerry maintains a large lead but it is shrinking
(NH's9 and Bostons TV 7 - meaning NBC and ABC local - have it at 26-19-17 for 2 days - with Deans last night post debate the higher of the two days, as was Clark's second day numbers)

Seems the GOP press are not running this thing - and the "I have a scream" line forgets Dean's laugh and smile - and on the internet it is being seen as showing passion about the issues and is a popular download to those that say they are FOR Dean.

Passion is Something Kerry and Clark must learn if they are to beat Dean.

Dean is not done - and I do not see the pundits being listened to by other than other pundits!

:-)

[WI_DEM]

10. yep and that same poll by Suffolk University

says that on Thursday, Dean was actually only 1-point behind Kerry--and this before the debate and the Deans interview.

[papau]

13. Here is Suffolk Press Release on Poll

http://www.suffolk.edu/suprc/pres/jan23_04/update.html

Political Research Center
For Immediate Release – January 23, 2004
Suffolk contact: Mariellen Norris at 617-573-8450 or
Tony Ferullo at 617-573-8448
NBC contact: Ro Dooley Webster at 617-248–5565
7NEWS and Suffolk University Daily Tracking Poll Results
Kerry Holding Lead over Dean; Clark Advances

MANCHESTER, NH - John Kerry maintained his lead over Howard Dean in the latest New Hampshire tracking poll of likely Democratic voters taken January 21 - 22. The two day rolling average of 400 respondents gave Kerry the lead with 26% followed by Dean at 19% and Wesley Clark with 17%. The survey carries an error rate of +/- 4.90%
"After four days of strong movement from John Kerry, it appears that the race has settled in with Kerry leading," said David Paleologos, political pollster and Director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center. However, the race is not over. Wesley Clark is beginning to close in on the leaders and there are still 26% of likely voters still undecided."

In calls made just on Thursday, January 22nd, Kerry actually led Dean by only 1% margin. The error rate on the one-day 200 interview sub sample is +/- 6.93%.

Kerry's lead continues to be fueled by women, households with veterans, registered Democrats, and regional strength in Hillsborough county - the state's largest county. In all four of these demographic categories, Kerry led by 11%.

Dean continues to be strong among young voters ages 18-34 years (+5%), registered independent/unenrolled voters (-1%), as well as the West/North (-1%) and Central (-2%) Regions.

Of the top three candidates, Wesley Clark was the only candidate to improve his numbers over the last 24 hours. Clark's rolling average climbed to 19% from 17% a day ago. Clark's strongest demographic categories were the Central Region (-2%) and men (-5%). <snip>

+/- of 4.90% at a 95% confidence level (taken Wednesday, January 21st and Thursday, January 22nd):
· John Kerry 26%
· Howard Dean 19%
· Wesley Clark 17%
· John Edwards 7%
· Joe Lieberman 5%
· Undecided/REF 26%

[TreasonousBastard]

11. Kerry and Clark do look stiff...

sometimes, but it's not that they don't have passion-- they just show it differently.

It's not the loud screaming, but a deep, burning passion that this country is not the one they began to serve so many years ago, and they want it back.

As do we all.

[rooboy]

12. Take George Bush's grip on reality and halve it.

Then you'll have an idea of how delusional Fred Barnes is. Apart from holding the record for the longest period of time spent sitting with his arms folded, Fred has no talent at all.

[SeattleRob]

15. I'm sorry, but...

why the hell should anyone listen to what Fred "The Beetle" Barnes says???!!! Maybe we can get Peggy Noonan's take on the debate or Sean Hannity... Jeessshhh!!!!!

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

17. i hate that smary ass

who acts like he's winning a debate every week by having to face a grinning morton kondracke who agrees with everything he says

i often wonder how fred, who seems to have the inability uncorss his fuckin' arms, manages to write or type his columns