Let's Not Get Overconfident About the Debates

[liberalpragmatist]

Frankly, I'd rather see them both do okay, essentially a wash for the first two. Then Bush would maybe get complacent and Kerry could pummel him in the third debate.

Plus, we have to be careful. I think we'll win this, but don't doubt the ability of Dumbya to reduce something complicated to a stupid, annoying black-white zinger that catches Kerry off-guard and provides endless fodder for the mediawhores to say that Kerry's "out of touch."

[mark414]

1. we're not confident

because bush is a great debater. an EXCELLENT debater. he has NEVER lost a debate because he's so good at it.

repeat

repeat

repeat

keep the expectations high

[dogtag]

3. He's such a great debater and humanitarian

that he doesn't want to force Kerry to do three debates in which he

would have to struggle mightily to keep up with the great debater.

[Joylaughter]

4. The Media Buried Gore

No matter what * does or says, the media will say he won. He could take a big crap right on the podium and the Media would say he did with a presidential air about him. Kerry could be the most eloquent, articulate speaker to ever take the stage and they would say he didn't connect. He isn't as warm as *.

I say forget the debates. Kerry is going to get pummeled in the debates. Nevermind. We know they are a sham. Kerry isn't a sham. We must win the election not the debates.

[mark414]

6. yep

kerry is going to have a real tough time because bush is so good at debating. he is an excellent debater. some would say he is the best debater out there these days. he has never lost a debate.

[DarthDem]

2. OVERconfident?

Oh, my gosh, no. I'm just hoping that Kerry can stay on the same stage without getting blown away by the Commander-in-Chief's matchless debating skills.

[IronLionZion]

5. Bush is a master debator

But I hear Kerry may be a cunning linguist. :P

[slinkerwink]

7. I think that Bush is the best debater ever....

Just setting the expectations up high for * ;-)

[jrthin]

8. * is going to wipe the

floor with Kerry. ;)

[Lefty48197]

9. Is it too late for us to back out of ALL the debates?

I'm afraid the great debator is going to crush our candidate.

[PATRICK]

10. Out think but not over think

be aware of your opponent's strategy, what they have been rehearsing for and the spin structure set in STONE. Break it up while doing the debate thing on issues, etc. as well.

Disable the Bush earphone. Don't talk about it. Don't raise the issue. Just do it.

Forget about data and issue points being decisive, but don't allow anyone to forget them. High school score cards don't win presidential debates. Counter predictable pathetic zingers with better ones. Use some wit. Smile.

Stop being predictable. The wealth of advantages does not belong to catastrophic incumbent who can't talk. Have your way with them so that even the most sympathetic tool spinner would be humiliated trying to prop
Bush up.

Crush him in the first debate, but that does not mean a ballistic Gore performance but a tour de force of everything: charm, counterpoint, seizing the message. Relax, look, be more presidential than the weasel fraud. Be wise but not stiff with the ambush questions. Destroy the predictable Bush attempt to fake the same. His practiced answers to "tough" questions should be dynamited not finessed. How Bush has betrayed his Conservative base. Lost the war. Deliberate inattention or allowing the foxes into the hen house with impunity to do their worst to government agencies, law, human health and safety. Strip off the bells and whistles and expose the empty platitudes. People know when they are sick, hungry, robbed, murdered.

I think the Bush strategy is simple too. Survive the first which brings the challenger down to his level with the spin. "No knockout punch" is indeed a victory of sorts considering Bush's skills and record. Then the second debate is like the GOP Convention following the Dem Convention. The Dems, convince their guy has won, sufficiently if not dramatically abandon the tube to the rubes who want their guy to "comeback". The second debate WILL thus be spun as a Bush victory or "comeback" no matter what.

Jerks like Coelho would be better advised to out thinking this simpleton strategy and its powerful media props than wringing their hands and grimly forging ahead according to forensic debate ground rules. And keep your mouths shut.

[LiberalEconomist]

11. Zingers and one liners = winner

The "people" don't want issues, they want entertainment. They are a bunch of fucking Romans licking their chops as two contestants go at it. They want a smartass who is loveable. They want 7th grade putdowns. Yes, they want black and white. No complexity, please. You, Mr. Candidate, deal with the complexities, just tell us in simple "me good...them bad" language what your plans are. Please don't say "the President misguided the American people...." Say, "the President lied to the American people. He has lied from the time he ran for the office. Actually, there seems to be a pattern of lying from the time I knew him at Yale."

[PATRICK]

13. You are slightly wrong about that

It is what the lowest common demeaning denominator media focus on despite their insufferably expert pundit commentators who pretend it is about issues.

Ina debate people do want substantive, smart performance to measure a person by and sound argument followed up by real action. Sure you can say people go to Nascar or Hockey games to see mayhem, but overlaying that underlying that is the skill and the winning. Hype and violence despite their titillation is a hollow, lowball spin. Only the media bullies this perception beyond the point of "entertaining" and exciting viewers to create inane propaganda for Bush. But neither can Kerry be a wet blanket.
He knows how to draw blood, to inspire, to think.

[blm]

12. I'm not overconfident. I know how meanly clever Bush is. He and Atwater

and Rove hung tight for too long coming up with dirty tricks together. I have no illusion about WHO we are dealling with here.

The media doesn't like to tell the public that all George Bush was GOOD at doing was dirty politics. He thrives for it and that's why there are no serious policy proposals made...they are horrible at governance but slick as shit at campaigning.

However, he was also never as exposed for the awful, low character he really is, so by the time the debate comes around, I'm not certain he'll feel as protected and confident as he has in the past when his life story was kept hidden.

But, I certainly wouldn't take him for granted...no...no...he's MASTERFUL...he's BRAVER than anyone, and is the SMARTEST, HARDEST WORKING president we've ever known.

(Even if he refused to read the Hart-Rudman report on global terror that was handed to him on Jan30,2001.)