Kerry to Bush: Weekly Debates on Issues

[maine_raptor]

Just challenged Bush to weekly debates about issues

Fla Repug just said start by condemming 527's

This was just on CNN: Kerry issued public challenge to Bush:

Let's stop smear and fear, and have a weekly public debate on the issues.

[TWiley]

1. I would be absolutely shocked if he agreed to it.

Actually, I don't think his party will ever let him do it either. Maybe if Dick Cheney was standing next to him to issue the occasional rib elbowing.

Now, this would be a great thing to make a current issue out of.

[Arkana]

27. Oh he won't.

They already said they wouldn't because Kerry "should take the time to resolve the debates with himself."

Typical Rethug brush-off.

[Ghetto_Boy]

2. Oh like that will happen... Bush can't order from a menu without

screwing it up... let alone debate.

[Frodo]

3. That's not so encouraging.

It's usually the candidate who views himself as being behind who starts calling for "I'll debate daily from now until November!"

He needs to look willing to debate and try to draw Bush in to as many debates as possible... but not look desperate.

[hang a left]

4. Well now all the idiots they sent out for damage control,

racicot, rove et al said that is what they want. So I think it is a great idea to have debates about the issues weekly. Lets REALLY focus on each and every one of them. Great Idea. When can we start?

[demnan]

5. He should do this in every speech!

Why is George Bush afraid to debate me on the issues? Why won't the President meet me in debates? Where is the President on this issue? etc., etc.


Now we're talking!

[aden_nak]

6. Can you imagine the things that would come out of Bush's mouth?

If he had to debate policy weekly? I mean, he says some absurd things, but no one is there to call him on it. Can you imagine Kerry having 2 minutes to rebut something like, say, Bush's views on Tribal Sovereignty (which, I hear, are quite sovereign)?

[maine_raptor]

7. Something like this appeals to alot of folks.

Bush will have to be careful to move around this challenge, puts him on the spot. Karl will reject it, I'm sure, but how it will be done is the key.

The SB smear backfired thanks to a lot of factors, and there is a building distaste for this back and forth on both sides. Lot of calls for "get back to issues", well this challenge responds to that feeling and puts the ball in Karls Court.

[ApolloCreedLives]

8. Bush will never accept

Rove hasn't written the script to each potential question yet.

[hang a left]

9. Doesn't matter.

THe Kerry camp KNOWS this. But hell they re-brought it up. Kerry has been saying this. They came out on FOX and CNN yesterday screaming this. There challenge has been accepted. Great move.

[ApolloCreedLives]

10. Hopefully Kerry keeps pounding on this issue

Keep the debates in the news, and ask why Bush won't debate him even though he supposedly wants to get to the issues.

[newyawker99]

23. Hi ApolloCreedLives!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[newsguyatl]

11. BUSH team responds

"There will be a time for debates after the convention, and during the next few weeks, John Kerry should take the time to finish the debates with himself. This election presents a clear choice to the American people between a President who is moving America forward and a Senator who has taken every side of almost every issue and has the most out of the mainstream record in the U.S. Senate."

-Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt:

[hang a left]

13. Come on.....

same lines, different day. They need some new writers.

[emulatorloo]

15. Yeah Right, Steve. . .If Kerry really was that confused you'd be happy

to have yr boss debate him.

[GiovanniC]

16. They Should Take the BartCop Tact

Whenever they start saying "Bush is great, Kerry sucks", Kerry should say, "Yeah, he sounds like he could really kick my ass in a live debate. Why don't we set that up?"

[iwantmycountryback]

18. In other words, bla bla bla

Show some originality once in a while. I'd really like to see a Kerry ad about Bush's innumerable flip-flops.

[The Hair in my Nose]

12. Requests for weekly debates ???

This is usually the request of a candidate who is behind and desperate. Weekly Presidential debates never happens nor would it hold public interest.

This is another weak strategy.

Better to challenge * to four debates (which is more than usual but still sounds reasonable to the public) and name the topics: Jobs, Health Care, National Security and International Relations.

This comes across as desperate especially with recent poll news.

[hang a left]

14. It's called the art of negotiation.

You always start high.

[The Hair in my Nose]

17. the art of negotiation

This was a public negotiation not a private one. It was done by the candidate himself and not Edwrads or a surrogate.

The public perception is that this is not just an opening high bid. It smacks of desperation as a public challenge at a time when some negative news is in public view..

[iwantmycountryback]

19. Desperation? Are you joking?

Kerry wants to talk about the issues. Bush will never do this and it makes him look scared and that he doesn't want to talk about the issues. This smacks of making Bush look foolish.

[kwolf68]

20. Desperation my ass

I like the move. Kerry is telling the American people

1) I am ready to get past this dickering smearing
2) I am ready to tackle issues
3) I am ready to meet W. Bush and hash out our views man to man

Of course Bush won’t accept it. But Kerry is the one who is essentially saying that he wants this campaign to be about issues, not photo ops, clichés and smears. How can Bush lose by accepting? Unless he knows he would get his ass handed to him. Unless he knows he would be exposed as a sock puppet of the Republican masters. Unless he knows he has lied. Unless he knows he has effed up our nation.

I like the move. If its desperation I don’t see it. The polls don’t indicate a need for whimsical ideas.

I like the challenge.

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[hang a left]

24. I don't know.

I sense an untimely death in your future.

[Pachamama]

25. Actually, I think its brilliant to ask Bush to debate weekly - let them

discuss the issues and have the public decide based on what they hear them say.

I think your suggestion that the "perceived loser then calls for debates on the issues" is familiar sounding and you draw parallels with Humphrey....sorry, that doesn't fly around here....

We aren't selling Bush short....in fact, we are giving him credit for even showing up....You bet they will drill and rehearse him...And Kerry who used to be on Debate teams and has a much higher IQ (and great facts and real information on the economy, jobs etc.) will crush the little bug from Crawford, TX....

Oh, and by the way....the dems are very much behind Kerry...obviously you either don't hang out much with Dems to know that or you are being a little freeper who is trying to "throw" mud around the DU and try to create some FUD....guess what...ain't gonna work....We aren't fighting eachother....sorry.....you wish....

:kick:

[DrFunkenstein]

22. Bush Is Too Busy Leading The...Uh, Campaign

What is Bush going to say, he's hanging around the Oval Office thinking up policy?

[kentuck]

26. Kerry is trying to put Bush on the defensive....

This is the type of issue that will do it if the media picks it up...Everytime Bush comes out and smirks something controversial, Kerry can now say, I challenged him to debate it in front of the American people but I guess he can't stand the filter of the people's opinions?

[Arkana]

28. Despite what I'm hearing

I don't think this is an act of desperation on Kerry's part, I really don't. It's an honest attempt to get this election to turn away from something that happened 30 years ago (Vietnam) to today's problems, like the economy, jobs, health care, and yes, even national security.

Obviously the Bushies won't accept, cause it's impossible to have Uncle Dick's hand up Georgie's ass all the time.