Gore won all 3 debates in 2000, and the media hammered him.

[Doosh]

I'm expecting similar results with Kerry, he'll soundly defeat Bush in ever debate, but other circumstances will conspire to bring him down. Before or after the debates there will be news stories about something teresa said (shove it part 2) or photos of kerry falling off his jet ski's or something to distract from the actual discussion of issues. They'll say Kerry looked stiff and wooden, the botox thing will come up again or perhaps they'll finally start floating stuff about his prostate cancer. Shrub will just stammer through all 3.

AT BEST, the media will declare it a tie. Then they'll say kerry was good.......but not good enough,

"bush held his ground"

"bush kept kerry at bay"

"kerry did not score a knockout blow"

I really don't like the fact that everything hinges on these debates, I really wish we could enter them with a lead in the electoral college or tied. We're in a spot where it all comes down to the debates, Kerry needs 3 A+ performances to get back into the race and that might be too much pressure to put on him, unfortunately Bush can just coast through the last month 1/2 and still win. Our campaign is in a bad spot right now.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

1. You Have A Good Point There

But Gore gave them an opening with his sighing....


Kerry won't make that mistake however the Pugs might find an extraneous topic to take focus away from the debates...


We'll see...

[PlanetBev]

5. The day after the first debate

Gore sunk like a stone. I watched him sigh and roll his eyes and I knew we were in trouble. Sure enough, the next day the polls reflected it. And what was with that pink rouge he was wearing on his cheeks? He gave the media every opportunity to make fun of him.

In the second debate, he was overly polite and controlled, to the point of nausea. I was so embarrased, I turned off the TV.

In the third debate, he got aggressive again, to the point of following Bush around the stage.

Gore fucked up big time. But even with that, he won the popular vote. I still say we are in better shape this time.

Kerry will do fine in the debates.

[Nordic]

12. how can you not roll your eyes at Bush*?

I thought Gore went pretty easy on him considering what a complete and utter idiot Bush is.

And I didn't even hate Bush back then.

The poster is 100% right -- Gore kicked Bush's ass and the media said otherwise.

They will do the same this time. Look at what they did in the conventions.

If I see Joe Scarborough's face anywhere NEAR the debate coverage, I will want to kill somebody

[Doosh]

16. not only will you see Scarborough's face

but the day of the first debate they'll hand the keys to the network to beady eyed joe

MScarboroughNBC

"Get instant analysis and reaction to the first presidential debate with Scarborough country...tonight Joe's special guests are Peggy Noonan, Pat Buchanen, and Ed Gillespie"

"The O'Reilly factor is on, fair and balanced....fallout from the first debate with our special guests Newt Gingrich and Oliver North"

"Thank you for watching Hannity and Colmes, I'm Sean Hannity, we're discussing the debate with political analyst Ann Coulter...."



now where do you think it'll go from there because this is what coverage is going to look like. This is what we're up against.

[NYCGirl]

19. How can anyone not sigh?

For a brilliant man like Al Gore, trying to debate a lightweight like W; I'm surprised all he did was sigh. I'm astonished he didn't strangle the smirking little jerkoff!

[Doosh]

7. Kerry has to be almost Reaganesque

remember Reagan had the reputation of a scary old warhawk and the debates made the american public confortable with him, from there he morphed into the happy go lucky grandpa.

[jpgray]

2. Kerry doesn't need three A+ performances

What are you basing that on?

[Doosh]

3. the media coddling Bush

and the fact that we trail in the polls, badly in some.

[buycitgo]

6. try this....they are even WORSE than you think

the MEDIA are the real enemy; it's not even close

[kentuck]

4. I would expect nothing less...

Bush looked like a babbling moron against Gore and they said Bush won the debates...because Gore "sighed"....Yes, a "sigh" is much worse than standing on stage like a deer in a headlight with nary of an idea of what to do or say...

[Doosh]

10. they also zeroed in on "lockbox" and the whole internet thing

and completely ignored all the pointless drivel bush was spewing. He didn't just get off easy, he got a pat on his back for being stupid.

[rumguy]

8. I think Gore only clearly won debate three

The first one I saw as a draw.

The second one Bush won - yeah I've read the Daily Howler's coverage of this debate, I know Bush made huge factual blunders - but on a stylistic level Bush creamed Gore in this debate.

[Somawas]

9. Bush benefitted from low expectations against Gore

So long as he did not look like a total babbling idiot, he was deemed to have "won."

[murielm99]

11. It does not all come down to the debates.

It comes down to voter turnout.

When it comes to the debates, if they shaft Kerry, and I think they will, there are a number of things we can do.

We can call radio stations, write LTTEs, and make sure our 527s publicize how well Kerry did in the debates. Make commercials out of every flub * makes during the debates. And he will make plenty.

Remember what a shitty job * did on Meet the Press, even though it was all set up to put him in a favorable light? Remember that last, stupid press conference, where he was "under the spot" and could not think of a single mistake he had made, ever?

I don't think he will do that well in the debates. In fact, I would not be surprised if has a meltdown. And when he screws up or melts down, we keep the pressure on. And we get out the vote.

[gulliver]

13. Gore won the debates only in transcript form. In video and audio ...

... form he lost all three. Bush had no authoritative record. Therefore, everything he said and every promise he made could be judged only on delivery. Bush's personal history as a lifelong liar and cunning accountability/responsibility dodger served him well. A spoiled kid like Bush will tend to do well when he's that spoiled and that successful at being spoiled.

It's different this time, because Bush has a record. Bush will almost certainly commit major gaffes as he tries to defend his pathetic record. His transcripts will catch up to him.

For his part, I want to see Kerry attack and destroy Bush. Bush's affect on this country is worse than a Viet Cong sniper on the loose in a nursery school. Kerry should act accordingly. Attack and destroy. No quarter.

[spanone]

14. I totally agree one hundred percent. Watched every one of them.

[GR]

15. Yes, Bush Will "Win" No Matter What....

but if Kerry doesn't do something "strange" which can be picked up by the media, like the sighs or approaching Bush's podium, we've got a chance...

[genius]

17. That's right. The media will lie and say Bush won and come up with issues

as to what was wrong with Kerry's presentation. Kerry might actually be better off with no debates, since people probably will just catch the news spin and miss the debates.

[GreenArrow]

18. I listened to the 2000 debates on radio

Gore won them all. It wasn't even close. Liberman/Cheney was a draw, with maybe a slight edge to Cheney.