Anyone else watch the Gore/Bush debate on CSPAN?

[Norquist Nemesis]

It was on at 9ET tonight.

I watched Bush performance as closely as possible. He threw nasty attacks at Gore and kept hitting him, including the Gore fundraising 'scandal'. He also kept hitting home a message of "you've had eight years to do something" (medicare especially).

Gore's numbers were right on target with saying 50% of Bush's tax cuts would go to the wealthiest 1%. All of the things Gore said was wrong with Bush's plans were right on target. Gore also used "that's the wrong choice" a lot.

What I was trying to watch closest was Bush's style. He looked straight into the camera with each and every word he spoke...it really was as if he was talking to noone else except a single person (one on one). He had command of the moderator (Lehrer), too. When the moderator would open his mouth and Bush was talking, he held up a his finger in a commanding way and Lehrer just stopped. A third of the way through, it was obvious Lehrer was throwing it toward Bush. (No wonder why Gore was sighing in frustration).

What Gore had to "say" was ten times better, but Bush's "performance" was right on target.

This is what we're going to see this coming Thursday. I am so hoping Kerry talks to the people in the camera...not the audience. I hope he doesn't even look at the moderator. It's the people viewing that are important. And I also hope he hits back at the nasty one-liners Bush is going to throw. Not throw them first, because the talking heads will start the echo chamber immediately saying "all he did was attack the CIC...what a traitor!" But to defintely hit back tit-for-tat each time Bush does it.

Something like when Bush says "My opponent voted for then against the $87" (and we all know that's coming), for Kerry to say, "The President and his administration have a habit of distorting things to the American people. He forgot to mention that he threatened veto on the bill."

Also, I hope that Kerry says "the President and his administration" as much as possible. This is going to remind everyone that it's also the people he's put in charge. The same one's that he has no intention of firing or making accountable regardless of what they do.

Other thoughts?

[grasswire]

1. throw his words back at him...

...such as when he said "people at the top must be held accountable for their actions."

[Norquist Nemesis]

4. Yes. I truly believe he needs to do this

And all while look at the camera. He has to imagine he's talking to someone in their living room, having a conversation and trying to convince them.

[SeekingTruth]

2. I love it in the third debate when...

Gore invades Bush's personal space and Bush flinches...wish I had that on tape....(at the time I was screaming at the tv, "Al, what the fuck are you doing!!" I thought he was going to jack Bush right in the face - I'd love to see that again).

[Norquist Nemesis]

5. CSPAN is reairing them

Not sure when that one is on.

After Gore/Bush, they showed the first Reagan/Mondale debate. But I'd had enought at that point.

[Merlin]

8. Gore's awkward, staged move really, really hurt.

I still ask myself, just as you did, Al, what were you THINKING?

[JohnnyRingo]

3. Are they still debating?

1st vietnam, now this.
Are we destined to relive the horrors of history?

'Nam was a travesty and election 2000 was a ......'nother travesty.

If not for the attempts to rewrite history, JK would lead by 75 pts.

[Norquist Nemesis]

6. The "uniter" kept getting tossed out there too!

Most of what Bush said he wanted to do, he's done on the social level. He talked about "liberal activist judges" but said he doesn't have a litmus test. He talked about "no child left behind" and left out the funding issue (nor was he called on it). He also, when talking about his tax cuts, used Massachusettes as the example. The first time I heard it I thought it was strange, but then realized that particular debate was in Mass.

I think they will both keep Vietnam out of the discussion.

[atre]

10. We have different impressions, then

I didn't think he accomplished much of what he was promising. No nation-building? We can't be the world's policemen? No troop deployments unless it is in the county's national interest? Balancing the budget? "My tax cuts" will shift more of the tax burden onto the wealthy? He also hasn't privitized Social Security, as promised.

[Norquist Nemesis]

15. The nation-building was a big one

that Kerry might be able to hit him on, if he's smart about it. This pitfall is Bush giving the reason-for-everything-that-he's flip-flopped which is, "after September 11th, everything changed. <fill in blank for connection of topic>" So, Kerry might say, every single man, woman, and child understands things changed, Mr. Bush (don't call him President). They depended on you to make the "correct" (NOT 'right') choices and have a plan instead of winging it on the fly."

I didn't mean to intend that what he's managed to shove onto the American people has all been good when I say he's done a lot of what he talked about. But, he wouldn't have been able to go to the extreme as he has without a Congressional majority and the likes of Tom DeLay. And what he has gotten has been largely a flim-flam. It's not what people expected, his numbers clearly show it.

The SS privatization he hasn't gotten, but he's put it out there again. The things he did talk about that have been pushed through Congress: NCLB, tax cuts, partial birth abortion, medicare prescription. Unfortunately, NCLB isn't funded, pba (IMO) shouldn't have been there in the first place, and med prescription bill is a joke. It's exactly what Gore said it would be.

[gumby]

7. Lehrer is a total whore

If you picked up on the reality that the "liberal-commie-PBS-toadie" Lehrer was pro Bush, you are correct.

Lehrer actually, and publicly -on camera- scolded Gore. In the next "debate," he started out by apologizing about his "misstatement." But of course, the damage was already done and anyone who didn't know differently knew that Lehrer was stridently in the * camp.

I despise PBS (and NPR for that matter). In case you haven't noticed, "Public Broadcasting" has been morphing into pro-fascist crap for a long time. Now they're flaunting it.

[atre]

9. That totally shocked me as well

I didn't remember Leher as being so one-sided, but the video clearly showed that he was. Bush was always allowed a rebuttal, while Gore was not (except for the one time he forcefully demanded a response, after which Bush was given time for rebuttal).

If we had a real press, they never would have let Bush get away with the Russia policy gaffe or the "fuzzy math" nonsense. Too bad the media has shirked its constitutional role to inform the masses. When we descend into fascism, blame should ultimately fall on Jim Lehers of the world for failing to live up to any standard of professionalism.

[tom_paine]

11. What is amazing is how easy it is to fall into the hypnotic drone o Pravda

and into it's spell.

It works at least as well as it did in 1933.

And yes, you are correct on who has taken the point in our descent into Totalitarianism.

[napi21]

19. We have to quite bitc*ing about the media. Ya gotta play the hand

ya were dealt! I know the Kerry team has studied the 2000 debates a lot more than we have, and he's got the best coaches he can find. If we know all this biased stuff, so do they!

We just have to hope not only in the first debate, but all three, Kerry plays like the winning Super Bowl QB! These are the 3 playoff games, the SB is Nov 2nd!!!

[Proud_Lefty]

12. Can Kerry use Bush's positions from this debate

to show how badly he lied to us and why should we believe him now? I was one of the sleeping dogs during the 2000 Election and didn't even watch the debate then. Even if I had, knowing as little as I did then, I would have thought they were both lying. But now being more informed, last night I just watched this debate in shock. The past four years have been a clear indication that Gore was absolutely correct and on point, while Bush lied about almost everything he said. He kept talking about his ability to work with both Democrats and Republicans. He's proven only that he can work with about ten people in his administration and is accountable to no one.

I agree that Gore came off very arrogant. I'm sure because he felt Bush was making such a fool of himself and he had the debate licked. Maybe he did for the people that pay attention, but most viewers generally don't pay that much attention. Kerry cannot make that mistake.

[PlanetBev]

13. I can guarantee you that Kerry is studying the hell out of the 2000 debate

and every debate that Bush has been in. He'll go into this taking nothing for granted. I'm sure he's getting his zingers ready.

[knowbody0]

14. 2000 debates

oh yeah. i also could not stop watching, the smirks etc, but most of all the transformation of baby bush over these four years. clearly it has taken a toll on him.all the lies have created huge glitches in his thinking/speaking abilities. easy target. like shooting fish in a barrel. kerry is a debator and has truth on his side.believe in him.

[Norquist Nemesis]

17. I believe in him already

But it's like I tell my husband and son about their driving...I trust you, just not the other people on the road. Same with Kerry, I trust him but don't trust Bush.

[Norquist Nemesis]

16. I hope he can get him out of his rhythm and piss him off

Bush gets pissed off easily and turns into a spoiled brat getting meaner and meaner when he's interrupted or sees he's not got control of the debate. It would be funny if it wasn't so serious.

Interrupt him three or four times and Kerry will be able to out Bush for the asshole he is. The nastiness and testiness won't go over well with audiences.

I still think one of the biggest things Kerry needs to do is look directly into the camera and speak to the viewers at ALL TIMES. Don't focus on anything else while talking.

[mopaul]

18. I couldn't bear to watch it again, saw it live

and was so dissapointed in al. voted for him anyway, and would again. but overall, election too, i think al dropped the ball.