Krugman: cable news will declare Bush* 'winner' in Thursday's debate...

[Q]

Swagger vs. Substance
By PAUL KRUGMAN

Published: September 28, 2004


Let's face it: whatever happens in Thursday's debate, cable news will proclaim President Bush the winner. This will reflect the political bias so evident during the party conventions. It will also reflect the undoubted fact that Mr. Bush does a pretty good Clint Eastwood imitation.

But what will the print media do? Let's hope they don't do what they did four years ago.

Interviews with focus groups just after the first 2000 debate showed Al Gore with a slight edge. Post-debate analysis should have widened that edge. After all, during the debate, Mr. Bush told one whopper after another - about his budget plans, about his prescription drug proposal and more. The fact-checking in the next day's papers should have been devastating.

But as Adam Clymer pointed out yesterday on the Op-Ed page of The Times, front-page coverage of the 2000 debates emphasized not what the candidates said but their "body language." After the debate, the lead stories said a lot about Mr. Gore's sighs, but nothing about Mr. Bush's lies. And even the fact-checking pieces "buried inside the newspaper" were, as Mr. Clymer delicately puts it, "constrained by an effort to balance one candidate's big mistakes" - that is, Mr. Bush's lies - "against the other's minor errors."

The result of this emphasis on the candidates' acting skills rather than their substance was that after a few days, Mr. Bush's defeat in the debate had been spun into a victory. This time, the first debate will be about foreign policy, an area where Mr. Bush ought to be extremely vulnerable. After all, his grandiose promises to rid the world of evildoers have all come to naught.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/28/opinion/28krugman.html?n=Top%2fOpinion%2fEditorials%20and%20Op%2dEd%2fOp%2dEd%2fColumnists%2fPaul%20Krugman

[tom_paine]

1. Anyone familiar with Totalitarian Nations and their media knows this

Hell, I was saying this as early as mid-2001.

This is a slam-dunk. A full on "when Stalin promises a bloodbath there WILL be a bloodbath" slam-dunk.

100% chance.

I do so loathe the absolutism and rigged nature of Totalitarianism.

Of course, if the Imperials retain control, we shall be given more personal reasons to do so.

[Minstrel Boy]

2. Once mandatory psychological testing is implemented,

the unfortunate Mr Krugman can receive treatment for his paranoid political disorder, hopefully before he hurts himself or others.

[Q]

4. I get the impression that you didn't read the article...

...or that you don't care that the cable news media will declare Bush* the winner no matter what he says or does. Krugman is simply pointing out that the cable media will lie.

[Minstrel Boy]

5. I guess I should have added the </sarcasm> tag

Of course, I know and care and agree with what Krugman says. Unfortunately, he's a voice crying in America's increasingly bizarre wilderness. And a crazy nation is a dangerous and lonely place for a sane man.

[RollergirlVT]

3. I was just..

saying this very thing last night. In order for Kerry to "win" the debates I think the only option for him is to put georgie on the spot live on camera. "I challenge you Mr. pResident to throw out this sugarcoated contract and have a REAL debate here tonight. Take REAL questions from the audience and argue the issues without your cue-cards. Otherwise I see no point in going forward with this event. Are you willing to face the American people Mr. pResident?" Only then can Kerry "win".

[wickywom]

6. I say let them...

Bunny pants will make a complete ass out of himself and those who felt his performance was pathetic will have to acknowledge the media is a joke.
I know quite a few intelligent Repugs who could still be persuaded not to vote for him...
but they will only change their minds when they see the idiocy for themselves.

[Skittles]

7. yup, it's a given

Gore won the debates but the media declared Bush the winner and the sheep bought it

[SOS]

8. Debate?

Paula Zahn at CNN is reporting the election results already.
FYI - The CNN final is a 301-237 Bush win.