Debates: direct exchange between candidates

[shockingelk]

I was surprised to read this - Kerry and Jr yappin' directly to one another on national TV in first and 3rd debates:

The moderators job in the first and third presidential debates and the vice presidential debate will be to introduce and change topics, to ensure that the participants have equal time, and to encourage some direct exchange among the candidates. The moderators will select all topics and questions.

... The moderators will have discretion to ask follow-up questions in all debates.
http://www.debates.org/pages/news_040617.html

[Catfight]

1. Bush does really well in debates, he just quotes scripture and pretends

to be a prophet ordained by jesus himself.

[MasonJar]

2. I only watched one debate in 2000; Bush came off as a big doofus who

agreed with every thing the Clinton administration had done. He did not win that debate. Jim Lerher was a horribly biased moderator. We need to plie him with warnings before this debate.

[cheshire]

3. Warn who?

[Catfight]

7. Naw, Bush is gonna win the debates, but he'll still lose the election. nt

[Southsideirish]

4. He's a sly fox - don't mis-underestimate him. He is very good at

portraying himself as (incredible as it may seem..)a "man o' the people" and 'can adopt a very low key and humble demeanor when it suits him.

[irancontra]

5. the problem is

our children ISN't learning... ;P

[Supersedeas]

11. that deer-in-headlights look conveys man-o-sheeple everytime

[2Design]

6. I don't like this - this is a setup for that right wing rhetoric of

constant questions - attacking bs - and quoting bible

this forces a person into defensive mode and doesn't look good

I have been a 'victim' of these types of verbal bs games. It is a mental rape. Leaves no room for the truth

Anyone attacked with rhetoric, mocking, and bully tactics - has a hard time dealing 'unemotionally- with these snake oil types - They are salesmen of words and rhetoric

no intellectual conversation will happen with this

Much better to have questions from 'unpicked/unscripted' voters

[shockingelk]

8. How would/could he answer these

Asked by Kerry if he can fit them in:

"Mr. Bush, why were you against the $87 billion before you were for it?"

"Mr. Bush, you told America your policy of tax cuts would result in 2.6 more million jobs than have actually been produced, which would have put the unemployment at about 3.7% - a nearly record low number. Why are we to believe anything you predict about your strategy for the economy?"

[2Design]

9. you are thinking like a sane - intellectual -

rw only use attack and rhetoric

[shockingelk]

10. You are maybe right

The RW army of media commentators would accuse Kerry of "intellectual terrorism".

But that would only call attention to however Jr tried to answer the questions, which would play well to everybody that doesn't take marching orders from Rush Limbaugh, which is 60% or more of America ...