What about the debates?

[Knurled99]

I have been extremely busy lately and can't follow all of the news... but I keep hearing that Bush is ducking out of a nationally aired, prime-time debate with John Kerry. Does he really have that kind of chutzpah? I mean, come one, what could the excuse possibly be for that? Has there even been an election that didn't include a nationally televised debate (or series of debates) since JFK?

The American people couldn't possibly call themselves sane after collectively choosing a man that is so cowardly he runs from a debate about why he should be our leader.

[gospelized]

1. it's true

he doesn't want to do one out of the 3 debates, because the proposed format is to have questions from an audience of swing voters.

he doesn't want to answer questions from voters because they might be too hard.

[Pale_Rider]

2. Bush remembers what happened to Poppy ...

... when one courageous woman asked Poppy how did the recession affected him. Poppy got nasty ...

[Knurled99]

3. I see...

but he IS doing the other two... I dunno, maybe it's just me but it's hard to imagine Bush surviving a real debate, just because he is dealing with someone mentally superior.

[girl gone mad]

4. Hold on a minute there..

Let's not forget that Bush is a Master Debator.

One of the greatest who ever lived.

[Knurled99]

6. You really are a girl gone mad

[AndyTiedye]

8. Really More of a Master Bater

but we should spread the meme that he's a good debater to hopefully sucker him into actually showing up at a debate or two. Kerry should be able to mop the floor with him.

If Boosh blows off the debates then they can pretty much keep Kerry off the news
from now until the election, which is certainly how Rove would prefer it.

[NEOBuckeye]

10. Maybe not. We must not allow Bush to win again on "lowered expectations"

People said Bush was too inept to debate in 2000; When he was at his absolute best, he turned out to be mediocre. But since the media was expecting him to fall flat on his face, they gave him massive props over a mentally and verbally sharper Gore, who was chastised for sighing, among other things.

If we set the bar high for Bush this time, and offer ludicrous amounts of praise and reverence in respect for his debating skills, the media, biased as it is, will be expecting nothing short of a superb, mind-blowing performance against Kerry. But as we really know him, Bush is fully incapable of living up to such high expectations, and can only fall short in the face of such pressure.

It's all about respecting your opponent and setting the expectations, folks. Give him a bit more praise than his due, and then watch him trip over the shadow of his own inflated ego.

[RamboLiberal]

5. Actually the Bush camp has not yet agreed to any of the debates

The debate commission the other day said they needed to hear by Monday. On Hardball they said that Bushies want to make sure that candidates at debate are seated so Shrub's height difference with Kerry isn't noticeable.

[girl gone mad]

9. Kerry shoud NOT..

agree to that. Let Bush wear lifts.

[gospelized]

7. to be fair...

since you wanted the actual news and i gave my spin...

the actual reason they give is that the swing voters may be partisans in disguise.



which to me basically says he doesn't want any hard questions.

[shockingelk]

11. This is key:

The first and third debates, the ones Jr has agreed to (but not agreed to time and place) allow direct exchange between the candidates.

In other words, Kerry could ask non-softball questions of Bush: http://www.debates.org/pages/news_040617.html

"Why were you against the $87 billion before you were for it?"

"The way you've fought the war in Iraq has made it the #1 hotspot for terrorism in the world, with daily suicide car bombings. How is it you're claiming you've made the world safer from terrorism?"

&ct.