If Kerry does this in 1st debate, we'll be okay....

[SeekingTruth]

1) Show that he is presidential and will protect the US;
2) Get those mysterious voters who don't follow the election until
now to see he does have good plans for America;
3) Politely and firmly contrast he and Bush, while dismantling
all the terrible things Bush has done the past 4 yrs.

From the reading about and listening to those who say they are undecided, a few common things emerge - Kerry is still unknown (how that can be, who knows), they don't know much about his plans and they don't think he is personable.

The man has a sense of humor and if he could just let that side fly more we'd be in great shape. Also, this documentary coming out on HBO might show that side of him.

As much as we'd like to see him hammer Bush into the sniveling little jerk that he is, I think that could backfire. To many people, Bush is still the president, deserves respect (not me, dammit) and is sort of seen like that laughable buffoon back in high school.

What does everyone else think?

I know we want to see Bush's ass kicked, but we have to remember who the target audience is - it's Mr and Mrs Simple America.

[tritsofme]

1. I just saw the Mondale-Reagan debate from 1984

And I had forgotten this, but I thought Mondale really kicked Reagan's ass. He had him on the defensive the entire time, from Nicaragua to Lebanon. He tried to prove that he was tougher on national security and on the Soviets than Reagan was.

It made me remember that its the media spin post-debate that every remembers and bases their opinion off of.

No one remembers the very controversial issues Mondale brought up in that debate, they remember "I will not make my opponent's youth and inexperience an issue of this campaign" No matter what actually happens, its the media that decides the outcome.

[monarch]

7. Reagan was the master of the genial,

and, not so genial ("I paid for that microphone!"), one liners that endeared him to people.

Kerry has to have several good quotable lines ready to use. (I think Benston's "You're no John Kennedy" line was scripted and Quayle walked right into it.)

[dumpster_baby]

9. Yes, Kerry needs one-liners b/c that is what the media wants to report

One liners one liners one liners

[SeekingTruth]

16. You are so right...

I was watching it too and couldn't believe how choppy Reagan's speech pattern was...he was all over the place.

[Melodybe]

2. I agree with every word and Americans are NOT that stupid

I'm sorry if the media has been pushing "the stupid American public" off on us for years, we shouldn't let them. They want us to think that, if given the choice between right and wrong Americans are stupid to understand the difference. That's crap and I think that if you expect the worst out of people that is what you will get. You have to hope for the best in people, otherwise you get what you asked for.

Americans are stupid is more media hype. Some of the more simple people I've talked to occassionally say the most brilliant and universal things, communication is not a problem. I feel like I am making an impact on people every day, talking, smiling, being kind, trying to listen.

The United States has people from every corner of the world, we may be the only country that can claim to have someone from everywhere. We ARE the melting pot, that is why we used to invent everything. We get the best and brightest people from all over the world and it makes us great.

I, myself, am Irish, English, French, Scottish, German, and Chicksaw Indian.


How is it possible for the country that created light bulbs, the telephone, the airplane, the computer, and the internet, to be too dumb to see the truth? To quote Charlie Chaplin, the very invention of such devices cries out for universal brotherhood.

To even suggest that Americans are not smart enough to tell the difference between right and wrong makes me mad. The media wants lefties to think that the battle isn't even worth fighting, and judging from some of the people here plenty are buying into the media's lies.

Turn that shit off, we are all smarter than that.

[saccheradi]

22. WE may be smarter than that...

but there's a difference between those who are simple and those who delight in their own ignorance.

That being said, I agree with you that intelligent people support the current administration and their thinking must be modified to the contrary by swift, sound arguments and attention to their media literacy.

[CitySky]

28. Good Post

You make a good point.

It's not just the media. Some of us (I sometimes fall into this too) can be too quick to assume people who disagree with us are stupid; we then come off as condescending, eyerolling, arrogant jerks.

You're right that given choices, clear information offered with kindness, many many people will make good choices.

You can help us out this one, Melodyby.

[Carla in Ca]

3. I can't believe the race is so close

Are that many people not affected by at least one of this administration's failings?

[Melodybe]

4. Don't expect the worst out of people, tell them you expect the best out of

them and send them on their way.

[Mad_Dem_X]

15. I'm with you, Carla

I don't pay attention to polls, and I cannot *believe* more people trust W than Kerry. Too many of us have been negatively affected by this administration's horrid policies. And if all of us get out and vote, Kerry will win by a landslide. I am convinced of this.

[Carla in Ca]

25. So right, Mad

*'s gaffe today seems to be huge and so are the number of dems registering in Ohio. Kerry is fighting mad...works for me!


PS-Is Madam X a favorite movie of yours?

[SeekingTruth]

26. What gaffe did he make today?

didn't hear it..

[Carla in Ca]

27. From Americablog,,a great read

Kerry RIPS Bush over "Mission Accomplished" gaffe
by John in DC - 9/26/2004 08:14:56 PM

I told you. We got ourselves a new John Kerry, and he's fighting mad :-)


Democratic presidential challenger John Kerry ripped into President Bush on Sunday for saying he had no regrets over his "Mission Accomplished" speech on Iraq and would do it again.

Kerry, expressed outrage after Bush's statement in an interview with Fox News in which he was asked if he would still have shown up in a flight suit for that May 1, 2003 speech aboard an aircraft carrier off the coast of California.

"Absolutely," Bush was quoted as saying in excerpts of the interview, which is to air this week.


more

[Hippo_Tron]

20. I look at it a different way, Bush had 80% approval ratings at one time

The fact that we have a real shot at this thing is amazing in my opinion.

[Mojambo]

5. If Kerry references Enron and Halliburton

less than 5 times he has failed. IMO

I expect Edwards to absolutely NAIL Cheney to the wall with Halliburton in the VP debate. He should fold the H-word into every single answer he gives in the debate.

[DemBones DemBones]

6. Kerry is "still unknown" because the fucking media tells

us that "the American people don't know who John Kerry is," and other bullshit along the same lines.

[girl gone mad]

8. "Today on Media Whores R Us..

We'll spend the entire hour discussing John Kerry's failure to get his message out to the people. Robert Novak and Howard Fineman are here to tell us that no one knows what Kerry's positions are on any of the issues. Karen Hughes will explain that John Kerry's plans are things that Bush is already doing, and that Kerry's plans would guarantee large scale terrorist attacks. We'll spend countless minutes discussing why John Kerry has been so ineffective at detailing his policy plans, and conclude that John Kerry's positions on the issues are completely indecipherable, while Bush's "Stay the Course." is the greatest foreign and domestic policy agenda ever created."

[Cocoa]

10. Kerry should downplay the humor

he should communicate to both the moderator and to Bush that there are incredibly important things at stake, and it's time to get serious.

This would explain his own seriousness, and would make Bush's and the press's silliness unacceptable to people.

[annabanana]

11. Bush is Homer Simpson

"..........like that laughable buffoon back in high school."
Kerry must chuckle indulgently and not let the tiniest whiff of condescension creep in. (I know, it won't be easy, Georgie is SUCH an idiot) If he gets heavy handed in tone, HE will be the bully and poor dumb Georgie will garner sympathy.

[JI7]

12. i think #1 is most important

by the end of the debate he needs to get out the perception that he knows what he is talking about and that there is no question he will protect us.

[w4rma]

13. Most people are stupid. And most people will be watching the media spin

rather than the debate. Big media *will* find something in the debate to harp on about Kerry, just like they did with Dean and Gore. Big media *will* find some simple crack by Bush in the debate to repeat, over and over again.

Don't get caught off guard by big media. Pre-empt them if you can. React almost instantly if you can't.

[magnolia]

14. In a more perfect world...

...where we expect a president to be highly intelligent, way more intelligent than ourselves...where we expect not to understand every word, so we listen carefully or listen twice. In this world Kerry is the man and everyone would vote for him. But we live in a mentally lazy world where simple slogans sell. The GOP has beat a drum roll of simple slogans regarding Kerry that have stuck. I wish we had labeled Bush as "simple-minded" and repeated it constantly. That would have put an end to the fawning over him for being able to deliver a simple message. Anyone listening to him would hear a simple-minded person. Another good label "secretive and deceptive"...over and over again. Oh well...hopefully the world is more perfect than I think it is.

[Zomby Woof]

17. supposedly

1 in 4 voters are saying these debates are crucial in making up their minds.

That means Kerry has the potential to open it wide if he wins over most of the 25% who may very well decide based on the debates. In this case, just breaking 50% of the vote is wide open, because it is going to be close, no matter what happens.

[cidliz2004]

18. Stick to who you are, don't try to be funny if it isn't who you are

If Kerry doesn't pull off "humor" well and tries anyway it will come off as a joke on him and he will be minimized.

AND

The best advice that can be given to Kerry for this debate is this:

ABSOLUTELY ALL of his answers MUST be given like he is talking to

a 10 yr old.

If he does this he wins.

If he doesn't he stands the chance of losing.

[cidliz2004]

21. Keeping it simple is the key

When speaking to children, you don't have to be condescending. You keep it simpler though, than if you were having philisophical discussions with peers. This is not what we need in this situation.

Kerry needs to drop the "statesman" aura and portray the "one on one" persona, he has much more personality in that scenerio.

The simplicity of his message can be achieved by keeping in mind that he is communicating to a 10 year old child.

[saccheradi]

23. absolutely.

being thoroughly interested, listening intently and making direct, short empathetic responses...

But most of all, Kerry must respond as if every question is being asked by a young person that he cares about. That is the key.

[Hippo_Tron]

19. Hopefully they won't have such low expectations for Bush this time

I just watched the first Gore v Bush debate, and I'd have to say the media was pretty close to fair in their analysis. Bush by no means kicked Gore's ass or anything, but it was amazing that Bush was actually able to debate. I'm not worried, though. Kerry is a better speaker and debater than Gore, has good one-liners, and this time Bush has a record that Kerry can hold him accountable for.

[oldtime dfl_er]

24. We can only hope...

that the debates have any positive impact at all. After reading about the covenant the two parties entered into, which eliminates the possibility of the candidates even speaking to each other, I worry. Because this is not a debate, it's two over scripted, over prepared, white men in dark business suits responding in memorized answers to questions by boring moderators. Do I paint a picture here? Boring to most Americans. Americans want their tv to be exciting, colorful, simple, loud and with lots of MTV editing. Unfortunately, the fact that the event is designed to be boring does NOT help Kerry. He is already seen as the serious boring candidate. Kerry would be wise to have at least one or two headline-making statements ready. Big stuff. BIG STUFF. Because unless he dominates the post-debate spin with substance, he's going to lose on image. Now don't get me wrong, I can't even LOOK at the chimp (remember the last debates? I was on the floor laughing at how Gore was kicking ass, the chimp was stumbling over his words, couldn't put together a coherent thought. I was ready to pop the champagne! Then of course I thought maybe I was insane when all the post debate commentators thoughtfully clucked and said the chimp did such a good job, so personable, etc.) but what Im saying is that Kerry is fighting everything right now -- a press that is ready to crown their anointed one, a public that doesn't like boring white men, etc etc. A little outrage of one kind or another (not the Howard Dean kind, please) will go a lot farther than a scripted, wooden joke.