No Direct Questions?!? Is Bush Retarded?

[Ravenseye]

So this article...

http://www.time.com/time/election2004/article/0,18471,702075,00.html

mentions that one of the stipulations of the debate were none of Kerry's 'stagecraft' like wandering from the podium or asking direct questions.

It's telling that nobody wants Bush to be asked any direct questions. How many press conferences has he held, and when he has, how many questions has he actually answered?

I think Kerry should do it anyway. Who cares if they back out of the future debates. Ask the hard questions.

[Teaser]

1. Another reason why Bush will win the debates.

Kerry is going to do so, so bad, I can barely convince myself to watch the debates.

[KansDem]

4. I agree, Teaser. As I posted last week...

"Bush" and "debater" are synonymous just as "Bach" and "musician" were in 18th century Germany...

I'm surprised that Kerry would even remotely consider going mano a mano with Bush, the Debater!

[K8-EEE]

5. LOL!! OH NO YOU'RE RIGHT!

Oh how I fear Bush's keen ability to address the most complex issues of the day and present brilliant, on the spot analysis!

Oh God!! What if he hits Kerry with his big applause lines like: The terr'ists aren't here in Mainstreet USA because they're BUSY in Iraq! They are stuck there in the Terr'ist Super-Flypaper I created, applause applause....

Oh woe to all who should attempt to question such iron-clad logic!

[Stephanie]

12. Bush has made a big mistake in vetting his audiences

The fact that he only speaks to pre-screened audiences is going to SCREW him in the debates. Just think about the silence he was met with at the UN. What he thinks are great applause lines are going to fall flat in front of real people.

[AndyTiedye]

14. Cut It Out with the "Low Expectation" thing! It's a TRAP!

That's what they did last time, but now they're going to play it
that Boosh wins the debates, just like everybody knew he would
(because everybody says he's such a great debater).

Rove is doing it to us AGAIN!! :wtf:

[okieinpain]

2. I think we should chec with candy crawley, because she sure

has kept up with how many kerry has had.

[enough]

3. How 'bout something like:

"I had to agree not to ask direct questions in order to get George Bush to debate at all. But if he was willing to take questions, I would ask......"

And:
"WHY would the President of the United states refuse to take direct questions during a presidential election?"


There's got to be a way to make Bush's cowardice an issue in the debate.

[K8-EEE]

6. JK, PLEASE SAY IT: GWB WILL NOT BE ASKED DIRECT ?'S!

Yeah right on like, "....what I would ask, were I allowed to question the President directly, which his staff forbids..."

ZINGEROOO!

[enough]

8. and:

"Mr. Bush, there are a few DIRECT QUESTIONS which the American people would like to ask their president."

[K8-EEE]

11. But They Have To Sign Loyalty Oaths Before The Ask SO...

he gets asked questions like "pray for us" and "I just want to say thank you!"

OMG....

[progressivebydesign]

7. Bush's new line...

.. I predict Bush will talk a lot about 'what you see on your teevee screen', as it relates to Iraq. He'll do the 'are going to believe ME? your WAR president? or your lying eyes?

I think Kerry should not have agreed to Bush's terms.. bullshit. It should be a REAL fucking debate!! Not a string of soundbites. Has this country gone mad??????????? :grr:

[AndyTiedye]

16. Kerry Had to Agree to Whatever Terms Boosh Wanted for Debates

Because the Dems are just about blacked out of the media,
Kerry needs the debates, desperately. Boosh does not, because
he has unlimited free access to the media.

Without the debates, Kerry will have NO CHANCE to explain his positions
to the people. Not much can be done in 30-second spots, as we have seen,
especially when they are bracketed by hours of negative commentary
that is the networks' free gift to the Boosh regime.

Even the best negiotiator can find himself in a hopeless bargaining
position.

[demokatgurrl]

21. YES, we HAVE gone mad in this country!!!! n/t

[LisaL]

9. Is Bush retarded

should be a rhetorical question. Only rhetorical questions are allowed, after all.

[jean]

10. so what will they do if Kerry asks a direct question? Sue him? Will

the little man strut off the stage in a pout? Will the moderators scream at Kerry?

We know the media will pound on it for days and weeks: Kerry broke the contract. Went back on his word. Can't be trusted. Flip flopper. Poor bush.

I want to hear a national debate on why the hell our supreme commander can't handle a direct question.

[Anaxamander]

17. Don't you remember what happened with Gore?

Gore asked him a direct question in the town hall meeting about whether he supports affirmative action. Bush sort of stammered, blustered, picked his ass, never answered at all and Jim Lehrer moved on to the next question. Doesn't anyone remember how Gore had him on the ropes?

[jean]

18. yes I remember. Now, however, James Baker has negotiated a debate

contract requiring no direct questioning between the candidates. How does he enforce that? Maybe Kerry will be able to use Gore's experience to our advantage.

[Sparkle]

24. Yeah, I remember. He finally came up with that "Affirmative Access" crap.

He was so damn pig headed that he couldn't even say the words Affirmative Action.

[Javaman]

13. First question to Mr. *

Moderator: Mr. bush, how do you tie your shoes in the morning?

Mr. bush: I, um, heh heh, I, please repeat the question...

Kerry rolls his eyes.

Moderator: How do you tie your shoes in the morning?

Mr. bush: see all of this goes back to the war on terror! I iraq them, with a little bin laden, to make sure the weapons of mass destruction keep them tight...

Moderator: Ummm, okay. Same question to Mr. Kerry...

Off screen: Right wing commentator: Brilliant, just brilliant. That's a man who can think on his feet.

[Justice]

15. It would not surprise me if Bush asked Kerry a direct question

thinking he had thrown Kerry off balance.

[Bleacher Creature]

19. It really says something about this country

when our supposed Commander in Chief needs the rhetorical equivalent of a booster seat nearly 4 years into his term.

[SeekingTruth]

20. It really pisses me off because.....

again, we see the Dems rolling over again and I think this comes from the conventional wisdom that Kerry "needs" these debates more than Bush.

The K/E campaign should have held fast to what they wanted and then when the Bush campaign refused to sign on, went out and hammered them by saying, "We want debates! We demand them, but the Bush campaign is too afraid to have them."

Then they could back up their claims by reminding everyone that Bush is afraid to be challenged and it can be proved by his lack of holding press conferences. Also, that the man can't walk, talk and take a swig from a bottle of booze at the same time (hell, he's already proved this by choking on that pretzel while swigging from the JD bottle).

[demokatgurrl]

22. To even call these media events debates

is totally laughable. In a DEBATE, people speak TO EACH OTHER. These are simply televised, over-managed Q and A sessions and I have very little doubt that Bush will be given the questions in advance.

I am very much up in the air about whether I'll even watch.

[Sparkle]

23. They've DUMBED down the presidency for George.

And a lot of Americans are too blind to see it!