I was going to live-blog the debates but considering the stakes, I thought it more important to pay complete real-time attention to the action to get a feel for the overall dynamic. There's 1/2 hour to go and Bush is totally on point. He's thrashing Kerry on every "move". He's saying everything he should have said last week, which raises an interesting point: Kerry is simply reiterating everything he said last week and as a result he's out of gas tonight. The last debate will be very interesting (or totally lame) since both candidates will have already said pretty much everything that defines their policy positions. Therefore, it will likely be won or lost on style alone.
Bush is in control. I can breathe now, and blog...
It's 10:00pm and the discussion has turned to environmental issues which frankly,within the context of the BIG issue, terrorism, resonates little with the general public. Unless Kerry lands a haymaker, Bush should conclusively win this segment. Another observation, Bush is coming across as far more likable than Kerry. Kerry is coming across as the condescending rich boy that he is. His nearly every answer is "I've got a plan!". He gives no specifics.
10:04 More economic questions. In the greater context of today's issues,and given the fact that the economy is doing fine they will be viewed by the public as, at best, of secondary importance.
Kerry's biggest detriment in appearing credible on economic issues is the fact that he's so incredibly rich that his economic reality has no parallel with middle class people, and he tries to come across as their savior---unconvincingly.
Now for a little real-time strategy: The debate's starting to drag. First and last impressions are the most important in any P.R. endeavor. To wrap this up, Bush should save the best attack for last.
Haymaker!--Bush!
10:10 We're into one of the prime "whipping boys" of leftist self- hatred: THE PATRIOT ACT!!!!!! Bush is showing how important its provisions are in fighting terrorism. Now Kerry is trashing it--ineffectively, based on the looks of the in-house audience.
Stem cell issue: Kerry is trying the "Edwards folksy approach" with a (possibly untrue) anectdotal tale. Hey Rather, could you look into the veracity of the story? How about you, Mark Halperin?(see Drudge now!)
Bush is doing just about right on this issue.
Kerry is blowing it on issues that few people care about.
Abortion: Bush wins, since he held Kerry to his vote on partial birth abortions, which in this writer's opinion a civilized society cannot engage in and still call itself civilized. And I think that most of mainstream America knows this intuitively.
Final gasping and flailing by Kerry. What's next?, NO BLOOD FOR OIL! HALLIBURTON!
END THE OCCUPATION! Kerry is absolutuely out of gas, like a flatulence-filled balloon that's been pierced by an atom bomb. He's playing the "internationalist" angle again and again and again. He's awful--(please, someone give him the "hook" and drag his moldering botox-drenched corpse off the stage!).
Bush closing statement: Optimist's angle, individual rights, Banging away on the terrorist angle masterfully, throwing down a positive spin on the W.O.T.. Game over---Bush rocked. Wow! (where the hell was he last week???)
