Internets of debate opinions

Yes, there is now more than one internet according to George W. Bush. Good thing to know. Well, here's my post about tonight's debate comin' at 'cha live on the internets!

After a productive day working at home Sarah and I ate a pathetic dinner then made it over to King's Books near the Temple Theatre near the north end of Tacoma to watch tonight's debate with other John Kerry supporters. A decent group of about 30-40 sat on folding chairs all pointed at a make-shift multimedia setup with a relatively large screen projection of the main event. Although not as surprising nor exciting as the first presidential debate this season I thought Kerry stood extremely firm and did a fine job stating his case and making sure the lies of Bush and his administration were clear as day. Bush didn't seem quite as flustered tonight but still stumbled over himself a couple times and seemed to be shouting most of the night. I obviously wasn't in the studio audience at the event but even over the TV it felt as though I was being yelled at enough for me to think "Mr. President, why are you yelling at me?"

If you missed it don't forget to Read | Watch | Listen to tonight's debate.

After the debate local author David Domke of the book God Willing? led a discussion about the power of rhetoric and how its role in politics is the reality rather than reality itself. He pointed out that in these debates and really for the first time John Kerry has used rhetoric to his distinct advantage. He's taken the President's words from the past and used them against him. He's exposed the use of rhetoric on the GOP side of things as labels that don't mean anything and, in fact, mean the opposite (e.g. "No Child Left Behind" leaving children behind, "Clean Skies Act" that's made for dirtier skies, etc.). He's also begun using a bit of talk about his faith but doing it in a way that is far more non-threatening than Bush does. Another interesting point Domke made was noticing that Bush's campaign made a fatal mistake where the final question posed was about stating three mistakes he thought he'd made in his years as President. His campaign screwed up because this same thing came up at a press conference in April and, since then, they hadn't prepared him for a response. Instead, he completely dodged the question and deflected any blame onto other people rather than take responsibility himself. Anyway, it was a great way to spend a Friday night and I may look forward to doing it again next Wednesday for the final debate.

My conclusion for the night: Kerry was more calm and collected than Bush and, although there weren't as many surprises tonight, edged out Bush and certainly didn't do himself any harm. The most powerful quote of the night came from Kerry when he said "The military's job is to win the war. A president's job is to win the peace."

Comments (2) | To Top

10/9/2004 @ 9:04am

Also, for anyone interested, I posted some scanned photos I took at a George W. Bush rally before the 2000 primaries held in a high school in Lakewood, WA:

http://www.kevinfreitas.net/journal/20000227/#photos

I found them in a pile of my non-digital photos and thought they were strangely relevant today.

by KevinFreitas

10/9/2004 @ 3:23pm

Seems that Mr. Bush (can't bring myself to use the word President) can't get his act right. I hope the public is intelligent enough so see through the blanket statements he makes without any substance to support them. And, why can't he reply to a question with a direct answer? Rhetoric doesn't satisfy the publics appetite for the truth. I find that Senator Kerry presents himself as presidential, sincere, and dependable. That is what America needs in the next 4 years, not more of the same "rule by fear" Bush policy.

by Stephie