Friday, October 01, 2004

The First Presidential Debate

I actually watched it. And I came away with impressions, almost entirely untainted by my visceral disgust and disdain for George Bush. (Remember, I said almost.)
  1. James Baker is an idiot. Whose brilliant idea was it to not have a box behind Bush's podium for him to stand on? He looked like he was a little kid playing at his daddy's job, which I think is about right, actually. It looked especially bizarre on a split screen, where, in order to put their heads at the same height, Bush's podium was significantly higher than Kerry's.
  2. Bush got the word "prayers" into his first sentence. Think his base noticed? I do.
  3. Kerry's hand gestures were annoying. They looked stiff and rehearsed. But that may be the worst thing I can say about his performance.
  4. Bush had trouble distinguishing between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. I'm shocked. Shocked!
  5. When asked whether a Kerry presidency would increase the odds of another 9/11-type attack, Bush was unable to acknowledge the possibility of a Kerry presidency. He must be reading the Gallup poll exclusively. He dodged other questions as well.
  6. Kerry missed a huge opportunity when Bush talked about Prime Minister Allawi's speech to Congress. The Washington Post reported yesterday that the Bush re-election campaign had a hand in writing Allawi's speech. In other words, Allawi is a political tool of Karl Rove's, and the perspectives laid out in his speech are inherently suspect. But Kerry said nothing about it.
  7. Kerry also failed to adequately answer the "$87 billion" charge, which was another huge opportunity lost. It's not difficult to explain: competing bills, one fiscally responsible, the other not.
  8. Bush looked visibly angry during many of the split-screens while Kerry was talking. And I'm betting that was part of the Kerry strategy; piss off the frat boy.
  9. "You know, it's hard work to try to love her as best as I can knowing full well that the decision I made caused her, her loved one to be in harm's way." What the hell? I'd think it'd be hard work for her to love you, Mr. President, after her husband got killed and all. Why is it hard for you to love her? (It wouldn't have anything to do with all of that public handholding you do with the guys, would it? Nah, didn't think so.)
  10. Kerry did a fine job pointing out how Bush had taken a question about Iraq ("Does the Iraq experience make it more likely or less likely that you would take the United States into another pre-emptive military action?") and twist it around to 9/11 in his answer ("the enemy attacked us, Jim"). And after Kerry drilled the point home, Bush looked and sounded every inch the C student when he responded, "Of course I know Osama bin Laden attacked us. I know that."

posted by MeanMrMustard @ 6:26 AM