3rd October 2004, 9:59 AM
Quote:That really isn't something that could be "won". And yes, I will say that Bush either didn't GET Kerry's viewpoint (unlikely) or was way too determined to keep up the image of a flip-flop attitude. Honestly, I think Kerry's whole viewpoint was pretty clear. Now, is that viewpoint self-defeating? Well that's one way to attack it, and Bush kinda did, but honestly to hold onto the flip flop argument when I think Kerry made his viewpoint very clear is illogical. Attacking the actual view itself would be more logical, so long as it was an actual logical attack.
Seriously, people are all "Bush kept pounding the desk, was he angry?". I mean, it's frickin' squabbling of hens! Try thinking of something IMPORTANT you stupid masses of humanity! MIB said one of the wisest things when it said "A person is smart, people are idiots." I'm sure these people were thinking of actual substance until they started talking in groups the next day...
He definitely needs to keep up the 'flip-flop' thing. It's been a successful move on Bush's part... most people do not appreciate the complexitites of politics so Bush's extreme simplification of Kerry's actions works... so then even when, like now, Kerry is being very consistent in his positions the Bush people have to act like he isn't; to do otherwise would be to, in effect, admit that they were wrong... which of course they won't do.
Oh yeah, and absolutely you can win a debate! The whole POINT of debate is to have a winner! I have no idea why you think you can't "win" debates, but winning is the whole reason that they exist really. If debates didn't change people's minds they would not be held.
And in this case, after debate #1 Kerry has erased Bush's lead, according to the latest polls, so he definitely won.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/10/0...index.html
And yes, in the ending half hour at least it was painfully obvious that Bush had run out of things to say... he had long pauses in his comments to come up with those weird "idea" things, lots of 'um's, he repeated himself a lot... he clearly had run out of prepared statements and it got him in trouble. :D