Debate Blogging

Kerry can have a peaceful night's sleep, Bush will need a new pillow.

Bush - Closing thanks are mumbled and grudging (Thank you mmm, thank you mmsenator), won't turn over America's needs to other nations

Kerry - repeats war experience, plan on Iraq, strong alliances, "future belongs to freedom, not to fear". Good closing overall
Closing Statements

Kerry - "issue is what you DO about it"

Bush - "saw same intelligence, came to same conclusion" AGAIN

Kerry - using extra time to rebut China argument given by Bush before

Kerry - touts his experience of going down into the KGB vaults

Bush - good response on Putin, I thought that was a tough question but Bush is definite in his answer

Bush - Mistake talking bilaterally to North Korea, reason - China won't be involved, "I don't think that will work"

Kerry - "Nuclear proliferation biggest risk to national security"

Kerry - "I've been consistent on Iraq"

Bush - "I won't change my core values"

Kerry - "You can be certain and be wrong"

Bush - "I just know how the world works"

Bush - "Mixed messages send wrong signals" N+1th time

me - is Bush even interested in this debate?

Bush - "I agree it is genocide as Colin Powell has stated"

Bush - Completely lost on Darfur. "ummm, aaaa, ummmmm aaaa"

Kerry - "we have a backdoor draft going on today"

me - Kerry is a good debator

Question - Darfur, neither one of you has pointed out what you plan to do about it

Bush - We don't need bilateral talks, because Kim Jong Il wants that

Kerry - For two years this administration didn't talk at all to North Korea. Very strong criticism on this one

Kerry - "The President did nothing" on Iran

Bush - "China has more influence on North Korea, perhaps more than us", showing he did his homework on that topic, of course

Bush - 'nucular' ;)

Bush - Takes swipe at the International Criminal Court of Justice

Bush - finds "Global test" funny

Kerry - Criticizes turning away from treaties, one being the Kyoto Protocol

Kerry - I won't cede the right for a pre-emptive strike/war. Uses "Jim", shouldnt they address the people in general?

Kerry - brings up Iran, North Korea, Darfur

Bush - "Of course I know OBL attacked us, I know that", "Saddam Hussein would've made weapons"

Kerry - points to Bush's attempt at making common cause of Iraq war and the WoT, calls it "unfortunate"

Bush - "hopefully won't have to go pre-emptive again"

Bush - "the enemy attacked us, Jim" Jim?

Kerry points to NIE which gave "best scenario - more of the same"

Bush repeats 100,000 troops trained line, calls Allawi brave leader

I started watching halfway into the debate, if Bush has been like this throughout, well he's not winning this contest

Kerry - clarifies 'bringing back troops position'

Kerry - Defends with "you break it you own it/fix it" rule

Bush - repeats for the Nth time Kerry's inconsistensy

Kerry - "Vital for us not to confuse the war with the warriors". Good line.

Live comments - Bush sounds a little out of depth, he's slurring at times and keeps repeating Kerry's inconsistent. Doensn't offer anything worth listening to or repeating

posted by ubaid - Thursday, September 30, 2004 at 6:44 PM - 2 comments - post anonymously