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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: abstract who wrote (75948)	10/8/2004 11:39:29 PM
From: SBHX	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793832

Fact is, Kerry is not going to change my mind and Bush won't change yours. However, I thought Bush's performance was miles ahead of his last one. On technical presentation alone, Kerry is still very smooth. Ok, I think Kerry said he will kill terrorists a couple of times. Ok, same nudge nudge wink wink again right? I like the fact that Bush has passion and shows that he fundamentally disagreed with Kerry on very basic things such as the economy and whether Iraq was a mistake. Bush calling Kerry to task on his voting record for the last 20 years vs what he is saying today is a fertile issue that can be fodder for the talk shows. Bush made the point he should have made in the last debate but did not ---"No world leader is going to follow someone into the wrong war, no world leader will go with someone if doesn't believe he is doing the right thing" ie : vote Kerry and you vote for a total collapse of the coalition of the willing (or corrupt and coerced if you're a democrat). Vote Kerry and vote for a dishonorable exodus from Iraq. Vote Kerry and the jihadist will follow you home. Unfair perhaps, but this is one example where Kerry's "Wrong War Wrong Time Wrong Place" is going to catch up with him. Kerry scored the usual easy liberal emotional wins with arguments on raising taxes for the rich guys --- make the rich guys pay is a very powerful rallying cry. Raising wages is also a powerful and easy argument. It is not easy to explain to the guy on the street that each $1 increase in minimum wage can result in a 0.5%-1% increase in structural unemployment, or that taxing the rich, including the small businesses by the way will also increase unemployment --- these are hard arguments to make in a debate. Score the easy socialist win on this one for Kerry unless someone can explain this in a 1 minute soundbite on TV by sunday to the people on the streets. Truth be told, I'd rather that the stem cell research should be more open, so I'd agree with Kerry on that one, and disagree with Bush. Technically, I would have liked to see this one follow what the scientists are telling him to do. Note that many countries are spending more billions on all lines of stem cell, and these could very well be the next technology that will create the next quantum leap in job growth. However, you'd have to score that Bush wins this one on technicality, because unlike Kerry's equivocating about agonized ethics and his agreement with my position, Bush's position was clear without the complex nuances, even if I happen to disagree with it. On the touchy subject of pro-life, its quite amazing how slippery Kerry can be when his back is to the wall. If you didn't know his clear pro-choice voting record you'd think he was almost pro-life. You'd have to admire how much Kerry agonizes over the choice/life issue and seems to say all the right things. However, Bush laid out Kerry's voting record on the carpet and I think there were a few knowing smiles in the room (some by the housewives btw). Score this one for Bush. At the end, Kerry may have made a rather glaring error. When Bush said, "If Kerry was president, Saddam Hussein would still be in office". Instead of an outright rebuttal, Kerry said, "Not necessarily", which is the Kerry with all the strange nuances popping up again. I think Bush people will pounce on it, especially with Kerry's 1991 vote on the first gulf war to roll out. Score the wrapup to Bush. Which is surprising, since this is where a master debater like Kerry should have closed well.