Presidential Debate: Part I
Bush quotes:
Kerry quotes:
The most humorous exchange of words in the debate:
Now this former forensic enthusiast gives immense credit to Senator John Kerry for his articulation and calm demeanor. He presented himself as a well-informed candidate who has looked at the issues and has a plan for his presidency. He made many great points in relation to Bush's reasons for going to war and his inability to take the educated advice of his own administration. His delivery of his points was winning in terms of the debate and his factual support for his opinions. He made great points about North Korea and proved he had some experience in foreign relations in regards to his visit to the Kremlin after the attack in Beslan. He did an excellent job in defending his voting record in the Senate and why he changed his mind in regards to several issues regarding Iraq and the war on terror, but while he disagrees that war was the only option, he realizes that now that American troops are in Iraq and it is a mess, we need to stay and get it done, have a plan. He also displayed his excellent knowledge of how wars and uncertainty in a country can be a hot bed for civil war if the Iraqi people are not properly trained to take responsibility for the future of their country. If the lack of basic human needs continues, civil war will erupt. Assuming the people are healthy enough since there isn't any clean water and hepatitis is a serious problem in Iraq.
Now President George Bush is not the most articulate man and, contrary to him saying he's a pretty "calm guy," he got riled up and you could see it all over his face. He did make many good points which you could only extract if you read the transcript of the debate. Mainly, he did a good job of sticking to his message of steadfastness and the fact the he and Kerry both saw the same intelligence in regards to Iraq and had the same opinion of Iraq posing a threat to the safety of the world. He made it a point that his job was to protect the American people, something he stuck to the entire way through the debate: as President, it is his job to keep the American people safe. Why so important? Because a majority of people in America are afraid of another 9/11 (even those folks who don't live in any of the major city targets like NYC) and he's using that fear as a trump card. He also makes a point that many southern Bible-Belters love: American doesn't answer to anyone, doesn't need anyone's permission or need to succumb to any other foreign power's pressure to protect itself.
One issue I thought Kerry won hands down was over Darfur. Kerry made a point that giving only humanitarian aid to the people in Sudan isn't enough to quell the unrest and genocide. That diplomacy is necessary along with the cooperation of the African Union. Bush tried to defend himself by saying that America has assisted with Darfur--but again, only humanitarian aid. Bush fails to recognize that all the humanitarian aid being given to the people in Darfur rarely reaches those who need it most. The Sudanese government denied inernational humanitarian aid groups access to those displaced persons through January 2004. It is still questionable how much aid actually reaches those displaced people. With rampant infectios diseases as well as a polio outbreak and the genocide and raping, it is questionable how well the Bush administration has addressed the issues in Darfur.
It was an excellent debate about foreign policy and homeland security, and I can safely say, Kerry won. Bush needs a better outward demeanor and face when he debates--he'd do well to listen to his advisors. He may have been able to hold those Bible thumping voters who love his Bible quoting and sermonizing (he had those votes to start with) but for those voters on the fence, Kerry did a great job in bringing up important issues and even touching on the environment and foreign relations.
CNN / GALLUP POLL ON WHO WON DEBATE
Kerry: 53
Bush: 37
CBS POLL ON WHO WON DEBATE:
Kerry: 44
Bush: 26
Tie: 30
ABC POLL ON WHO WON DEBATE:
Kerry: 45
Bush: 36
Tie: 17
***Haha! As a sidenote, when I went to the George Bush Re-Election site, it was down. Obviously programmed in ASP.NET as the error page is one I am very familiar with. Maybe he should stop outsourcing his programmers and keep the tech jobs in America. Want a working presidential candidate campaign site, go to John Kerry's site.
And, you know, I think about Missy Johnson, fantastic young lady I met in Charlotte, N.C., she and her son, Brian. They came to see me. Her husband, P.J., got killed-been in Afghanistan, went to Iraq. 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.
MR. LEHRER: New question, Mr. President. Two minutes. You have said there was a, quote, "miscalculation" of what the conditions would be in post-war Iraq. What was the miscalculation? And how did it happen?
PRESIDENT BUSH: No, what I said was that, because we achieved such a rapid victory, more of the Saddam loyalists were around. In other words, we thought we'd whip more of them going in. But because Tommy Franks did such a great job in planning the operations, we moved rapidly. And a lot of the Ba'athists and Saddam loyalists laid down their arms and disappeared.I thought we would -- they would stay and fight. But they didn't. And now we're fighting them now.
Of course I know Osama bin Laden attacked us. I know that.
I've got a good relation with Vladimir [Putin], and it's important that we do have a good relation because that enables me to better comment to him and to better -- to discuss with him some of the decisions he makes. I found that -- in this world that it's important to establish good personal relationships with people so that when you have disagreements you're able to disagree in a way that is effective.
Oh, I'm a pretty calm guy. I mean --
Kerry quotes:
What I think troubles a lot of people in our country is that the president has just sort of described one kind of mistake, but what he has said is that even knowing there were no weapons of mass destruction, even knowing there was no imminent threat, even knowing there was no connection of al Qaeda, he would still have done everything the same way. Those are his words.
It's one thing to be certain, but you can be certain and be wrong. It's another to be certain and be right, or to be certain and be moving in the right direction, or be certain about a principle and then learn new facts and take those new facts and put them to use in order to change and get your policy right. What I worry about with the president is that he's not acknowledging what's on the ground, that he's not acknowledging the realities in North Korea, he's not acknowledging the truth of the science of stem-cell research or of global warming and other issues. And certainty sometimes can get you in trouble.
The most humorous exchange of words in the debate:
SEN. KERRY: Well, first of all, I appreciate enormously the personal comments the president just made, and I share them with him. I think only if you've -- if you're doing this, and he's done it more than I have in terms of the presidency, can you begin to get a sense of what it means to your families, and it's tough. And so I acknowledge the -- his daughters. I've watched them. I've chuckled a few times at some of their comments.
PRESIDENT BUSH: (Laughs.)
SEN. KERRY: And --
PRESIDENT BUSH: I'm trying to put a leash on them. (Laughs, laughter.)
SEN. KERRY: Well, I don't know. I've learned not to do that, Mr. President.
PRESIDENT BUSH: That's right. (Laughs, laughter.)
Now this former forensic enthusiast gives immense credit to Senator John Kerry for his articulation and calm demeanor. He presented himself as a well-informed candidate who has looked at the issues and has a plan for his presidency. He made many great points in relation to Bush's reasons for going to war and his inability to take the educated advice of his own administration. His delivery of his points was winning in terms of the debate and his factual support for his opinions. He made great points about North Korea and proved he had some experience in foreign relations in regards to his visit to the Kremlin after the attack in Beslan. He did an excellent job in defending his voting record in the Senate and why he changed his mind in regards to several issues regarding Iraq and the war on terror, but while he disagrees that war was the only option, he realizes that now that American troops are in Iraq and it is a mess, we need to stay and get it done, have a plan. He also displayed his excellent knowledge of how wars and uncertainty in a country can be a hot bed for civil war if the Iraqi people are not properly trained to take responsibility for the future of their country. If the lack of basic human needs continues, civil war will erupt. Assuming the people are healthy enough since there isn't any clean water and hepatitis is a serious problem in Iraq.
Now President George Bush is not the most articulate man and, contrary to him saying he's a pretty "calm guy," he got riled up and you could see it all over his face. He did make many good points which you could only extract if you read the transcript of the debate. Mainly, he did a good job of sticking to his message of steadfastness and the fact the he and Kerry both saw the same intelligence in regards to Iraq and had the same opinion of Iraq posing a threat to the safety of the world. He made it a point that his job was to protect the American people, something he stuck to the entire way through the debate: as President, it is his job to keep the American people safe. Why so important? Because a majority of people in America are afraid of another 9/11 (even those folks who don't live in any of the major city targets like NYC) and he's using that fear as a trump card. He also makes a point that many southern Bible-Belters love: American doesn't answer to anyone, doesn't need anyone's permission or need to succumb to any other foreign power's pressure to protect itself.
One issue I thought Kerry won hands down was over Darfur. Kerry made a point that giving only humanitarian aid to the people in Sudan isn't enough to quell the unrest and genocide. That diplomacy is necessary along with the cooperation of the African Union. Bush tried to defend himself by saying that America has assisted with Darfur--but again, only humanitarian aid. Bush fails to recognize that all the humanitarian aid being given to the people in Darfur rarely reaches those who need it most. The Sudanese government denied inernational humanitarian aid groups access to those displaced persons through January 2004. It is still questionable how much aid actually reaches those displaced people. With rampant infectios diseases as well as a polio outbreak and the genocide and raping, it is questionable how well the Bush administration has addressed the issues in Darfur.
It was an excellent debate about foreign policy and homeland security, and I can safely say, Kerry won. Bush needs a better outward demeanor and face when he debates--he'd do well to listen to his advisors. He may have been able to hold those Bible thumping voters who love his Bible quoting and sermonizing (he had those votes to start with) but for those voters on the fence, Kerry did a great job in bringing up important issues and even touching on the environment and foreign relations.
CNN / GALLUP POLL ON WHO WON DEBATE
Kerry: 53
Bush: 37
CBS POLL ON WHO WON DEBATE:
Kerry: 44
Bush: 26
Tie: 30
ABC POLL ON WHO WON DEBATE:
Kerry: 45
Bush: 36
Tie: 17
***Haha! As a sidenote, when I went to the George Bush Re-Election site, it was down. Obviously programmed in ASP.NET as the error page is one I am very familiar with. Maybe he should stop outsourcing his programmers and keep the tech jobs in America. Want a working presidential candidate campaign site, go to John Kerry's site.
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