Posted on 10/01/2004 5:27:42 PM PDT by ambrose
Polls Give Debate to Kerry, But Does It Matter?
By Dave Evans
(New York-WABC, October 1, 2004) — After Thursday night's debate in Miami, Democrats were ecstatic -- their candidate did well.
But will it make it difference? Can Kerry close that gap in the polls with only 32 days left?
Our polls show what just about every other poll across the country is showing -- that Kerry won Thursday night's debate in Miami.
But if you ask those same voters if it changed their vote, most say no -- it didn't. So Senator Kerry still has plenty of work ahead, and two more debates to try to close the sale.
Rep. Robert Menendez, (D) New Jersey: "This election is far from over. The American people are going to decide on election day who gets elected. And as I travel the country as chairman of the Democratic Caucus in the House, the American people want to see change in this country."
Friday as the president campaigned in Pennsylvania, Republicans said Bush earned debate points by sharing his personal grief over having to go to war.
Dan Bartlett, White House Communications Director: "And I think he spoke from the heart. He spoke from strength about the necessity of our country to fight the terrorists over there so we don't have to face them here at home."
President George W. Bush, From Debate: "First of all what my opponent wants you to forget is he voted to authorize the use of force, and he now says it's the wrong war, at the wrong time, at the wrong place."
Bush also stayed on message Thursday night, again and again attempting to paint his opponent as inconsistent. But the image voters may remember most is that Bush at times looked angry.
Norman Adler, Political Consultant: "But in cut-aways the President at points he smirked, he had a doubtful look on his face. He screwed up his face a little bit and that wasn't good."
While Democrats are rejoicing that most polls declared Kerry the victor Thursday night, Bush can take heart in the fact that debates quite often don't make much of a difference.
Remember, Perot was declared the winner in his 92 debate, and voters said Dukakis did well. Same thing with Al Gore, at least in the first debate in 2000. And all of them lost.
So Kerry still has a lot of work to do, but at least he's now shown he can certainly hold his own with the President of the United States.
Senator John Kerry, (D) Presidential Candidate: "This president has made a I regret to say a colossal error in judgment."
We won't know for several days whether Kerry's performance Thursday night changed anything, whether undecided voters may be moving his way now.
But back in 1980 when Ronald Reagan uttered that line, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" he got a 7-point bump from that debate. Also the Kennedy-Nixon debate in 1960 certainly made a difference.
Kerry didnt beat hte President that badly or even at all by some viewpoints...
there were no quotable quotes from Kerry that he can use to help himself. he was trying hard for one wasnt he?
A bit of intellectual honesty here.
Bush is human, Bush was pissed off because almost every other word that came out of Kerrys mouth was a lie.
When Kerry claimed he had never called Bush a liar I thought W's head would explode, mine almost did.
W played prevent defense last night and prevent defense never wins games or debates. I would hope in the next debate W calls Kerry on every lie, flip flop and insane policy positions like giving Iran nuclear fuel rods.
And when the election is over, Bush should invite Kerry to the back of the barn and kick his everlying ass.
Bush has been going down in the Iowa Electronic Markets and in Tradesports all day and Kerry has been moving up.
None to help Kerry but more than enough to help us. Global test, nuke fuel to Iran, bilateral bribing of North Korea, no forward bases in Iraq, lying about calling Bush a liar....the list is endless.
I think a lot of those who thought Kerry had won will have "buyers remorse" after all the gaffs that he made last night. The President is already on the campaign trail using the gaffs against Kerry. All Kerry had was a good delivery with no substance behind it. "All hat and no cattle" as they say in Texas. As the days wear on most will come to realize that Bush indeed won the debate as Kerry made to many factual mistakes. Parley
Oh there are a few sKerry quotes that we will be hearing in the following weeks (just not the ones he intended). I personally am using that "global test" quite a bit. Americans are going to flock to him when they realize he won't protect them unless it passes a "global test".
As Rush, pointed out today, Kerry lied, not once, but numerous times. Bush didn't make any big mistakes, he
just tired out, after spending hours, with hurrcane
victims, while Kerry got a manicure, and primped his
hair...Kerry is a poof.
yes that was what I was alluding too...
sorry I was a bit distracted by some constitutionalist numbnut calling me a liberal so I wasnt as clear as I wanted to be...
Kerry left an impression last night as him being an idiot, imsufferable and pompus....that will be hard to overcome for him as he is all 3 of those things normally.
yes he is that....
that could also explain why the President got a bit miffed at him a few times...
but those facial expressions are priceless....it shows that the President is a human being and even that connects on an emotional level with the viewers...Kerry likes to talk over everyone and that isnt a good thing when you are trying to swing the common (probably his term as we are all commoners to him) viewer...
Well, I'm still depressed. Its like when your favorite team loses the big game and you know they are the best team.
Ok folks, I am currently sitting in commie central greenwich village, nyc, and thanks to the technology of my blackberry, I must vent the idiocy sitting next to me. 3 college students discussing the debates and saying that bush can't even put 2 sentences together w/o his advisors. Things like "europe hates us",and I here's the kicker where I nearly hurled my sushi. "Bill Clinton is the last president we had in the past few decades who was really liked"....ughhhhh I swear I'm about to go postal here.
Look.. What most do not get is that while WOT is a strong point for Bush so it Domestic Issues. Look at todays PA speech. Also as far as last nights debate one of sKerry's strong issues (Has been his entire career) is that of being AntiWar. This country whatever the Moveon (Rollover) people might want you to believe is not AntiWar.
The way I see it...After several very bad weeks, Kerry is having a few good days. And they won't last.
Kerry lost because he didn't have anything new except the newest flip or flop. All President Bush's job was to call Kerry on every contradiction, which he did, and continue campaigning. Kerry has no plan for anything and because of that no one changed their mind.
All Kerry did was lie alot to snowball uninformed people. Thats what the Dems are praising. I will take the truth from W anytime. I think Dubya won because he did not lie.
I'm angry with the President for his lack-luster performance in the debate. Clearly, he was unprepared to 'take care of business.' Those of us who speak up for him at every opportunity deserved better!
No it doesn't. The debates, historically, have made no difference in the outcome of the election.
I didnt really watch it (it would have made me mad from what I am hearing) and I was on the live thread.
its a mixed reaction on Free REpublic, which makes me think it was a draw or a slight win for W...
it doesnt really matter in the end...Kerry is going down hard....
I can understand that. I have to hit the mute everytime I see Kerry on TV because his dishonesty infuriates me.
But Bush is President. He should have been disciplined and used the opportunity to expose Kerry's deceptions.
He did the opposite.
He neglected to address Kerry's deceptions and instead looked frustrated and nervous. Not very Presidential at all.
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