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.
If you're looking at the graph, that is only updated once a day after trading closes at midnight.
When I first looked today Bush was trading at .684 and Kerry at .341.
When I looked a little while ago Bush was at .620 and Kerry at .394.
A misconception that was pointed out on another thread.
Kennedy won by about the same slim margin that polls showed before the debate.
The first stolen election in my life time I might add.
When aids suggested to Nixon that he should demand a recount, Nixon refused, saying that it would throw the nation into a crisis. Thereby showing class that Al Gore can never dream of.
Kerry stopped the bleeding of his campaign by winning the debate in terms of style rather than substance. The door to the White House was not slammed shut in Kerry's face. Like a character in an ancient Greek play, Bush seems to possess some tragic flaw that leads him down a path where he snatches defeat from the jaws of victory. I pray that my opinion is wrong, but the longer Kerry hangs within striking distance, there will be more chances of an unforseen event damaging the President.
Kerry was so Botoxed he couldn't make a facial expression if he tried.
that guy is unbelievable..
at least he didnt look like hte Great Pumpkin!!
he only looked like a slightly unripe orange... :)
Thanks for the laugh "Road Cone" is a good one!
I defend Bush repeatedly against the insults of leftists at work and all their stupid little pictures that are unflattering of Bush etc.
But after last night, how can I argue with them? All these picture of him looking frustrated and angry and sour etc during the debate. Bush gave them.
I agree with Bush on the issues and despise Kerry, but find I am unable to defend last night's awful debate performance.
"Well, I'm still depressed", so am I, but there's two more
debates. Bush will come back FIRED UP!
When I looked a little while ago Bush was at .620 and Kerry at .394.
Fair enough, but when I looked not too long ago it was 63-35 and that's still ass-kicking territory considering Bush was in the low 50s at the convention.
Agree..the dems are already setting up their " he robbed us again " senerio . We have to win big here..Bush was horrible last night .Im depressed .
Bush played not to lose last night and it's never good to be on the defensive. I think his advisers read him the riot act over his performance, and I doubt he'll be passive and defensive in the next two debates. It can't be stressed enough the fact that the President needs to hit Kerry hard on his senate record. The American people will not put in an extreme lefty in the White House if they know the truth about him.
(CLICK THIS 3D ANIM OF GUMBY AND KERRY)
FLIP-FLOPPER PAINT BALLED - RED FACED
She was to paint-ball his ass the bright orange that would make him the king of all his Swift Boat followers ... or should it be the "bad'est red-ass" of them all ??
She could not tell, from his flip-flops, the difference from his face and his ... democrapic donky!
What an ass !
This has probably been said a thousand times already, so I'll make it 1,001. If someone does not know who they are going to vote for in this election they obviously aren't following it or know nothing of the candidates. If there are really any undecided voters, I think they would fit in the category of the 'uninterested in politics' type and not even tune into the debates. I'll step out on a limb and say that I think the only people watching the debates know who they are going to vote for and have for months... as long as there isn't any major fumble by either candidates that dominates national news for days... I don't think the debates even enter the mind of the undecided voters AKA those not interest in politics.
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