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Lehrer on Defensive Over Biased Questioning
NewsMax ^ | Oct. 1, 2004 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

Posted on 10/01/2004 6:59:00 AM PDT by kddid

PBS host Jim Lehrer was challenged Friday morning on claims that he went easy on Sen. John Kerry during Thursday night's presidential debate, while tossing verbal hand grenades in President Bush's direction designed to keep him on the defensive.

"I don't know what in the world you're talking about," Lehrer told radio host Don Imus, in his only post-debate interview.

(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2004; bush; debate; election; firstdebate; jimlehrer; kerry; napalminthemorning; rathergate; wot
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I only got to see 15 minutes of the debate. Is it true that the questions were framed to keep Bush on the defensive and ignore Kerry's many positions?
1 posted on 10/01/2004 6:59:01 AM PDT by kddid
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To: kddid

PBS's Jim Lehrer? What would you expect?


2 posted on 10/01/2004 7:00:59 AM PDT by sarasota
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To: kddid

I watched it all, and it seemed to be the case, at least to me.


3 posted on 10/01/2004 7:01:37 AM PDT by MizSterious (First, the journalists, THEN the lawyers.)
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To: kddid

That Lehrer failed to ask Kerry about his 20 years of cutting weapons systems and US intelligence was inexcusable. Bush's agreeing to him as moderator was a big mistake.


4 posted on 10/01/2004 7:01:52 AM PDT by pabianice
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To: kddid

He most certainly did "wink" at Kerry as he shook his hand.


5 posted on 10/01/2004 7:02:08 AM PDT by The G Man (Have pajamas. Will FReep.)
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To: kddid

to me it appeared KErry was aware of what the questions were going to be, halfway through almost all of the questions, he was ready to answer. It was so scripted even his answers were exactly 2 mintues or less.


6 posted on 10/01/2004 7:02:54 AM PDT by kendu
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To: MizSterious

The questions were bias. But that's not what "made" the debate. Dubya had 45 minutes of talk time to smack Kerry. The campaign has chosen the humble, high road, distinguish the differences in our ideas ... method.


7 posted on 10/01/2004 7:03:12 AM PDT by kjam22 (What you win them by, is what you win them to)
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To: sarasota

Lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas.


I am surprised either side agreed to this format.


8 posted on 10/01/2004 7:03:28 AM PDT by Fierce Allegiance ( "Stay safe in the "sandbox", cuz!)
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To: kddid

They were both asked tough questions and since Iraq was the big question of the night, it made sense that Bush was going to see tougher ones. Kerry was asked what SPECIFICALLY he would do differently about Iraq, which was a hard question in itself cuz their ain't no answer for that.

Lehrer also gave each guy chances for extra rebuttal time, which Bush could have used more effectively if he was sharper.

Bush wasn't the best I'd seen him before.


9 posted on 10/01/2004 7:03:36 AM PDT by misterrob
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To: pabianice

FROM THE GET-GO IT WAS ATTACK BUSH. Ooops /caps off....

Anyway, Bush was always having to defend his actions - the questions contained an assumption of wrongdoing...

"So President Bush, when did you stop beating your wife?"


10 posted on 10/01/2004 7:03:56 AM PDT by Principled
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To: kddid
Yes, it is true. As one Freeper put it, the questions were basically in this format:

President Bush, why do you suck?
Senator Kerry, why do you think President Bush sucks?

Pardon my unladylike language, but this is exactly how it was. I also think that Kerry had the questions before hand, since his answers seemed to seque quite nicely into the next question.

Theere is a thread which lists all the questions, and without the responses you can see exactly how anti-Bush they were. I recommend reading the threads about the suspicioins that Kerry had knowledge of the questions, as well.

11 posted on 10/01/2004 7:04:53 AM PDT by Miss Marple
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To: kddid
"I don't know what in the world you're talking about," Lehrer told radio host Don Imus, in his only post-debate interview.

This is because liberals are some of the most imperceptive people on the face of the planet. Their assumptions and biases are, to them, merely reality itself.
12 posted on 10/01/2004 7:04:54 AM PDT by aruanan
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To: pabianice

I was ignored when I pointed this out. Bush gave too many debates...


13 posted on 10/01/2004 7:05:05 AM PDT by fooman (Get real with Kim Jung Mentally Ill about proliferation)
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To: kddid

The questions were definitely biased against President Bush. He should have had at least a couple of questions that would have challenged Kerry's long record of opposing national security.


14 posted on 10/01/2004 7:05:37 AM PDT by B Knotts ("John Kerry, who says he doesn't like outsourcing, wants to outsource our national security.")
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To: kddid
Is it true that the questions were framed to keep Bush on the defensive and ignore Kerry's many positions?

It was obvious how Lehrer was going to handle debate with the very first question directed at Kerry - "what 'collosal mistakes' has Bush made in the War on Terror?"

15 posted on 10/01/2004 7:05:47 AM PDT by skeeter
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To: kddid

Let's go after him... take him out like Rather.


16 posted on 10/01/2004 7:05:55 AM PDT by Porterville (Men have learned to shoot without missing ...and I have learned to fly without perching on a twig)
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To: kddid

Bush and Rove agreed to the format and the moderators. I thought that maybe Rove had a double-secret jujitsu strategery to manipulate these obviously biased moderators to advantage. I don't think so anymore.


17 posted on 10/01/2004 7:06:33 AM PDT by guitfiddlist (The Left is smart enough to know the truth, but low enough not to care.)
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To: Miss Marple

You summed it up PERFECTLY.


18 posted on 10/01/2004 7:07:03 AM PDT by cjshapi
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To: Porterville

Yep.... I flipped over to CBS right after he debate for about 10 minutes because I was curious. It seemed to me that CBS was trying to be VERY VERY careful. Trying to be certain that they did not seem partisan. It was kinda funny really.


19 posted on 10/01/2004 7:07:05 AM PDT by kjam22 (What you win them by, is what you win them to)
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To: kddid
Yes, the questions were awful. I was on the phone with my sister when Bush was asked if he thought all the American lives lost in Iraq were worth it. We both gasped. What a horrible way to ask the question. If I remember correctly, Bush said something about how honorable the soldiers were, etc...but the question was almost phrased in a "Do you still beat your wife?" way. He couldn't really say yes or no.

Some of the questions were directly from Kerry. No, Kerry didn't get to ask them, but he might as well have.

20 posted on 10/01/2004 7:07:18 AM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Legislatures are so outdated. If you want real political victory, take your issue to court.)
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