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 ...
I'm not the least bit surprised that Lehrer would show any partiality or bias, but I am amazed that Imus the Anus would question him on it, given Imus the Anus' hero-worship of Goofy Horse's Ass Kerry.
Bottom line; Anyone from PBS, CNN, ABC/CBS/NBC, NYT, etc. ought to be disallowed or the questions predetermined by a panel or something. I don't care if Lehrer just reads them, but if he has the sole responsibility of choosing them, then that's just wrong.
Ben Stein would be a good moderator.
Britt Hume.
Heck, I'd even support Alan Colmes.
Anne Coulter.... :D
One of the last questions at the end of this debate on foreign policy was from Lehrer to Bush: Do you PERSONALLY think that Senator Kerry lacks the character to be president.
It was shocking and outrageous and GWB said "That's a loaded question", then went on to respond very well, praising Kerry's family but saying he does not agree with his Senate record and so on.
Yeah, the great debater with "style". A tan, fresh manicure and impeccable clothes. We're not casting for a movie role, folks.
That's a mistake when you are deaing with ruthless, amoral Dimorats.
This is the first step to having a true non-partisan debate.
Simple solution...
Two questioners...One selected by each party. Each party select the questioner for the other candidate. THAT would be interesting!
It appeared to me, also, that Kerry seemed to not give any thought to complicated questions. Could he have some advance notice from these creeps?
Two debates since 84. Dems got us on mods, number of debates.
LOL! Pretty good description of the questioning. Also, don't forget the "character" question that could only politically be answered one way. "I think my opponent is a terrific person."
Kerry responded, "Thank you for your sentiments. I think so, too, Mr. President. I enjoy laughing at your daughters' remarks from time to time."
Does that get you re-elected? I dunno. But it's obvious that our campaign's debate strategy was to take the high road. Be humble, connect with people, let Kerry spout off... Apparently that's what they think will get dubya re-elected.
The debate was a set up. It allowed for Kerry to lie by omission, (the subway was never closedduring the RNC convention), according to drudge report.
That man knew the questions before, which gave him rehearsed answers.
Pres. Bush appeared to be tired. Probably the visit to hurricane victims was taxing for him.
1 (to Kerry): Do you believe you could do a better job than President Bush in preventing another 9/11-type terrorist attack on the United States?
Q 2 (to Bush): Do you believe the election of Senator Kerry on November the 2nd would increase the chances of the U.S. being hit by another 9/11-type terrorist attack?
Q 3 (to Kerry): "Colossal misjudgments." What colossal misjudgments, in your opinion, has President Bush made in these areas?
Q 4 (to Bush): What about Senator Kerry's point, the comparison he drew between the priorities of going after Usama bin Laden and going after Saddam Hussein?
Q 5 (to Kerry): As president, what would you do, specifically, in addition to or differently to increase the homeland security of the United States than what President Bush is doing?
Q 6 (to Bush): What criteria would you use to determine when to start bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq?
Q 7: (to Kerry): Speaking of Vietnam, you spoke to Congress in 1971, after you came back from Vietnam, and you said, quote, "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?"
Q 8: (to Bush): 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?
Q 9 (to Kerry): You just -- you've repeatedly accused President Bush -- not here tonight, but elsewhere before -- of not telling the truth about Iraq, essentially of lying to the American people about Iraq. Give us some examples of what you consider to be his not telling the truth.
Q 10: (to Bush): Has the war in Iraq been worth the cost of American lives, 10,052... uh... 1,052 as of today?
Q 11: (to Kerry): Speaking of your plan, new question, Senator Kerry. Can you give us specifics, in terms of a scenario, time lines, et cetera, for ending major U.S. military involvement in Iraq?
Q 12: (to Bush): Does the Iraq experience make it more likely or less likely that you would take the United States into another preemptive military action?
Q 13(to Kerry): What is your position on the whole concept of preemptive war?
Q 14 (to Bush): Do you believe that diplomacy and sanctions can resolve the nuclear problems with North Korea and Iran? Take them in any order you would like.
Q 15 (to Kerry): Senator Kerry, you mentioned Darfur, the Darfur region of Sudan. Fifty thousand people have already died in that area. More than a million are homeless. And it's been labeled an act of ongoing genocide. Yet neither one of you or anyone else connected with your campaigns or your administration that I can find has discussed the possibility of sending in troops.
Q 16 (to Bush): Clearly, as we have heard, major policy differences between the two of you. Are there also underlying character issues that you believe, that you believe are serious enough to deny Senator Kerry the job as commander in chief of the United States?
Q 17 (to Kerry): If you are elected president, what will you take to that office thinking is the single most serious threat to the national security to the United States?
Q 18 (to Bush): All right. Mr. President, this is the last question. And two minutes. It's a new subject -- new question, and it has to do with President Putin and Russia. Did you misjudge him or are you -- do you feel that what he is doing in the name of antiterrorism by changing some democratic processes is OK?
Talk about bias! Why is this man still acting as "moderator?"
I dont know if this was mentioned I skipped to the end but the article says there was no interaction between Bush and Lehrer.
Well thats an absolute lie. In fact Lehrer went to Bush first they shook hands and did that little half-hug and Bushc omplimented him. Lehrer had his mic on still so you could hear Bush complimenting him and saying how he did a great job and what not.
Beyond that the questions were definetly skewed towards Kerry's favor but what do you expect?
The next 2 moderaters? Well to quote Kerry... "Four words... More of the same."
ha
Or at the very least, have moderators who are considered impartial (Hume, Angle, Stossel) ask alternating questions.
***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.***
I would only disagree with what you say by saying that from the FIRST question directed to Kerry, he was obviously aware of the questions. It was a FAKE debate. Kerry never even hesitated for a split second to understand the question or to frame his answers.
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