Honestly, I think Kerry's Best Hope for the Debate is a *Draw*

Will Kerry make excellent points and more than knock down Bush's assertions with clear, logical answers? Yes. Will it matter? Probably not so much. Part of it's definitly the media, who'll spin any middlingly-competent Bush performance as a win, but part of it is also W's fake folksiness and ability to speak in extremely clear, simple terms. He'll reduce the most complicated thing to an easy-to-remember sound byte.

Even so, if Kerry can merely make sure not to come off as arrogant, but to come off as forceful, I think he'll do okay. Honestly, the best we can do is to improve Kerry's fundamentals - his likeability, his perceived "ability to be a strong leader," etc., but I don't think his overall poll numbers will move too much, at least not initially. It'll be a tie.

In essence, as long as Kerry can keep from making Gore's *mistakes* the debates will at least be a draw, at least through the final one. Since roughly half the country passionately hates Bush and the other half passionately loves him, or at least passionately hates Kerry, the numbers won't budge significantly - they'll likely reinforce the impressions of most voters.

And no, I'm not trying to artificially reduce expectations. I realize that Kerry's an excellent debater, but what some right-wing commentators have said is true - this isn't the Yale Political Union, this is a mass-media, commercial event that's incredibly dumbed-down.

Such as um uh um uh.

Don't misunderestimate me. Fool me once, won't get fooled again.

no, I'm standing tall and proud for the American people demanding that we tell the truth about Iraq, the economy, etc.



Kerry NEEDS a MOMENT... He doesn't even have to win... HE has to have a moment like that...

Zen meditation for Kerry:

BE THE SOUNDBYTE!!!

Kerry will be explaining a very intricate distinction or two or three and afterward Bush will say, "Your Vice Presidential Pick was wrong. Apparently WE're hearing the longest answer for a simple question there is."

Then the Bushie pauses, grins, raises his palm up. "Thank you thank you."

Laughlaughterlaughter

Judy Woodroof walks out to apply the crown to the empty head.

Fourmoreyearsofdisaster

Kerry needless to say must be ready for this. He also must have a few trap moves of his own. After Bush says he thinks things are going well in Iraq or in Afghanistan just ask, "You really believe that? Explain that to the families of the thousands dead and the tens of thousands maimed. Explain that to a country where good drinking water is shipped in because the plants only pump sewage. Explain that where there are car bombs killing police daily."

And if Kerry doesnt win the debates, Kerry will not win this election.

This is how they are going to spin the debates. Just like last time. "They both talked about alot of the same things. (cue Bush in his more elequant moments) (cue gore saying lockbox 1000 times)they came out about even. Bush was folksy and simple, Gore was boring."

They are going to do the same thing to Kerry, by talking about how he is boring and too nuanced they are convincing people not to bother listening to him, or reading his speech. Most people see a newscast about the debate and that is thier impression of the debate, whatever the media decided it will be.

It is a republican lie that Kerry is speaking over people's heads. Both Bush and Kerry use very similar language. They speak in the same tongue, washington speechwriter tongue. And it is designed by both sides to appeal to just the right people.

This is a lie, meant to rig the debate perception so that it doesnt matter what actually happens, they will frame it and people will buy it because they bought into more plausible concepts like the one you are espousing now.

You have to get your head out of the bubble on anything relating to this election.

Even if Bush went in to meltdown in the debates, the media will still say he won.

Now what we need is a good English style debate or like we used to do in College. They have to answer each other and ask questions.They are almost silly.

during the first debate . . . for example, I read that one of the rules is that he must refer to Bush as "my opponent" and not by name . . . I think he should call him President Bush right from the get go . . . if the moderators call him on it, he can say that this is a silly rule that Bush's people insisted on that doesn't make any sense and that doesn't respect the intelligence of the American people . . . and that he's sure that President Bush is okay being called by his proper name and title . . . right, Mr. President? . . .

just a quick way to make Bush look stupid and grab the initiative . . .