LAT: Kerry's Performance Raises Democratic Hopes

[question everything]

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/2004/la-na-campaign2oct02,1,6963083.story?coll=la-home-headlines

By Mark Z. Barabak
Times Staff Writer

8:49 PM PDT, October 1, 2004

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Sen. John F. Kerry won the first presidential debate, most analysts agreed Friday, giving his presidential campaign a boost and raising Democratic hopes that the White House race will grow tighter. While the experts continued to afford President Bush the edge in the contest -- and public opinion will take some time to sort out -- the consensus after Thursday night's faceoff was that Kerry helped himself the most. He held his own, observers said, against an incumbent who seemed peevish throughout much of their nationally televised encounter.

If anything, strategists on both sides agreed, the debate heightened the stakes for the next time the two men share a stage, a session set for next Friday in St. Louis, when the subject will be domestic policy. The town hall format, with the two candidates fielding questions from an audience of undecided voters, is one that the Kerry camp preferred and Bush aides resisted in debate negotiations.

"If the Bush people thought they could close this thing down, it didn't happen," said Tim Hibbitts, an independent pollster in Oregon, a state both candidates covet. "The race ain't over."

(snip)

At the least, Kerry's positive reviews seemed likely to break the political momentum Bush recently has enjoyed. The Kerry campaign, forbidden from using actual debate footage in television ads under an agreement reach with the Bush camp, was preparing a commercial featuring newspaper headlines touting his performance.

(snip)

[Voltaire99]

1. I see no sign yet that this race will be decided rationally

Bush could wear a beanie, make lip music, and recite dirty limericks at the next two debates and I suspect it would make little dent in the numbers. He is a mystic; they don't need reason. The first response is to say, "Whoa! He looked bad, so he'll lose!" But looking bad to liberals and moderates has never stopped Bush before. It's one of his few strengths, actually, where Average Joes are concerned.

Still, there's the domestic agenda still to be debated, where Kerry actually has strengths. We'll see. It's October at last. When do we get our surprise?

[question everything]

3. Indeed. That's because he gets his marching order from "god"

and there are too many people who would follow him for that; that's because he will appoint more Scalias and Thomases to the supreme court and many want that; and because many like it the way he carries Cheney's Rumsfeld's Wolfowitz' and others' agenda without any arguing or wavering. He just does what is told and this is fine for his handlers.

[WindRavenX]

2. I still don't get this...

Why is Bush even being granted a "tie"?
Why?
Why????