Debate Strategy

[politick]

Cheney and Bush both spent a lot of time deflecting questions and turning it into a Kerry-bash in both debates. For the most part, those attacks went unanswered. I believe Kerry and Edwards are sticking to their message, perhas even with the idea that the truth speaks for itself, and BushCo's credibility among Americans is eroding further and further every day.

(Plus they have bloggers to research Cheney's senate attendance record.)

I found myself wanting Edwards to engage Cheney even more on a personal level. The old man was clearly getting agitated. A couple times Edwards surprised me, defending Kerry's voting record with an offensive against Cheney's own time in the Congress ("He voted against Meals on Wheels for seniors!"), and this seemed stronger than mereley backing into a corner. If nothing else, he did NOT allow Cheney to bully him.

My question is this: would it benefit Kerry to call Bush out on these deflective attacks? To break down the mechanics of how BushCo lies? I believe, as I said earlier, that people just don't believe Bush anymore. I even suspect that people intending to vote for Bush have an uneasy feeling about his forthrightness.

Shouldn't Kerry respond in a dignified but tough way, by asking Bush why he avoids the wuestion and then changes the subject to an unfounded attack on him personally? "I don't attack you personally, Mr. President, and I thin the American people deserve more. When you're asked a question, answer it, and don't resort to attacks on me. Now hear this evidence against you..."

Or "why do you continue to avoid the subject? Rather than insult me, I think the American people wold prefer to hear what you have to say about it. Unless there's something you don't want the American people to hear."

He could even ask the President to promise not to do so. See what he says. This is also more likeley to spur that great, big public meltdown we've all been waiting for on Bush's part.

Would this tactic work, or would it get drowned out in the spin zone? I though it very effective when Edwards said "I want the American people to listen very carefully to what Mr. Cheney is saying." This respects Americans' intelligence, lets them in on a sort of secret, and asks them to make the (obvious) conclusions for themselves. I just don't think they should let these attacks go unanswered -- or undissected.