What a great debate on DU's front page!

[chiburb]

Plaid Adder strikes again!

Snip:

PLAIDDER: President Bush has been trying for weeks now to convince the country that you are "the most liberal member of the Senate." Is he right?

KERRY: Before I respond to that, Ms. Adder, can I get a clarification of the rules?

PLAIDDER: Sure.

KERRY: In this universe, does the word "liberal" mean what you and I think it means, or what the President thinks it means?

PLAIDDER: Why don't you explain the difference to the viewers at home?

KERRY: Your brain has viewers?

PLAIDDER: It's a wild world out here on the Internets.

KERRY: Well, as you and I understand it, being "liberal" means that you accept the current system of government, but that you would like to see everyone be able to participate in and benefit from that system on an equal basis. In other words, you don't want to change the game, but you want there to be a level playing field. Being radical means that you find the system itself inherently flawed and you want to tear the whole thing out by the roots and build a new one. If we go by that definition, then I'm liberal, whereas you are radical. You follow me so far?

PLAIDDER nods. BUSH looks off into space and lets out a bored sigh.

KERRY: Now what happened in this country during and after the 1988 election is that the Republican party managed to capture all of these terms and recreate them, so that now "conservative" means "extremist," "'moderate" means "conservative," "liberal" means "radical," and "radical" means "dangerous lunatic." So in Bush's sense of the term, no, I'm not the most "liberal" member of the Senate, by a long shot. However, if we bring "liberal" back to its pre-1988 meaning - that I want to see every inhabitant of this country treated fairly and given equal opportunity under the system we currently have - then yes, absolutely, I am liberal, but many of my colleagues are just as liberal as I am.

PLAIDDER: Thank you, Senator Kerry. Mr. President, the next question is for you.

BUSH: OK. I'm ready. I'm working hard here. Hard at work.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/plaidder/04/32.html

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. Oh, how I wished I had that buzzer during the other debates!

I wonder if I can rig one up by tonight?