"Expect fireworks on the debate tonight"

[quinnox]

"This is the opening bell, they'll come out swinging."

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20030904_180.html

I think the debate tonight will be very interesting to watch!

[FlashHarry]

1. God, I hope they resist the urge to sling mud.

See my idea here.

[uptohere]

4. Me too, but the stakes are very high. I'm not optomistic.

All of them have a need to put some large knicks in Dean so I expect this to occur. The smart play for someone like Edwards is to take the high road and let the others look bad in comparison. I don't think that Kerry or Gephardt (or even Lieberman) have much choice but to come out hammer and tongs. They were supposed to be serious contenders and have not proven to be so. They all need a big plus. Thats why I pick Eedwards to take the smarter road. Expectations were lower for him so he can afford to do it moreso that the others.

But regardless of all that, should be interesting !

[kentuck]

2. Dean could offer compromise in his statements...

For example, he could say: "There is a long time before the election and the people will choose the Democratic candidate they think is best to defeat this incompetent Administration we now have. I will not personally attack any of my Democratic opponents and I would request that they make the same pledge. We can disagree with each others ideas without disagreeing with the person..."

[quinnox]

3. That would be a great

thing for Dean to do, I like it. It would be quite a coup, but I think it's not going to happen.

[GreenArrow]

5. How do define "attack"?

Is pointing out an opponents positions, flip-flops, etc. an attack?

What if candidate A misrepresents his positions? Should candidate B, C, or D just let it pass? Should they just let the media take care of any discrepancies?

It would nice if these debates were organized as actual debates, with certain formal rules in place, and in which good argument and facts take primacy. Instead, we get a PR display, in which the best looking candidate with the best soundbites usually wins.

[DemBones DemBones]

6. There's too much talk of "attacks" and "bashing" when what is

occurring is criticism of a candidate's stands. It's a political campaign -- each candidate is supposed to advance his/her own stands and criticize the stands of others.

I agree that actual debates would be best. I wish our presidents had to go to Congress and debate with members of Congress the way British prime ministers appear in Parliament.

[Postman]

7. Remember, in the end, we are all allies toward the removal of Bush.

Sticking to facts will only raise the level of discourse. They shouldn't "attack" each other.