The media really really really want Bush to win tonight

[59millionmorons]

Just watch any pundit on any station and they are all but giving it to Bush tonight. They need a Bush win worse than Bush to keep them(the media) in the spotlight. If Kerry gets a KO tonight, the next debate will get no attention. I kkep waiting for Wolfie to get down on his knees and pray for a Bush win.

[ixion]

1. Kerry can pull it off... the WMD report should really be able

to seal it.

Bush is toast. :bounce:

[EarlG]

2. The more they build him up

The better he will have to perform. Fine by me.

Incidentally, does anyone know if the audience has to remain silent tonight, like they did at the previous debates? Obviously they are going to be asking questions, but after the question is answered, are they allowed to applaud? I haven't seen anything about this in the rules.

It's just that Bush looks TERRIBLE when he gives his applause lines and there isn't any applause. It really throws him.

Can anyone recall if there was applause during the Bush/Gore town hall debate?

[russian33]

3. The way I heard it, the audience submits the questions...

..they are veted (spell?) by the moderator, and then he has to ask them exactly as they were submitted, word for word...I understood that people won't be actually asking the questions, just submitting them.

[Demit]

5. thought I read that they have to stay silent? Won't be too hard for the

Bush "leaners", they'll be stunned into silence by seeing his colossal stupidity up close. The rest of the audience will have to call on every ounce of their good manners not to collapse in laughter...

[zbdent]

9. cue the panic face

when Bush realize his zingers fall flat.

Of course, when they do fall flat, he'll blame it on the audience having to stay silent.

Don't forget, at the first debate, Bush was introduced first, to polite applause. Kerry was then introduced, to a much more welcome sounding applause, though not deafening or thundrous.

[KharmaTrain]

10. Yes There Were

Subdued by there was enough to fuel the Bunnypants ego at the time (if that's what you were wondering).

I think he's gotten used to the roar and on cue...not sure the audience will be good for that tonight. You could see in debate one how he mentally was staggered when his initial spin lines got a dead silence...like he expected some spontaneous outburst desite the decorum of the hall and the repeated admonitions to refrain from any noise. Dumb, dumb.

It'll be hard to control a group of 100 or so people...and maybe a good preview was Paula Zahn's "town hall" last night. She purposely did it like the debate and the crowd...this one equally divided started out quiet and then ended up hooting and hollaring like a Jerry Springer show.

If the manchild drops a big lie, you're gonna hear groans. And if he tries to grandstand, that'll show off as well.

Methinks Bunnypants problem is that damned light. That's why his henchmen made such a big thing about it. They expected Kerry to over-run his time and that the short Bunnypants answers and soundbites would go over well. Methinks they're still thinking this is gonna happen tonight. Problem is Bunnypants has to connect the right soundbite with the right question. It's like watching a slow computer...that hourglass stays on his forehead for a good long time.

I like these expectations on the manchild. They're low, but he can still underachieve if he duplicates last week's performance since the mask is off and any stumble will not be spun away as easy.

Cheers!

[Demit]

12. LOL! Your hourglass line is priceless. (On Macs it's a spinning beachball)

[KharmaTrain]

13. The Manchild's Idea Of A Harddrive:

A late night beer run...

ROFLMAO!!!

[seabeyond]

4. yes they do. i turned off watching my f911 video again

copying this sucker all over the place and handing them out

[PROGRESSIVE1]

6. Which pundits are the worse?

[leftofthedial]

7. judging from the last 15 years in American media history

I'd say the media really really really want the little bushturd to win, period.

[4_Legs_Good]

8. Bush *has* to win tonight, and he's planning to.

He just can't afford a loss. He will play dirty and ooze every last ounce of charm he's got.

Expect every single two-word zinger he can come up with repeated ad nauseum:

Wrong War, wrong place, wrong time
I voted for it before I voted against it
Been in Washington long enough to be on both sides of every issue
Global test
Global test
Global test
If I knew then what I know now I still would have voted for the war
Almost 100,000 jobs just this last month
Everything is turning around.

Expect a touching story about kids going to school in Iraq for the first time EVER.

Boatloads on the Afghani elections and women voting for the first time EVER

Danger everywhere - Egyptian bombings.

He will *not* screw up.

The catch is Kerry has Carville training him, so I still think Kerry will win. If he can corner him, if Kerry can get him all riled up, he could make him break, and that will clinch it for us.

But don't expect another stupid ass performance.

I am *SO* excited and nervous about tonight...

This is it!

david

[WI_DEM]

11. It's like the VP debate

Most pundits immediately afterward either said it was Cheney who won (MSNBC panel) or was tied--and then all the on-line polls came in and all of a sudden it turned out to be more or less a Edwards win.

Yes, I think they want the boy king to win because they want a tight horserace and if Kerry does well tonight it could decide the contest.

Expect, if Bush isn't as embarrassing as he was in the first debate that the pundits will lower expectations so much that they will call an "adequate" performance by him a win.