OK, have to know....was Bush given the questions beforehand?

[Don Claybrook]

I think Kerry beat Bush like a drum...again.

But Bush, wrong as he was on every point, seemed to be much more prepared for the questions. None of them seemed to take him by surprise. It seems to me that in the other debates, moderated by those whose brothers Bush didn't appoint to ambassadorships, Bush seemed much less prepared.

And just to be clear, I haven't made much of the box-in-the back thing from previous debates. Maybe he was wired, maybe he wasn't. But Bush was too smooth with his wrong answers.

Agree? Disagree? Food for thought?

[theoceansnerves]

1. few things

i don't know about questions beforehand, however:
i think he was clearly wired
the questions were inane and ridiculous
the moderator did no job of getting bush to actually answer the Q
his drugs wore off at 7:09 pacific time

and.. he still sucked.

[Ducks In A Row]

2. it was obvious

he knew the questions and had answers rehearsed. He was almost jumping the gun on answers before the question was finished, no pause to think about the question, right into the answer.


That question about who bears health cost responsibility, he blew the setup by laughing before bob mentioning if the administration takes blame, and then saying "I hope it's not the administration"

He KNEW the words "the administration" was coming up.

[Shopaholic]

4. It doesn't matter-he still couldn't answer the friggin' questions.

Every question was answered with "No Child Left Behind" no matter what the question was.

[Don Claybrook]

6. interesting point, r.e., "the administration" n/t

[undercover_brother]

3. no way. Bush totally wigged out on the early Flu shot question

Anytime he could not answer a question he went to Education. Anytime jobs came up he switched to Education.

[neomonkey]

5. No, but the final question about wives, YES

I've tried to red-flag it to everyone here.

Take my word for it.

George W. Bush knew what the last question was going to be. And I think John Kerry might have been misled on that question. Maybe a phony leak to his campaign. He was caught off-guard and still managed a stellar replay (marrying up).

Can we prove this?

That is the challenge, and we have 3 weeks. The evidence is there to be found.

[Francine Frensky]

7. OBVIOUSLY he was.... he started answering the questions before they

were finished being asked... always a dead giveaway....

Scheiffer (however the hell you write that) and bush are golfing buddies...

and rich tax cut buddies....

why in the hell would you expect this to be a fair debate????

[Don Claybrook]

8. I watched it with no DU echo chamber

The TV is downstairs, the computer upstairs. I told my wife, I'm certain Democratic Underground will be talking about Bush seeming too prepared. I was surprised not to see multiple threads on the subject.

But to reiterate, Kerry still kicked his ass. Bush just saved his die-hard idiot supporters some embarrassment, that's all.

[Don Claybrook]

9. Kick, because I want more opinions

n/t

[Catherine Vincent]

10. Bush's answer to the last question was said earlier today.

I remember hearing that already about Laura not wanting to say a speech.

[Don Claybrook]

11. I've heard the Laura anecdote before

I just think his cognitive abilities were a little more there tonight than they normally are. Who knows, maybe they hopped him up on something before the debate.