REMEMBER: Gore was declared the winner of the 1st debate, and then,

[bluestateguy]

The corporate media, radio talk show hosts and Rove's stormtroopers went into full attack mode: because Al Gore did not tell the full story with regard to a girl not having a desk in a Florida classroom he was a "liar"; because Al Gore wore too much makeup, sighed too much and was confrontational with Baby Bush he was "unpresidential" and "not likeable".

Just be vigilant. Today's win can quickly be spun and spun away into a loss.

[UpsideDownFlag]

1. except this time around, bush is "sighing" nt

[Demi_Babe]

2. yeah that

:-)

[BurtWorm]

3. The beauty of Kerry's performance is that he didn't give them

a handle to hold onto. They'll have to make it up out of thin air.

[samwisefoxburr]

4. But back then...

Bush didn't have 9/11 and thousands of dead or wounded soldiers, the largest deficit in history, job losses, etc, etc, etc hanging over his head. WE ARE GOING TO WIN!

[candy331]

6. Kerry can only get better because he has the intelligence to do

so but Bush stays the course even if the course leads off the cliff, so off the cliff he will go.

[DemNoir]

5. Not how I remember it

They started slamming Gore for sighing the second the debate was over.

[mdguss]

8. Big Difference:

Gore did win the first debate, but Bush did far better then than now. Bush has been President for four years. He's given some descent (and a couple good) speeches, tonight was by far one of his worst performances. He sounded like a broken record while trying to defend himself. He offered nothing new, and he let Kerry seize the ground.

Most of the issues talked about in 2000 were of low salience (most people didn't care about them). Most of the issues talked about tonight were of high salience. It's easier to spin and twist the truth if very few people were paying any attention to you.

Kerry's line about more of the same was right. His referencing learning from mistakes was right to. Kerry stayed on message. Bush repeated himself, realized it, but wandered around and didn't say much of substance. Kerry was controlling the conversation.

Gore barely won four years ago. Kerry won by a wide margin (check the focus groups and the online polls--granted they aren't that scientific, but if 300,000 people vote, they mean something). You can't spin and dodge your way out of tonight.

Too many Democrats had lost faith in Kerry. This is a guy who knows what he is doing. And this is the 44th President of the United States of America. I'm really proud of John Kerry--he did a great job tonight.

[Ready4Change]

10. It is how I remember it.

I remember wathcing the Bush/Gore debate, turning the TV off and saying to myself "Well, that does it. After that I can't imagine anyone in their right mind voting for Bush."

Next day on the way to work listening to the newcasters on my cars radio I began wondering if we'd seen a totally different debate. Overnight the word went out that "this is the official word on the debate" and every media outlet fell in line.

I've said it before, and I will keep repeating it as my mantra: This election is not won, is not over, until Kerry is in office. Not tonight, not on November 3rd.

Celebrate, but keep working.

[GaryL]

7. Tactical error.

Even I was willing to acknowledge that Gore should have kept his fucking sighs to himself. This eye rolling crap was just plain stupid and it WILL get air time regardless of how petty it is. The (corrupt) media love moments like this.

[bullimiami]

9. REMEMBER: Gore was declared the winner of the 1st debate, and then,...

and then HE WON THE DAMN ELECTION.