Keith Olbermann calls it for Kerry (MSNBC Hardblogger)

[VolcanoJen]

The tie goes to the challenger

Excerpt:

From his first bold statement, accusing Mr. Bush of a "colossal" mistake in judgment in Iraq, through his ominous pronouncement that "certainty can sometimes get you into trouble," to his last stiletto twist of quoting the poet laureate of conservatism George Will about Russian democracy's lost momentum, John Kerry never seemed to flip-flop, never seemed flustered, never seemed out of focus.

President Bush, once unfairly described as sounding like a 2nd Grade Teacher frustrated because Kindergarten students didn't intuitively understand him, at times came close to justifying that bitter evaluation. Twice at least he seemed visibly exasperated by Kerry— ready to turn on seeming softballs, but unable to connect. "Course we've done everything to protect this country," he began one reply, then petered out. Later offered another opportunity to pound Kerry after the Senator reminded the audience that Osama Bin Laden had attacked this country, not Saddam Hussein, Mr. Bush began "I know Osama Bin Laden attacked us," and then paused as if that statement had led him not towards an easy parallel between threats realized and threats pending, but rather down a dead-end alley. He took the alley.

In trying to explain his own previous use of the term "miscalculation" in regards to Iraq, the President appeared to get lost in the kind of entangled nuance which his party has so effectively criticized in Kerry. His explanation of the fact of the insurgency might've been boiled down to 'we won too fast'— and by that point, the President's breathing itself seemed labored.

[GreggDem]

1. MSNBC has to admired

They have been treading right wing recently,but they have been fair on these debates.

[The Magistrate]

2. The Last Paragraph Of That Excerpt, Ma'am, Is Particularly Pertinent

The wretch was flipping and flopping about like a fish on a market slab....

One of my favorite points of the exercise was his statement that "we thought they weregoing to come out and fight, and now they're fighting us...."

"What a ultra-maroon!"

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

[VolcanoJen]

5. Sir, I would have never predicted this.

Impatience, sighing, eye-rolling, a general sense of being ill at ease... I expected these character observations to be lobbed at Kerry.

It is as though the pre-debate spin - the talk of orange tones and time limits and summer footwear - was turned on its head and leveled at Bush.

Kerry turned the boat and directed his fire into Bush tonight. It was truly extraordinary, and for the first time in my lifetime, I actually witnessed a real presidential debate.

[The Magistrate]

7. The 'Chattering Class', Ma'am, Probably Was Lined Up To Do Just That

But the fact is, the wretch who squats in the Oval Office is a frightened little coward of a creature, and faced with someone much larger than he, who has actually killed other men, who is possessed of a superb intelligence and tremendous self-discipline, can do nothing but cringe inside, and lacks the resources to conceal his bewilderment and fear from an audience.

"Courage is the form all virtue, and even much vice, must take at the sticking point."

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

[VOX]

3. Olbermann's assessment is a good one, and well thought out...

He's the one of the last talking heads on cable "news" that I have any respect for. His analysis of tonight's proceedings are pretty much dead-on.

Since I'm in L.A., I've had the opportunity to watch Keith Olbermann mature from a clever, wisecracking sportscaster (he did this for two local L.A. channels), into a well-spoken, insightful critic of the powers-that-be.


Thanks for posting this, Jen! :hug:

[DemMother]

4. I noticed Bush's breathing too...he seemed close to hyperventilating

It's going to take a while for the rest of the press to modify their beloved scripts. Matthews was clinging to his precious theme of claiming to not know how Kerry stands on the war. They were all so sure Kerry was finished that it's going to take some time for them to regroup. Just like after Iowa when they wrote him off. They're in shock--not Olbermann though. He's known for some time that the emperor has no clothes.

[VolcanoJen]

6. You are dead on, DemMother!

"It's going to take a while for the rest of the press to modify their beloved scripts."

Just watching the MSNBC crew struggle with their obvious, collective gut reaction that Kerry WON made me uncomfortable.

It just wasn't what they expected. And it showed. :-)

Say hello to "The Closer."

[AndyTiedye]

8. You Mean They Had to Rewrite All their Advance Copy?

what a shame :nopity:

Boosh's performance was too pathetic for even Fauxnews to spin up.