Kerry missed one important point last night

[dansolo]

One of the favorite talking point that the Republicans love to use is the whole issue with the $87 billion appropriations bill. Kerry's response was horrible. The first time Bush brought it up, this is what Kerry should have said: "The President is ignoring the reason why there needed to be two votes for the $87 billion appropriations. I voted for the first bill, but he threatened to veto it. And, in response to his leadership, the Republicans in the Senate voted against it, not allowing it to pass."

[Goldmund]

1. My thoughts exactly

Also, why is "hard working" Bush the most vacationed President in history?

But obviously, it's easy in hind sight.

[dansolo]

6. Hindsight?

When Bush threw out the $87 billion flip-flop issue, I was expecting Kerry to mention Bush's veto threat. He didn't. This is what debate preparation is all about. Kerry knows what the talking points against him are. He should have had a very consise and direct response to every one of them, so when Bush brought them up, Kerry would have an immediate response. But instead, Kerry just rambled on about how he didn't express himself properly, which only served to reinforce the notion that he is a flip-flopper.

[Goldmund]

8. I think that "I made a mistake" was a powerful soundbyte...

...that he wanted to squeeze in there. And what they had prepared to say was "I made a mistake in speaking, and W in starting a war -- which is worse?". Of course, I agree with you that I'd have prefered the substantive answer of "well why were there 2 votes on the issue in the first place?" -- but in terms of sounbytes for the media and the uninformed masses who don't know anything at all about legislative procedures, maybe this was a conscious thing. I don't know. I'm just in shock that the pundit classes are totally caling the debate for Kerry. Sure he won it, Bush's record is indefensible and it helps that the guy is plain dumb -- but I thought that Bush gave them enough last night to be able to spin their propaganda into a Bush victory.

[kokomo]

2. Kerry still needs to go after the jugular.

Watching Bay Buchanan on Wolf Blitzer praising Bush. Is she wearing "orange colored" glasses???

Speaking of orange. JFK make have visited a tanning salon, but Bush looked like he used some cheap carotene based tanning lotion.

[daydreamer]

3. vote

I said that also. Please post your thought in forum.johnkerry.com

[NewYorkerfromMass]

4. The killer is they use it to say "he voted against body armor"

which isn't true as I keep saying. They were getting the body armor no matter what the vote was.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

5. Kerry also didn't mention the Israeli - Palestinian problem

It's a key to peace in the Middle East and no one talked about it. Bush has done NOTHING to moderate a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His peace "roadmap" is a failure and he's given up on it. Leaving that conflict out of a debate on world affairs and national security is perplexing to me.

[kokomo]

7. ignoring the I-P question really irritates the Naderites....

but the Zionist lobby has big checkbooks!!!

[ClassWarrior]

9. I like that. That's good and concise.

Here's my longer formulation:

"The $87 billion for the troops was never in question. Of course we were going to give them what they need.

"The question was how to pay for it. I wanted to pay for it by making a loan to Iraq and by repealing Mr. Bush*'s tax cut for the ultra wealthy. That’s the bill I voted FOR. Mr. Bush* wanted to pay for that $87 billion with the hard-earned tax dollars of average Americans. That’s the bill I voted AGAINST.

"But the real question is why did George W. Bush* send our brave troops into a war without body armor in the first place??! And why hasn’t he given it to them yet?!?"

23.

[Stephanie]

10. Good Answer!

That's what he should have said. That's the one answer I thought Kerry could have handled better.