Debate 2: Kerry Get's 'Folksy'

[JCMach1]

The second nail in Shrub's coffin will be Kerry's performance in the second debate. Of course, he will win on substance... most would agree that's a given. I believe he will win the intangible again, this time 'showing' that he is a 'folksy' man of the people and forever laying to rest the pundits spouting-- Bush is so folksy and likeable!

You saw CnC Kerry in the last debate. Now, get ready for Kerry-- man of the people!

I can't wait.

[cheshire]

1. I saw him the day after the debate he was already more at ease and loose.

He was really having fun. Very nice to see.

[JCMach1]

2. The story will be how relaxed and 'at ease' Kerry was with the

debate format...

Rove has to really be mawling his chewbone right now...

[glarius]

3. The clips they show of him interacting with people every day on the stump

display Kerry as an approachable, friendly person...He's always shaking hands, hugging people, laughing, and in NO WAY coming across as this cold, unfriendly guy being described on TV by all the talking heads....I don't get it...Is it because he is actually able to talk intelligently, without mispronouncing words, that they consider him "uppity?"....

[fearnobush]

4. Just remember that Bush is still a great debater.

In no way shall we (again) lower the expectations for Bush. Kerry won the the first debate, however - due to efforts to remind everyone that Bush's tactic is to lower his own expectations, the media had reported about it, that Bush never lost a debate until Thurs and that "we the media had lowered his expectations in 2000."

[JCMach1]

6. Of course, never forget that fact and that

* 'IS' a real man of the people...



:puke:

:)

[Chomskyite]

5. Kerry's been doing REAL town hall meetings

He hasn't just been answering scripted questions he knows are coming. I just don't see how Bush comes away with a single win from these.

He'll probably do better in the next two than in one, but Kerry will still be riling him up in precisely the way we saw him do. He'll either have to ignore all of Kerry's answers or get a very very hard to detect ear piece.

[montana500]

7. Bwahahahahha

""Kerry's been doing REAL town hall meetings


He hasn't just been answering scripted questions he knows are coming. I just don't see how Bush comes away with a single win from these.

He'll probably do better in the next two than in one, but Kerry will still be riling him up in precisely the way we saw him do. He'll either have to ignore all of Kerry's answers or get a very very hard to detect ear piece""


lol! That first debate was so important to Rove and Company. Originally the foreign policy debate was to be the last one. The negotiations made it the first one because that's the one most people watch, and it is/was supposed to be a topic where bush is strong. The Bushies got way too confident and thought they could finish Kerry off in the first debate, making the next ones irrelevant. What a huge strategic error. Now they have "gored" themselves and will appear as try hards or to be overcompensating as Bush tries to find mannerisms that people find acceptable in debates 2 and 3. He is in a trap that Gore fell into. This is a real treat.


The bad news for the mindless, slogging corporation that runs the White House is that Bush's record on domestic issues is absolutely horrible. In a post 9/11 society voters I think want debates that stand on issues, seriousness and a grasp of the facts. The silly cap Bush ran on in 2000 wont work now.

Even on Kerry's worst day he will still have a clearer grasp of the facts and deliver them in a superior fashion than Bush on his best day. At worst the next debate is a draw. Likely it will be similar to the first debate.

My only concern is that Galup is gathering the "undecided" voters.

[cali]

10. Spot on.

Best analysis of rovian tactics and the implosion of said tactics, yet.

[WatchWhatISay]

8. Skip the folksy stuff

IT'S HARD WORK! to imagine Kerry coming off as more folksy than Bush without looking ridiculous.

Better that he stick with looking presidential, while making sure that he doesn't look pompous. (Stay away from the "I" word. There is something about the way he says it that does sound blueblood.

[Gore1FL]

9. I'd rather him stick with smart and presidential

If someone's only issue for votig is "folksy" they are going to vote Bush. This year is an issues year.

[JCMach1]

12. Yeah, but here the 'lowered expectations' thing works for us

People see Kerry as 'not wooden' but caring, compassionate... in addition to being intelligent and Presidential.

[demwing]

11. A Massacre In 3 Rounds

Debate #1 was all about turning the focus back on Bush, looking more Presidential than the pResident, and doing it on Bush's turf. If this were a boxing match, it would be the point where the challenger knocks down the champ early, leaving him cut, hurt, and rattled in his confidence.

Debate #3 will be similar to #1 (similar format, same set, etc...), but now we are on Kerry's turf. It is the last (and best) chance to leave a powerful image in the voter's mind. In the boxing analogy, Kerry must deliver the knock out blow here. We cannot count on a split decision.

In Debate #2, Kerry has a different fight on his hands. The other debates are about the issues, with a pinch of style added for flavor. This will surely be a battle of both issues and style. It is a town forum style debate, with questions chosen from a range of topics, including Iraq, terrorism, homeland security, health care, "defense of marriage," etc..in front of a live audience.

With the new format, Kerry has a new job. Hey must play to the live audience. If Kerry confuses the audience with his possitions, he's a flip flop. If he is pedantic, or speaks over their heads, he's cold and distant. Kerry's true struggle in this debate is not with Bush directly, but with the audience's perception of both men. Regardless of how he does it, in the second debate, Kerry must become America's favorite candidate.

To continue the odd--but oddly effective--boxing analogy, Round #2 is where the challenger (Kerry), having badly hurt the champ (Chimp), now demoralizes and confuses him by stealing his thunder, and stands him up for the knockout punch in Round #3.

[Kahuna]

13. Kerry came across as a very nice man in debate 1. Maybe not..

folksy. But nice, nonetheless. Bush proved that being "folksy" does not necessarily equate to being "nice."

[Eric J in MN]

14. Let Kerry be Kerry. I'm not sure what you mean by

"folksy" but I just want to see Kerry talking to people the same way he did at Primary town-hall events.

[CityHall]

15. Remember Bush1's town hall?

Remember when Bush Sr. was asked, "How has the deficit affected you personally?" The woman meant the recession, but he stumbled and said, "I don't understand the question." After the stories about how he didn't know that supermarkets have those laser barcode scanners, it really cemented the image that he was out of touch. Of course, he could have hit it out of the park by saying, "My job is at risk because of it," but is he were capable of that sort of honesty, we wouldn't oppose him so vociferously.

* may have a similar moment where he just can't grasp what he's being asked. Seeing him handle the Gore/Bradley question on reparations would be fun. He's probably say something about eminent domain and how slave owners deserved compensation for having their property taken. He's come out for an ownership society after all.