He's screwed every way he goes.

[Hot Water]

John came across so Presidential, intelligent, and contrary--to what the Bush sleaze team had been able to paint him as, prior to the debate, that nothing Bush can do now will have the same effect.

Can't weasel out of the next debate... that would be suicide.

Swift Boat ads will now only create anger, as desperate and despicable.

Any "magical" document that appears now to help Bush, will be dismissed as planted.

Any major military action in the Iraq//Afghanistan region will be viewed as...how is it that all of a sudden "NOW" you order massive attack maneuvers.

If Bin Laden is produced, people will be livid that he can magically be discovered just in time for the election. THAT'S A BIG ONE!

Any terrorist attack in the U.S. now will just prove Kerry's point that were not safer.

And these benefits are without Kerry having to do another thing. I don't think I can remember any single political event in my lifetime that turned such a trending victory into an almost certain defeat. A president going from a war hero to a war whore overnight.

Isn't live television, when 60 million people are watching, wonderful?......Now let's see, should I have pizza or wings for this next debate.

:beer:

[PurityOfEssence]

1. Chicken George, Chicken George!

That's what he is if he can't face a town hall. If you can't face your own people, you don't deserve to be president.

[Hello_Kitty]

3. Is it really true that he might be trying to get out of the next one? n/t

[Eric J in MN]

2. I'm glad we have the momentum, but we still have to get-out-the-vote.

You can go to "Americans Coming Together" at:

www.actforvictory.org

and sign up to get-out-the-vote.

On the upper-right, choose your state in the drop-down.

Then on the upper-right of the next page, enter your zipcode in the dropdown.

Then you'll view events to get-out=the-vote on a day which is right for you.

[undercover_brother]

4. I had almost lost hope in Democracy

I had almost lost hope in Democracy until the debate. I was one of the millions who were "Anyone But Bush". I was unsure of Kerry, but knew what Bush represented. After the debate, I have zero doubt as to what Kerry is made of. On the topic of foreign policy, which the media have played up as Bush's supposed strong suit, our President collapsed when confronted. He was not the pillar of strength we all need in a President. He was lost, confused, and spiteful.

After watching the debate how could anyone possibly be on the fence on who they would trust to represent our nation's ideals to the rest of the world? Is it really any wonder Bush was unable to bring together a truly diverse and powerful coalition after seeing him try to defend his reasoning for war in Iraq? Is there really any doubt that John Kerry has a more powerful grasp of world affairs and can better further the causes that most Americans believe in?

World leaders WERE watching this debate. Who do you believe they and their people would be more willing to work beside on international issues?

[disgruntled_goat]

5. i am in complete and utter awe

of your nick.

solid.

[Awsi Dooger]

6. Bush has a much better chance if he does skip the debates

Any direct comparison of the two is devastating indictment of Bush. Two more debates will only cement the first debate was not a fluke, and solidify the shift of swing voters/undecideds in our favor. Kerry's one-on-one debate skills are easily his greatest asset, much better than daily campaigning or TV commercials.

Why does anyone believe dodging the debates would be a fatal mistake by Bush? Do you really think the media will avalanche a Chicken George theme and not run with the latest daily crap coming out of Bush spokespeople or his commercials? There is still a month remaining and he owns every advantage of incumbency, other than that little problem of his own record. Bush would be absolutely correct to avoid Kerry hammering it twice more.

[shraby]

7. The perception people will have if Bush

cancels the next two debates is not a good one at all. His diehards will not like it because Bush is supposed to be strong and unwavering, undecideds will move to Kerry and the race is over.

[Awsi Dooger]

8. I know that's the theory

And with one week to go I would agree. But so much changes in a month I don't buy it. One theme is not going to have that much legs. The media would get bored as hell. As president, Bush can stage countless events to fake strong and presidential.

Remember when we were talking about whether Reagan's death would help Bush? Or the prison scandal? Clarke's book? Fahrenheit 9/11? Those retreat much longer than a month, I understand, but evidence how something that looks so vital today fades very quickly.

[Lexingtonian]

9. Wellll....

That reading of where things are seems to me to be a bit too rosy. Kerry doesn't have a majority in the polling either, even if being tied means he's more likely to win.

The Republican strategists on the talk shows this morning were spouting mostly their usual irreal Rosy Scenario talking points. But after they'd run through them and engaged a bit more honestly, the consensus view among them- though they can't say it out loud- seems to be that Bush is through. His politics hold no water, and even if he carries the day on November 2 they appear to admit that he has no credibility left and no meaningful plan in any real sense. In 2000 Bush represented something to his voters and supporters, in large parts not articulated in the platform he ran on then, which no longer strikes them as sustainable and/or relevant.

But in tacitly conceding that Bush's side of the game is pointless they also seemed kind of upset with Kerry in an honest way. Kerry has gotten great mileage out of simply pointing out the bankruptcy of the Bush Administrations' policies and politics, and all he's needed to do was put up plausible foils in particular policy points- a healthcare plan, an Iraq plan, etc which exist simply to supply contrast and as tentative starting points. Now that they see Kerry taking office (or Bush returning to office but proving an overt failure very quickly) they want to be defeated by substance, not just forms that are the opposite of their own phatasmagoras. So they are wierdly humble or dissonant in it, but adamant, that Kerry's people show them the substance of the things they are preparing to submit to.

I think they have a point. But there isn't too much to be done to assuade them simply because the Administration's situation is so deluded and irreal and unsalvageable that the package is going to break up on the rocks it got tossed onto in a matter of weeks or months at best.

So Kerry is some distance from the hoped for sense of desirable/bearable/inevitable, even if Bush's support is shallow/weak/fraying and his power is in unrecoverable decline. His moderate/intelligent supporters want something they can surrender to; they're asking for a bargain in which they can retain the dignity of knowing that Kerry is truly going to improve things, which they feel insecure about.

So Bush has already lost, in their eyes, but some honest work by Kerry is still demanded- via passionate and shrill attacks on him, or hard but semi-passive opposition- before they'll concede the battlefield.

[Awsi Dooger]

10. Phatasmagoras?

I love it, whatever the hell that means. But I was just thinking Kerry could erase every benefit of last Thusday night if he used that word in a speech tomorrow.

Agreed, Kerry doesn't have a majority. Bush is still favored in the major English and offshore gambling outfits. Our teeter-totter has moved a bit too far.