The last minute complaint about timing lights was a ploy! ;-)

[BootinUp]

Newsweek:Ninety Minutes Later, A New Race



The roots of Kerry's Miami victory reach deeper than war news and his own wiliness. Even as they tried to lower expectations, his inner circle couldn't escape the sense of certainty—expressed as early as last summer on Nantucket—that their guy would win the confrontations. He curbed his habit of calling all manner of friends and advisers, limiting his contact to a small circle led by debate briefer Ron Klain, traveling aide John Sasso and speechwriter (and former collegiate debating champion) Bob Shrum. They gathered for practice in an aluminum shed on the House on the Rock Resort in rural Wisconsin. Ever the serious student, Kerry staged four mock debates at night in recent weeks, videotaping his performances and timing himself with a stopwatch. He carried a set of huge briefing books with him, methodically studying the material.

The emphasis wasn't on substance—the man knew it cold—but on brevity. After each mock debate (Washington lawyer Greg Craig played George Bush), Kerry would sit on the edge of the stage, analyze his performance and hone his answers. Kerry's aides were so confident that they had schooled him in concision that they used his reputation as a windbag to play—and win—an expectations game on debate day. They say they circulated a bogus rumor: they were upset about warning lights on the podiums, fearing their blabbermouth candidate would be bathed in flashing red. In the end, it was Bush—not Kerry—who ran afoul of the strict time limits and earned a blinking light.

more...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6161680/site/newsweek/

[trumad]

1. The repukes have awakened a sleeping Giant.

[Kolesar]

2. This sounds too convoluted for me

"They say they circulated a bogus rumor: they were upset about warning lights on the podiums, fearing their blabbermouth candidate would be bathed in flashing red. "

I like simple answers. Why don't they just write about the debate instead of ths complicated explanation?

Of course, what else should we expect from that consistently-gop writer Howard Fineman?

[mumon]

5. Uh, I'm sure it's true....

that was self evident from the first 5 minutes of the debate.

What Kerry did was play on the immense Hubris of the ruling junta.

[BootinUp]

7. The story says Kerry prepared better and outsmarted em

on strategy.


What more could you want?

[lazarus]

3. Here's an interesting tidbit

From page 2:

While briefed on main points—he had listened to audiotapes of Kerry...

Kerry was lugging around briefing books, and Bush had only listened to audiotapes concerning the "main points"?

[Atman]

4. Hey, it was hard work

Sorry.

[Kolesar]

8. I know it's hard work ... eom

[MsMagnificent]

6. Freepers are going crazy over

what they percieve as JK sneaking a "Square white, flat thing" out of his pocket!

He was using a CHEAT SHEET DON'T CHA KNOW!!!


ROFLMAOPMP they are SO FUNNY!!!! :D

[wishlist]

9. What a crock : "Bush Was Hurt by the Stifling Rules"

We know Georgie doesn't play fair or play well with others, but his handlers set up these rules to help him out. It is his own fault that he didn't prepare well enough to work within the rules. Going into the debate, the short 2 minute responses were expected to favor him, but he didn't have enough information at his grasp to even give 2 minute coherent answers.

[BootinUp]

10. didn't they say that?

And, ironically, Bush was hurt—and Kerry was helped—by the stifling rules the Bush campaign had insisted on.

[AmerDem]

11. Good article

Thanks for posting it:toast:

[demokatgurrl]

12. Do you think Greg Craig did the whole act...

complete with hunching over the podium and the weird facial expressions? I wonder how else Kerry kept from laughing.