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[Overseer]

I can't wait to see this. I really want to hear the views of both presidents on the war in Iraq.

 

[AssMan]

My vote goes for Lisa Simpson.

 

[Alex Anderson]

USA A-OK!

 

[Cool]

I'M GOING TO BE VIDEO TAPIN'.

ALL YOU T3KK135 PROBABLY HAVE TIVO, I DON'T : (

 

[DarienA]

I hope hard questions are asked... somehow though... I don't have high hopes....

 

[Overseer]

I truly hope this debate will adress the concerns of the war in Iraq and not the War in Vietnam from before I was even born.

 

[Cool]

One last chance for Bush to look like the asshole he really is and lose half his voters!

 

[Overseer]

Or vise versa. I do support kerry though.

 

[GG-Duo]

I wonder what is Karl Rove thinking about right now?
Bush has charm, but Kerry has the facts on his side...

maybe it'll just turn out like the most absurd thing ever and then we'll all cry tonight.

 

[cybamerc]

Too bad it's on so late for us Euros. Don't feel like taping it.

 

[teiresias]

Eh, I'll probably play Baldur's Gate II tonight instead. I know who I'm voting for, and I don't have to watch the other try and sleeze his way into office anymore than I have to.

 

[Celicar]

One last chance for Bush to look like the asshole he really is and lose half his voters!

Nah, that probably won't happen. Bush is actually a really good debater.

 

[sprsk]

Nah, that probably won't happen. Most of his voter base is way too brainwashed to change their minds.

Fixed for great justice.

 

[human5892]

I truly hope this debate will adress the concerns of the war in Iraq and not the War in Vietnam from before I was even born.

A-fucking-men. Shame on both of the candidates for making a 1960's-1970's war a 2004 election issue.

 

[DarthWoo]

One of the student groups here is having a debate party tonight, so I guess I'll be watching....mainly because there will be free beer and pizza.

 

[olimario]

A-fucking-men. Shame on both of the candidates for making a 1960's-1970's war a 2004 election issue.

I agree completely. The focus on Vietnam has been the most useless and awkward mudsligning I've ever witnessed.

 

[Dan]

Debate
n.

1. A discussion involving opposing points; an argument.
2. Deliberation; consideration: passed the motion with little debate.
3. A formal contest of argumentation in which two opposing teams defend and attack a given proposition.

It takes some good spin just to call this crap a debate and not a joint press conference. Control of the debates needs to be taken out of control of the very ones who are participating. It's such bullshit.

 

[xsarien]

Everybody print out your Bingo cards.

http://www.planetsocks.com/bingo.asp

 

[Manabanana]

Everybody print out your Bingo cards.

http://www.planetsocks.com/bingo.asp

Hahahaha, that's awesome.

Question: Is there a streaming broadcast anywhere online? I have no television

 

[sprsk]

Debate
n.

1. A discussion involving opposing points; an argument.
2. Deliberation; consideration: passed the motion with little debate.
3. A formal contest of argumentation in which two opposing teams defend and attack a given proposition.

It takes some good spin just to call this crap a debate and not a joint press conference. Control of the debates needs to be taken out of control of the very ones who are participating. It's such bullshit.

Yessir. I was told the canidates cant even address each other in the debate. What the hell kind of debate is that?

 

[shoplifter]

www.opendebates.org

 

[BigGreenMat]

I agree the format of this is hardly a debate. And despite the praise of his 'debating skills' President Bush really doesn't have any. Being a good debater involves thinking on your feet and rebutting. There will be none of that in this 'debate'. Also if you ever watch Bush debate he never actually acknowledges or answers anything. He has a very predefined script which he leads every question back into. I guess you could call that a skill, but honestly if you look at the debate with Ann Richards in Texas no matter what the question or challenge he just replies essentially Education, Stiffer laws etc.

 

[heavy liquid]

While it's ridiculous that they can't address each other or ask each other questions, thankfully TV networks aren't going to allow themselves to be bullied into the restrictions they were trying to impose on them.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/a...ictions/?rss_id=Boston Globe -- National News

Not that reaction shots matter all that much when they can't even ask the other person a question...

 

[RedDwarf]

I'm going to listen to the 1960 JFK/Nixon debate instead. It has to be more interesting.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

I truly hope this debate will adress the concerns of the war in Iraq and not the War in Vietnam from before I was even born.

To be honest I think both canidates are above the Vietnam/Swift Boat attacks. They use them for their advantage but, I don't think either wants to discuss them during the debate.

 

[shoplifter]

I'm going to listen to the 1960 JFK/Nixon debate instead. It has to be more interesting.

Does Nixon win that version?

 

[Incognito]

what the hell is going to happen to a candidate if he fires back a question to his counterpart? is the moderator going to slap his wrist and tell the viewers, "Now viewers, under the provisions and rules set beforhand; This is a debate, and they're not allowed to respond directly. Please disregard Kerry/Bush's preceding comment. Moving on..."

 

[DaCocoBrova]

Can't wait to see Dubya fuck up. You just know he will.

 

[DarienA]

what the hell is going to happen to a candidate if he fires back a question to his counterpart? is the moderator going to slap his wrist and tell the viewers, "Now viewers, under the provisions and rules set beforhand; This is a debate, and they're not allowed to respond directly. Please disregard Kerry/Bush's preceding comment. Moving on..."

I thought the moderator asked the questions in these "debates".

Yup I was write:

September 30: First presidential debate

Location: University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida
Length of debate: 90 minutes, starting at 9 p.m. ET
Topics: Foreign policy and homeland security
Moderator: Jim Lehrer, anchor of "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer"
Format: Candidates will stand at podiums, with no audience participation. The moderator will ask at least 16 questions. A candidate will get two minutes to respond; the other candidate will get 90 seconds to comment on the question or to respond to his rival's answer.

 

[Incognito]

I thought the moderator asked the questions in these "debates".

they do. i'm talkign about how neither kerry or bush are allowed to ask each other questions.

 

[DarienA]

they do. i'm talkign about how neither kerry or bush are allowed to ask each other questions.

Well as my edit shows they get 90secs to comment on the opponents answer... expect someone to have to be reminded at least once that the 90secs is up.

 

[Overseer]

You know. People don't what happened so long ago. They want to know two things:

1.) How can you help me?
2.) How can you do that?

Ofcourse there are other things they want to know, but the focus should be on the people of this country not fucking Iraq.

Increase Minimum Wage.
Lower Health Insurance, ect.

 

[Incognito]

ahh, sweet. i had heard differently.

 

[Gantz]

The first two debates won't be debates at all but the canidates stating their agendas. The real debate won't be until the 3rd debate which will be a townhall style debate.

 

[DarienA]

You know. People don't what happened so long ago. They want to know two things:

1.) How can you help me?
2.) How can you do that?

Ofcourse there are other things they want to know, but the focus should be on the people of this country not fucking Iraq.

Increase Minimum Wage.
Lower Health Insurance, ect.

The problem with the above statement is that alot of our troops are still over in Iraq and more are being called up to be sent over there as we speak. We need to be given a good reason as to why.

HPN that's from cnn.com they have the format for the other 2 debates as follows:

October 8: Second presidential debate

Location: Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri
Length of debate: 90 minutes, starting at 9 p.m. ET
Topics: No limits on topics, but the debate agreement states that as many questions on foreign policy and homeland security will be asked as are questions on economic and domestic policy.
Moderator: "Good Morning America" anchor Charles Gibson
Format: A town hall forum, with candidates sitting on stools. The 100 to 150 audience members will be selected by the Gallup organization, which will invite an equal number of "soft" Bush supporters and "soft" Kerry supporters. The audience will submit questions to the moderator, who will then choose who participates. At least 16 questions will be asked, with the candidates taking turns answering first. The moderator is to cut off any audience member who strays from his or her approved question.


October 13: Third presidential debate

Location: Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
Length of debate: 90 minutes, starting at 9 p.m. ET
Topics: Economic and domestic policy
Moderator: "Face the Nation" anchor Bob Schieffer
Format: Candidates will stand at podiums, with no audience participation. The moderator will ask at least 16 questions. A candidate will get two minutes to respond to a question; the other candidate will get 90 seconds to comment on the question or to respond to his rival's answer.

 

[Incognito]

here's a scene in the cult favorite The Big Lebowski in which Walter, the addled veteran, incensed over possibly losing a bowling match, seizes on a technicality to disqualify his opponent, screaming: "This is not 'Nam! There are rules! ... Am I the only one who gives a shit about the rules?"

There's a bit of Walter in George W. Bush this week. Deathly afraid of being challenged on his unraveling Iraq policy, Bush demanded--and won--a series of bizarre rules governing tonight's debate. There will be no rebuttals allowed, for instance. No follow-up questions, no movement about the stage, no audience interaction, no props, no split-screen TV shots, no moderator discretion. The perspiration-prone Kerry was even denied a chilled room. Worst of all, the rules forbid Kerry from asking Bush any direct questions, a prohibition that constrains Kerry's options and makes a mockery of our civic process precisely when open debate matters most.

But Kerry does have an amazingly simple way out of the predicament imposed by this last rule: He can ignore it. Americans have a right to ask tough questions of their president. So does the Democratic nominee. You might say that asking tough questions is the moderator's job. But the mainstream journalists who run these debates almost always serve up softballs. And time and again in this campaign, the media has abdicated its duty to press Bush on the Iraq war. Don't expect Jim Lehrer to do any differently tonight.

Challenging Bush directly would expose a rich vein for Kerry to mine politically. The public doesn't think Bush is being entirely truthful on Iraq. And Bush has demonstrated a stubborn unwillingness to explain otherwise. Kerry needs to flesh out this idea by putting Bush on the defensive. Moreover, hard-nosed questions on Iraq will shift the focus away from Kerry's inconsistent positions and onto Bush's consistently disastrous ones. Many voters sense (correctly) that Bush has built a rock-hard shell of denial around the facts on the ground. A direct confrontation could expose the extent of Bush's self-deception.

Plus, Bush can be rattled by persistent questions, growing patronizing and, occasionally, mean. That's how John McCain succeeded against him during a debate in 2000. With any luck, Kerry could replicate the feat.

Would breaking the rules backfire on Kerry? I doubt it. Imagine that toward the end of a response, Kerry turns to Bush and says: "Mr. President, Iraq is on the verge of civil war. Entire towns are under the control of terrorists. A thousand American soldiers are dead. Yet you say peace and freedom are on the march. How do you explain this?" Bush would be put instantly on the defensive, and any answer he gives would be filtered through Kerry's question--not whatever softball Lehrer subsequently lobs in. If Bush completely ignores Kerry's query, it would only solidify the idea that Bush is ducking reality. If either Bush or the moderator challenges Kerry for breaking the rules, a handy line would turn the tables right back: "This isn't about rules," Kerry could say. "It's about the right of our soldiers' families to have answers." Kerry becomes the candidate prioritizing patriotism and honesty; Bush becomes the one hiding behind legalese.

Would Kerry pay a price for such a breach after the debate? It's hard to see how. Conservatives would call him a "cheater" but that would only distract from their single-minded drive to portray him as a flip-flopper. (Maybe he flip-flopped on the rules!) Moreover, Kerry's rejoinder is easy enough: "If Bush can't handle a simple question, how can he handle Al Qaeda?" Republicans earn no traction whining about the rules. The real danger is that, as a result of Kerry's heresy, Bush could pull out of the rest of the debates. But, having already agreed to two more debates, Bush would risk looking like a wimp. And the media, which invests a great deal in these events, would go apoplectic.

Of course, Kerry needn't completely break the rules. Bending will do fine. For instance, Kerry could ask rhetorical questions ("Why won't Bush admit Iraq is on the verge of civil war?"). Or he can pose questions to the American people ("I want those watching to ask themselves: Why won't Bush admit a mistake? Are you hearing the honesty you need from a President?"). And if all else fails, Kerry could bring up the rules themselves. Most Americans can recognize them easily enough as a travesty. ("Mr. President, you demanded we not question each other in these debates. What are you afraid of?")

With some tact, this could be a major theme of the evening: Bush's woeful and continued refusal to confront reality in the Middle East. It certainly fits with other aspects of his presidency: the lack of press conferences; his initial refusal to meet with the 9/11 Commission, and then only with Dick Cheney in tow; ignoring foreign leaders who don't say what he wants to hear. Plainly, this is a president hiding from the world. It's about time Kerry called him on it--rules be damned.

ha, just read that a few minutes ago after i posted what would happen if kerry or bush were to fire off a rebuttal.

i mean, seriously, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN? penalized an electoral vote?

:lol

Against the Rules

 

[heavy liquid]

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/a...ictions/?rss_id=Boston Globe -- National News

The 32-page ''Memorandum of Understanding" between the two campaigns regulating tonight's debate includes a number of conditions, including prohibiting ''props, charts, diagrams" and declaring that the candidates may ask rhetorical questions but ''may not ask each other direct questions." The rules also preclude the candidates from wandering outside ''their designated area behind their respective podiums" and forbid either man from addressing the other with ''proposed pledges."

I'm afraid that this is going to be a 90 minute canned-speech snooze-fest.

 

[Overseer]

The problem with the above statement is that alot of our troops are still over in Iraq and more are being called up to be sent over there as we speak. We need to be given a good reason as to why.

I am not saying to neglect that issue entirely. That is a very good topic of discussion. All I am saying is that shouldn't be the only thing discussed. I really do want to hear the plan for both candidates for Iraq.

 

[Scrow]

i can't wait for a new batch of bush-isms that are sure to come from this debate

 

[Diffense]

Bush is probably going to 'win'

Whether or not you agree with his positions he is very clear as to what his stance on various issues are. On the other hand, Kerry's complex and ambiguous voting record has forced him into complex, fragile positions bordering on the indefensible.

'I voted for it before I voted against it'

 

[Pimpwerx]

Yay! Battle of the scripted responses to presubmitted questions. The battle of the speech writers and other underlings. Yay! I want Kerry's speech writer to run the country more than Bush's interns...yeah.

Seriously, the debates are a total waste of time. I don't think I'll watch at all b/c neither guy will be giving an honest, off-the-cuff response. Just reading their script. Kerry's gonna make an ass of himself and lose the election to a doofus. He got totally owned on the Daily Show yesterday when they showed an excerpt from a recent interview he had. The guy can't give a straight answer on anything. There's being a politician, and there's being a self-owning douchebag. Kerry's very much the latter. I think he was a plant by the RNC to throw away this gimme of an election. How anyone can lose to Bush this year is beyond me, but Kerry's doing his best to do just that. He's gonna earn another Purple Heart from this election for self-inflicted wounds. :lol PEACE.

 

[pnjtony]

I think they should mud wrestle......am I typing my thoughts again?

 

[AeroGod]

He's gonna earn another Purple Heart from this election for self-inflicted wounds.

:lol Bwahaha

 

[Overseer]

Yay! Battle of the scripted responses to presubmitted questions. The battle of the speech writers and other underlings. Yay! I want Kerry's speech writer to run the country more than Bush's interns...yeah.

Seriously, the debates are a total waste of time. I don't think I'll watch at all b/c neither guy will be giving an honest, off-the-cuff response. Just reading their script. Kerry's gonna make an ass of himself and lose the election to a doofus. He got totally owned on the Daily Show yesterday when they showed an excerpt from a recent interview he had. The guy can't give a straight answer on anything. There's being a politician, and there's being a self-owning douchebag. Kerry's very much the latter. I think he was a plant by the RNC to throw away this gimme of an election. How anyone can lose to Bush this year is beyond me, but Kerry's doing his best to do just that. He's gonna earn another Purple Heart from this election for self-inflicted wounds. :lol PEACE.

Welcome to the world of politics. Enjoy your stay.

 

[Baron Aloha]

I hope that Kerry just goes for broke and breaks the rules right from the start and never lets up. He should just start things off with "Well George, why is it that you only agreed to be here this evening if we weren't allowed to talk/ask questions of each other? Don't you think the American people deserve a real debate? What are you afraid of?"

Then Bush would probably panic (he's proven that he can only give canned responses to questions) and start crying about how Kerry isn't following the rules. This in turn would make Bush look like an a-hole. Kerry's got nothing to lose by doing this IMO. Republicans would surely cry foul but democrats would rally behind him and swing voters might start to question Bush.

 

[Overseer]

I hope that Kerry just goes for broke and breaks the rules right from the start and never lets up. He should just start things off with "Well George, why is it that you only agreed to be here this evening if we weren't allowed to talk/ask questions of each other? Don't you think the American people deserve a real debate? What are you afraid of?"

Then Bush would probably panic (he's proven that he can only give canned responses to questions) and start crying about how Kerry isn't following the rules. This in turn would make Bush look like an a-hole. Kerry's got nothing to lose by doing this IMO. Republicans would surely cry foul but democrats would rally behind him and swing voters my start to question Bush.

That'd be hilarious and very satisfying. Even though Kerry would probably lose support for that stunt.

 

[shoplifter]

I think they should mud wrestle......am I typing my thoughts again?

Frankie didn't say.

 

[warabi-mochi]

Well, after looking over all of the rules agreed to so the debates can even happen, I'm not sure they're going to produce anything of any real substance. I'll probably watch them for awhile anyway, just to see if someone steps outside the rules set up.

I think the only thing worse than this is that I - a Canadian - seem to know more about the election and the issues than most of my American friends. Good job American media.

 

[Banjo Tango]

I think they should mud wrestle......am I typing my thoughts again?

.

The president, buffering his image as a strong leader, will more than likely squeeze the juice out of an orange with his bicep. He will then lick this juice. People will find it disturbing, yet erotic.

That's when the fucking starts.

 

[Chesapeake Silt]

Since the debate is at 'the U'... I really think Kerry needs to start his opening remarks by saying "I'm John Kerry... And I'm a FUCKIN' SOLDIER." This needs to happen.