Debate live-blogging

(All times NST)

10:30PM - I'm watching this on Fox. How often do I get to see Fox News?
- The rules were just explained. Too bad the candidiates won't get to ask each other questions or actually debate each other. (Mind you, after the fiasco that was the Canadian electoral debate, that might not be a bad thing.)

10:45PM - Bush just said "Saddam Hussein" when he meant to say "Osama bin Laden". Some would say that's a Freudian slip if there ever was one.

10:48PM - Kerry, talking about Iraq, just said there are "weapons of mass destruction crossing the border all the time and blowing people up".
- Bush got a chance to respond to Kerry's assertion that American troops in Iraq were under-equipped, and he didn't even note Kerry's vote against increased funding for the war.

10:54PM - man, I hate to say it, but it's painful watching Bush answer some of these questions. From what I've seen so far, Kerry looks much more prepared. Bush has had moments of passion, but his answers have been pretty vague.

11:01PM - first Halliburton mention. (From Kerry, of course.)

11:02PM - in talking about allies, Bush mentioned Tony Blair and the Prime Minister of Poland, but not John Howard. Perhaps he thinks that wouldn't help Howard.

11:07PM - first "imminent threat" mention. I hope Bush gets a chance to refute that one.

11:10PM - oh, now Kerry says something good about Reagan. Didn't hear that in the 1980s.
- I think Bush has 4 or 5 talking points, and he's just bringing them up again and again. ("Kerry keeps changing his position!")

11:14PM - Bush just mentioned a woman - by name - whose husband was killed in Iraq, and he discussed how it weighs on him that he put him in harm's way. He seems sincere.

11:17PM - good line from Kerry: "you can go to johnkerry.com and look at my plan, which has 4 points - or you can listen to the president's plan, which is 4 words: 'more of the same'." (Im paraphrasing here.)

11:21PM - Bush finally mentioned Kerry's disappointing comments (and Joe Lockhart's disgusting comments) about Ayad Allawi.

11:27PM - Bush's best point: that another round of UN resolutions on Iraq would simply have shown that body's impotence - and strengthened Saddam.
- whenever Kerry talks about North Korea getting nuclear weapons, I really want to yell, "thanks to Jimmah!"

11:33PM - Bush just pronounced "mullahs" as "moolahs". Twice. In discussing Iran, he missed a great chance to mention a determined (and pro-American) student movement.

11:34PM - Good Lord. Did Kerry just propose giving nuclear fuel to Iran? To "test" the Iranians?

11:37PM - Lehrer just asked why neither candidate is talking about Darfur. Good question. Kerry says he was "pressing for action" months ago (really?) and says the U.S. military is over-extended. Bush says the U.S. is the leading aid donor, and that they're working with the UN. He says American troops should not be committed.

11:41PM - Bush was asked whether Kerry has any character flaws which should prevent him from being President. Bush responded, "whoo! That's a loaded question."
- The best possible response to such a question? "No. I'm not getting into that."

11:47PM - oh, man. Bush is taking up to 6 seconds to find his words on occasion. No question about who's the better public speaker.
- Kerry just said he would shut down any new programs to develop nuclear weapons. I'm disappointed Bush didn't pick up on that.

11:54PM - Kerry just quoted George Will.
- a truly Reaganesque moment from Bush - Lehrer asked if he was upset that Kerry implied he was lying, and he responded, "no, I'm a pretty cool guy."

INTERIM VERDICT: Kerry did not score a "you're no Jack Kennedy" knockout, but I think he did well. He seemed better prepared and more knowledgable; Bush, at times, seemed downright confused. I think the candidiates came out about even on substance (Kerry was actually better for much of the debate, but he really stumbled on Iran. I'm still stunned that he would even think about giving the moolahs nuclear fuel, for any reason.)

In contrast to the raucous, incoherent Canadian leaders' debate a few months ago, this one was almost too civil. I think the candidates really needed the chance to address each other.

Posted by damian at September 30, 2004 09:28 PM