FACE-OFF: n. 1. A method of starting play in ice hockey by dropping the puck between two opposing players. 2. A confrontation.
The French statesman, Talleyrand, is credited with the saying "from the sublime to the ridiculous is but a step." How appropriate that the candidate who would seek approval from the French before taking action to protect this great land took that step this week.
ITEM 1: The Al QaQaa Weapons Facility (c'mon, I know that more than one of you were tickled at this name) entered the public domain with a phenomenal chain of title. Let's see...the IAEA (eeei, eeei, yo) floats a story to 60 Minutes about 377 tons of high-quality explosives done gone! Horrors!! 60 Minutes loves it and faster than you can say "forged memo" prepares a hit piece to run day after tomorrow. Well, daggumit, The New York Times, even without the services of Jason Blair, breaks the story on Monday and shazaam we got ourselves a scandal!!! Whoo hee, we're gonna get that Bush fella one way or another!! The political arm of Tne New York Times, jfk's campaign, has an ad in the can by sundown accusing our President and our forces on the ground of neglligence. THIS was the aforementioned step.
First the logic test...remember your basic syllogisms, a = b, b = c, therefore a = c? OK, here we go:
a. There were no weapons of mass destruction.
b. You fight wars to prevent the spread of wmd's.
c. "Wrong war, wrong time, wrong place."
BUT,
d. Well these weapons WERE highly destructive - some could be used as nuclear fuses! AND
e. W just walked past them out there in the desert and didn't do anything SO,
f. We should have gone to war AND
g. We didn't go to war soon enough OR
h. We didn't go to war hard enough ? OR...
i. Teacher, I need help, I'm confused....
Maybe that's what sophisticated people call "nuanced." But wait, it gets better!
ITEM 2: The Pattern:
Why do they hate us so? Why do they attack the very institutions that we hold dear, strike at our heartland, challenge our values around the world? Why at every turn do they attempt to thwart our foreign policy? "Who, "you ask, "the Islamic terrorists?"
No, the liberal democrats!
Vietnam:
jfk comes back from Vietnam, shamelessly castigates our troops and roots for the enemy.
Nicaragua:
jfk comes back from visiting Danny Ortega, shamelessly castigates our administration and roots for the enemy.
Gulf War I:
jfk votes against the war, shamelessly castigates our President in a time of hot war giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
Today:
jfk votes for and against the war, shamelessly castigates our President and our troops in a time of war and gives aid and comfort to the enemy.
In each of the above scenarios, jfk reached his conclusions with fraudulent data and an attitude whose starting point is the US is wrong, In this most recent dust up, he takes the word of a politically charged UN agency over the voluminous evidence of our own forces.
jfk loves to make the statement that he would not "rush to war" and that our coalition fighting in Iraq is the coalition of the "bribed and extorted." In an executive decision, jfk rushed to war choosing his allies to be the United Nations NOT the United States.
ITEM 3: THE WEAPONS WEREN'T THERE!
A day later, the EEIEEEIO says maybe it was only 3 tons...not 377. Oops! Well, I'm sure the NYT will withdraw their story and jfk will pull his ad. NOPE! They obviously drank from the same Kool Aide pitcher. They push the attack with a very knowledgeable response: "were too!"
OKAY, soldiers from the 101st Airborne then say, "Um, we were there, we didn't see any." The Pentagon releases satellite imaging showing large equipment movers in front of the depot. And now, mid-day today a 3rd Infantry Division Major comes forward explaining that the reason the weapons are gone is because he blew them up! "Blowed up, Sir!" (Think "Stripes")
I think it was Mark Twain who once said: "against a diseased imagination demonstration goes for nothing," What would he say about the "steps" Monsieur Kerhee has taken this week?
ITEM 5: CALLING IT!
A number of you have written me and asked who I think is going to win. Here are my odds:
10% chance jfk wins it outright. He simply has too many mountains to climb and few options left on the Electoral map puzzle.
10% chance jfk wins it "funny." Fraudulent registrations in critical areas coupled with attorneys at the ready and pre-emptive legal motions AND false accusations of race baiting etc. etc.
30% chance jfk or W win it through litigation. God help us. As one wag put it, the lawyers could succeed in making us the laughing stock of Venezuela. But anytime you go into a court, you don't ever really know what's going to happen.
30% chance W wins it close. Close popular vote, close electoral vote, but enough of a margin in enough states that jfk decides not to push it into the courts.
20% chance W wins it in a blow-out. There's some funky stuff happening out there that the polls might not be picking up. Cheney heading to Hawaii? W in New Hampshire? jfk pulling ads in Florida and Colorado? Evangelical Christians registering in record numbers? College kids breaking for W? I sniff it in the wind and it reminds me a little of Reagan's first victory. It broke late and hard for him and the toothy wonder from Georgia was gone!
Net net - 65% chance for W, 35% for jfk.
If you haven't already, get out there and vote! The one silver lining in all this animosity is this could be a record percentage of the population participating in this election. As long as the vote is uncorrupted, that can only benefit our people.
Gee I wish I had said that... (Special Election Guide)
We are seven days out, the polls are all over the place (although the trends seem to favor W),and there are already indications that the next president may be litigated in, not elected to office. In the words of Tom Lehrer, one begins to feel "like a Christian Scientist with appendicitis." I maintain my optimistic view that when you look at the Electoral Map, W has a whole lot more ways to win this election than jfk. I'm guessing the medicine cabinet at jfk HQ is about out of Tums and Motrin.
Chief Justice Rhenquist's unfortunate bout with cancer should sharpen the thinking of voters on both sides. This is a clear point of difference between the two men. W will appoint justices that strictly interpret the Constitution, jfk will make sure they pass a litmus test of being pro-abortion and have a strong streak of creativity to make up new laws that overrule the will of the poeple. If this doesn't motivate conservatives to get out and vote, nothing will. I am sure it will energize the left too. Sensing that their last remaining bastion of power, the court system, is jeapordized, they will turn out in droves... I expect this will help jfk. Wait, I'm wrong. Their LAST bastion of power is the American Academy.
Let's think the unthinkable for a minute...what would a Kedwards presidency look like?
Iraq and Terrorism:
Social Security:
Health Care:
Government Spending:
Taxes:
Read 'em and weep...this guy is the ultimate tax and spend liberal. If he's been consistent on one thing in his tenure in Congress, it has been in earning an "F" every year from the National Taxpayer's Union.
The Bottom Line:
Kerry learned a very important lesson in Vietnam. It was the strategy of the North Vietnamese: they called it "hugging the belly." If they could close with U.S. forces rapidly and stay very near, then the superiority of U.S. firepower was dramatically reduced. jfk's strategy to win this election has been just that...close with W, get as near as he can so the heavy artillery of his own record can't be used against him. The result is a confused electorate...well, not those that ply these pages regularly, but a large number of folks that are "undecided" upon whom this election will turn. Two pieces of good news for W in this department: 1) People vote for the person they can like more. Let's face it, the "Hate Bush" crowd has already voted and if they haven't, they will either not vote or will not be swayed. Remember the beer and baby-sitting test I posed way back when? (See "And So it Begins..." in the September archives) W is simply more human and likeable. 2) jfk has not "closed the sale" on why W should be replaced. If he had, he would be way ahead in the polls. He's pointed out a lot of flaws in the current administration, some justified, many not, but he hasn't spelled out what he would do differently. Why? Because he can't!! Remember, hug the belly!
Be of good cheer dear readers, all shall be well!
Chief Justice Rhenquist's unfortunate bout with cancer should sharpen the thinking of voters on both sides. This is a clear point of difference between the two men. W will appoint justices that strictly interpret the Constitution, jfk will make sure they pass a litmus test of being pro-abortion and have a strong streak of creativity to make up new laws that overrule the will of the poeple. If this doesn't motivate conservatives to get out and vote, nothing will. I am sure it will energize the left too. Sensing that their last remaining bastion of power, the court system, is jeapordized, they will turn out in droves... I expect this will help jfk. Wait, I'm wrong. Their LAST bastion of power is the American Academy.
Let's think the unthinkable for a minute...what would a Kedwards presidency look like?
Iraq and Terrorism:
A Kerry presidency would not be a setback for our present winning strategy; it would be an unmitigated disaster. Why such a pessimistic appraisal? First, Kerry's own rhetoric has been abjectly defeatist, if not Orwellian. He promises to bring allies into a war he smears as having
been waged in the wrong place, at the wrong time. He broadcasts in advance a
timetable for withdrawal. His present positions are at odds with his own past
votes to support the Iraq operation, which he has alternately praised and
demeaned depending on the ephemeral news from the battlefield and its immediate
impact on polling. -Victor Davis Hanson
Social Security:
WASHINGTON, Oct. 19 /U.S. Newswire/ -- While continuing his attack on President Bush's personal investment-based approach to save Social Security, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry has finally begun to suggest how he would deal with the program's $11 trillion funding gap. Yet according to Matt Moore, senior policy analyst with the National Center for
Policy Analysis (NCPA), Kerry's approach would be a "recipe for economic disaster."
Senator Kerry suggests a two part plan: increase economic growth, and institute strict pay-go budget rules that would cut all government spending to close the inevitable funding gap. "Economic growth is a good and wonderful thing. We hope we see more of it," said Moore. "But stronger economic growth alone won't solve Social Security's woes." The problem, according to the NCPA, is that Social Security benefits are tied to tax payments. Kerry's theory about increasing economic growth is that it would increase jobs, wages and thus, tax payments. But the more a worker pays in taxes, the more the government promises them at retirement. If wages rise, then so, too, will Social
Security benefits. Thus, we may narrow the gap in the short term with stronger growth, but we make the long-term problem worse absent any other reforms. For Social Security to stay technically solvent until 2075, wages would have to grow 2.9 percent annually above inflation.
-- One would need perpetual, sustained economic growth almost 4 times faster than over the past 30 years, and 41 percent faster than during the booming 1960s. As for the second part of
Sen. Kerry's emerging plan, employing pay-go spending caps to close the $11 trillion unfunded liability, the NCPA concludes that this would result in a 20 percent cut on all other government spending. "It is foolhardy to hope for unrealistic economic growth to sustain the retirement program for future generations of retirees," said Moore. "It is reckless to make draconian cuts in education, healthcare and homeland security to pay for a failure to reform the system."-National Center for Policy Analysis
Health Care:
Of the 25 million Americans insured under the Kerry health plan, almost 22 million will be in the Medicaid program, which is a government-controlled healthcare program. Just ask any physician or any hospital what happens when a patient is treated in Medicaid. Prices are strictly controlled, and ultimately there is rationing, all of which together destroys innovation and research and development. And what happens to people who have private insurance when the government steps in and vastly expands Medicaid? Under Senator Kerry's plan, about 8 million Americans will lose their private insurance coverage and end up on Medicaid. But for John Kerry, that's not enough government expansion. His plan would create a federally run reinsurance program which makes the government responsible for 75 percent of health care expenses greater than $30,000. If government has the responsibility of everything over $30,000, they certainly will regulate everything up to that
threshold as well. Payments, reimbursements and prices would ultimately be set by government and that turns into government rationing. This plan does nothing to address the underlying root causes of the soaring cost of healthcare today. It simply shifts that cost to the backs of taxpayers - to the tune of an almost $1000 tax increase. From my perspective as a physician and one who has seen firsthand the way a healthcare system should work, we need a system centered on the doctor-patient relationship. The Kerry plan simply fails and moves in the other direction, focusing rather on big government and bureaucrats as decision-makers and that is the wrong prescription for the American people. -Senator Bill Frist, MDRedstater would add that his Vice President is a trial lawyer...a breed of people who are at the root of the problem with higher costs in healthcare today!
Government Spending:
According to the nonpartisan National Taxpayers Union, John Kerry has proposed spending cuts that would save $300 billion over ten years. While that may look impressive at first glance, it represents a mere 1 percent reduction in projected federal outlays over that period. And let’s not forget that Kerry has also proposed spending increases totaling $2.56 trillion — that is roughly $8.50 in spending increases for every dollar of spending cuts. On net, Kerry’s spending proposals would boost federal spending $2.26 trillion over the decade. The era of “big government” may be over, but Kerry stands ready to usher in an era of “huge government.” -CBS NEWS!!
Taxes:
Read 'em and weep...this guy is the ultimate tax and spend liberal. If he's been consistent on one thing in his tenure in Congress, it has been in earning an "F" every year from the National Taxpayer's Union.
The Bottom Line:
Kerry learned a very important lesson in Vietnam. It was the strategy of the North Vietnamese: they called it "hugging the belly." If they could close with U.S. forces rapidly and stay very near, then the superiority of U.S. firepower was dramatically reduced. jfk's strategy to win this election has been just that...close with W, get as near as he can so the heavy artillery of his own record can't be used against him. The result is a confused electorate...well, not those that ply these pages regularly, but a large number of folks that are "undecided" upon whom this election will turn. Two pieces of good news for W in this department: 1) People vote for the person they can like more. Let's face it, the "Hate Bush" crowd has already voted and if they haven't, they will either not vote or will not be swayed. Remember the beer and baby-sitting test I posed way back when? (See "And So it Begins..." in the September archives) W is simply more human and likeable. 2) jfk has not "closed the sale" on why W should be replaced. If he had, he would be way ahead in the polls. He's pointed out a lot of flaws in the current administration, some justified, many not, but he hasn't spelled out what he would do differently. Why? Because he can't!! Remember, hug the belly!
Be of good cheer dear readers, all shall be well!
Friday Face-Off
FACE-OFF: n. 1. A method of starting play in ice hockey by dropping the puck between two opposing players. 2. A confrontation.
Well, we come to the end of a busy week...Redstater's daytime job has interfered mightily with my responsibility to you dear reader. But fear not, a quick trip to the phone booth and all shall be well!
ITEM 1: Theresagate: Note to all those on the right - leave her alone. She does more damage to herself with her bizarre outspokenness than any attempts by pundits to connect her to jfk. Pick on her and it WILL backfire, let's not go there. I come back to one of my rules of thumb: the American people are a LOT smarter than Democrats think they are. Let Theresa run amock and let the people decide.
ITEM 2: The Polls: Be at peace dear reader, with the exception of an occasional outburst from an outlying poll, W has led jfk consistently. Check out the folks at Real Clear Politics, they average all of the polls out at this writing W's up 2.4%. Newt Gingrich has noted that people vote like they buy cars. Early on, all the options are on the table - the 16-cylinder sportscar that can outrun a dragster, the 4-ton pickup truck that you need an elevator to get into the cab. But as they get closer to the purchase decision, sanity kicks in and they settle for a Toyota or a Chrysler. That explanation sheds a lot of light on the Dean collapse - aaaaaaaarghhhhh - jfk was the safe bet, even for the loonier left fringe. Redstater optimistically sticks to his assessment that this thing will break well for Bush. All shall be well.
ITEM 3: Ashley's Story: Guys, W is a genuinely good guy. jfk's little buttons aside, W IS the real deal. If you had any doubts, take a look at this ad. It's an AWESOME piece! To all my friends (you few, you valiant few) who still plan on voting for jfk, I respect you, but you have to ask yourselves: "Do I want a real human being or a phony for my president?" Let your heart be your guide. This is a man of his word.
Be of good cheer all!
Well, we come to the end of a busy week...Redstater's daytime job has interfered mightily with my responsibility to you dear reader. But fear not, a quick trip to the phone booth and all shall be well!
ITEM 1: Theresagate: Note to all those on the right - leave her alone. She does more damage to herself with her bizarre outspokenness than any attempts by pundits to connect her to jfk. Pick on her and it WILL backfire, let's not go there. I come back to one of my rules of thumb: the American people are a LOT smarter than Democrats think they are. Let Theresa run amock and let the people decide.
ITEM 2: The Polls: Be at peace dear reader, with the exception of an occasional outburst from an outlying poll, W has led jfk consistently. Check out the folks at Real Clear Politics, they average all of the polls out at this writing W's up 2.4%. Newt Gingrich has noted that people vote like they buy cars. Early on, all the options are on the table - the 16-cylinder sportscar that can outrun a dragster, the 4-ton pickup truck that you need an elevator to get into the cab. But as they get closer to the purchase decision, sanity kicks in and they settle for a Toyota or a Chrysler. That explanation sheds a lot of light on the Dean collapse - aaaaaaaarghhhhh - jfk was the safe bet, even for the loonier left fringe. Redstater optimistically sticks to his assessment that this thing will break well for Bush. All shall be well.
ITEM 3: Ashley's Story: Guys, W is a genuinely good guy. jfk's little buttons aside, W IS the real deal. If you had any doubts, take a look at this ad. It's an AWESOME piece! To all my friends (you few, you valiant few) who still plan on voting for jfk, I respect you, but you have to ask yourselves: "Do I want a real human being or a phony for my president?" Let your heart be your guide. This is a man of his word.
Be of good cheer all!
Gee I wish I had said that...
Whew! Redstater is almost back home from my trials in the desert. I submit this humble post from Winston-Salem, North Carolina having escaped the Kerry-bumper-sticker-laden confines of Duke University. Today, we'll do a count at the more conservative Wake Forest, but given the general state of academia today I don't expect much improvement. It is a testimony to the fortitude of America's youth that they somehow manage to rise above the brain-washing MTV messages and the intimidation of the typical college professor to still love this great land. Those of you that have children of college or about-to-be college age know the angst I feel in sending one out of the fold into the maw of the university system.
The campaign has gotten meaner - "rise up and walk!" - and I expect it will continue to do so. Barring a Bush blowout, we can expect this thing to go into overtime. The vast new class of voter registrants mixed with legions of lawyers posted at the polls is a poisonous brew that makes the hair on my arms stand up. Regarding the former, I pray that the "get out the vote" movement in the Evangelical community is half as good as the "Vote or die" and "Rock the Vote" and "Cocaine for your vote" movement being put on by the left to attract the chin-dribble voters.
One of the mean voices in this campaign is coming from an unusual source, the woman who would be queen, Teresa Heinz Kerry. A Portuguese who grew up in Mozambique and attended Swiss schools - great that she has an international perspective - but she also has an inbred hatred of America and a lack of appreciation for America's place in the world. Here's Dennis Prager's take:
I am by nature and by force of trade an optimist. I'm a "half-full" kind of guy who believes, like Reagan, that America's best days still lie ahead. They are not without challenges, however, and Bill Whittle over at www.ejectejecteject.com continues to offer some superlative analysis:
We have entered the realm of the ridiculous with jfk now campaigning about the flu virus. Why didn't W get out there and manufacture more of the dang stuff? Hell, he should have set the beakers up in the Green Room at the White House...what a slacker! Well, here's a humorous take on that score:
At long last, a visual interpretation of "THE PLAN!" Now I get it...maybe I should vote for jfk after all!
Well, got to get back to that "work" thing...hope y'all have a great week!
The campaign has gotten meaner - "rise up and walk!" - and I expect it will continue to do so. Barring a Bush blowout, we can expect this thing to go into overtime. The vast new class of voter registrants mixed with legions of lawyers posted at the polls is a poisonous brew that makes the hair on my arms stand up. Regarding the former, I pray that the "get out the vote" movement in the Evangelical community is half as good as the "Vote or die" and "Rock the Vote" and "Cocaine for your vote" movement being put on by the left to attract the chin-dribble voters.
One of the mean voices in this campaign is coming from an unusual source, the woman who would be queen, Teresa Heinz Kerry. A Portuguese who grew up in Mozambique and attended Swiss schools - great that she has an international perspective - but she also has an inbred hatred of America and a lack of appreciation for America's place in the world. Here's Dennis Prager's take:
It brings me no joy to say that Teresa Heinz Kerry is not worthy of being theOK, OK, one of the mean things those on the right have done is to call the distinguished Senator from the Tar Heel state, the "Breck Girl." Well, there's always an element of truth in these labels... (click it on and watch the whole painful video!!)
first lady of the United States of America. From her public utterances -- such
as young American men and women dying in Iraq because of American "greed for
oil" -- and her many years of financial support for radical groups, it is clear
to me and many others that this woman does not particularly care for this
country. Her primary identity is that of world citizen, and her values are those
of France and anti-American Europe.
Please don't tell me that thing in his hand is a compact. Oh, dear. It is.
I am by nature and by force of trade an optimist. I'm a "half-full" kind of guy who believes, like Reagan, that America's best days still lie ahead. They are not without challenges, however, and Bill Whittle over at www.ejectejecteject.com continues to offer some superlative analysis:
There is a big fight ahead of us, regardless of who is crowing loud in a few weeks time. Other civilizations have fallen; this one may yet. But none have been armed as we are, and our wonder weapon is not the Carrier Battle Group, the Smart Bomb, or the M1 Abrams. This Civilization is
armed with information, with real-time communication, with self-organizing expert systems. And for the first time in history, it has in its quiver the chance to hear from great minds otherwise buried in obscurity, to harness the power of billions of opinions and ideas and little, well-made boxes of
competence and expertise; brilliant and commanding voices thrown away with the chaff in preceeding generations. This is a force multiplier to cheer even the most pessimistic.
We have entered the realm of the ridiculous with jfk now campaigning about the flu virus. Why didn't W get out there and manufacture more of the dang stuff? Hell, he should have set the beakers up in the Green Room at the White House...what a slacker! Well, here's a humorous take on that score:
Flu Threat Spurs Kerry to Suspend Campaign
by Scott Ott
(2004-10-19) -- America's flu vaccine crisis claimed its first victim today as John Forbes Kerry preemptively suspended his presidential campaign in an attempt to slow the advance of the impending epidemic."I defended this country as a young man in Vietnam, and I will defend this country now from the terrifying specter of influenza," said Mr. Kerry, a professional Vietnam veteran and distiguished war protestor who is also a U.S. Senator. "At my last rally, I shook hands with hundreds of people, many of whom routinely sneeze into those very hands. So, in a sense, I took part in atrocities, in that I engaged in a kind of bioterrorism or germ warfare, potentially ravaging entire local populations of Democrats in a fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan."
Mr. Kerry said his campaign would "remain on hiatus until every man, woman and child in this country receives a free vaccination and a year's supply of hand soap and Kleenex." A spokesman said Mr. Kerry's absence from the campaign trail is just an extension of what he has done to protect his colleagues in the senate for the past year. "Sen. Kerry believes that all Americans are entitled to the same healthcare that senators get," the source noted.
At long last, a visual interpretation of "THE PLAN!" Now I get it...maybe I should vote for jfk after all!
Well, got to get back to that "work" thing...hope y'all have a great week!
Friday Face-Off
FACE-OFF: n. 1. A method of starting play in ice hockey by dropping the puck between two opposing players. 2. A confrontation.
SPECIAL DEBATE EDITION You must read the transript ...it is your homework!
Don't you feel like you just got an extra scoop of ice-cream in your float? The Friday Face-Off a day early! This actually works out for me, your humble "pajamahadeen" will be off tomorrow, returning to familiar ground in Tidewater, Virginia for the wedding of a very dear friend.
Well, the results are in. CNN's viewers and website responders say jfk won. FOX's viewers and website pollsters say Bush won. So there. Where does that leave us? It leaves us, I submit, with a waiting period of several days to see how it sinks in. What were the memorable lines, what was the body language, how did it "feel?"
From this viewer's perspective it went extremely well. W was clearly "on his game." I wonder if the old political Svengali, Mr. Rove suckered the Kerry camp into this trap. Remember, Bush was supposed to be strong on foreign policy weak on domestic. Perhaps the calculus in W's camp is that jfk has done so much damage to his own credibility on the foreign front that they prepped hardest for domestic issues and had that debate come at the end of the three, acknowledging that W hadn't been battle tested this season yet like jfk had been. No primary opponent means no practice.
So what are the memorable lines? Well, here's the one that may have finished the junior senator from Massachussetts: "We're all God's children, Bob. And I think if you were to talk to Dick Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian, she would tell you that she's being who she was, she's being who she was born as. " Stay with me here:
1. This arrogant know-it-all has determined that homosexuality is genetic.
2. He has brought a candidate's child into the debate (it was bad enough when Little Johnny did it with Cheney, but this was truly horrid.)
3. I thought you were pro-gay! But, oh -no, the Cheney's have one of "those people" several heartbeats away from the Oval Office...Evangelicals take note and don't vote!!!!
One of Redstater's close liberal friends confided this morning that this was the worst he's heard in a political debate EVER. For an interesting gay perspective on the comment, check out one gay conservative's viewpoint at GayPatriot.
Incidentally, when Bush was asked the question that started this exchange, I thought he handled it extraordinarily well. This is what compassionate conservatism is all about:
Q: Do you believe homosexuality is a choice?
BUSH: You know, Bob, I don't know. I just don't know. I do know that we have a choice to make in America and that is to treat people with tolerance and respect and dignity. It's important that we do that.
And I also know in a free society people, consenting adults can live the way they want to live.
And that's to be honored.
But as we respect someone's rights, and as we profess tolerance, we shouldn't change -- or have to change -- our basic views on the sanctity of marriage. I believe in the sanctity of marriage. I think it's very important that we protect marriage as an institution, between a man and a woman.
This one sailed out of the park! He then went on with a defense of marriage and although Redstater disagrees with the need for a Constitutional Amendment, I certainly agree that activist judges pose a serious threat to our society and need to be reigned in. Hey, re-electing W for four more years should help a lot!
How about some more memorable lines?
Well, I don't know if the lines were memorable on W's part, but how about the last question where Schieffer asking about wives and daughters said:
I'd like to ask each of you, what is the most important thing you've learned from these strong women?
BUSH: To listen to them.
(LAUGHTER)
To stand up straight and not scowl.
(LAUGHTER)
I love the strong women around me. I can't tell you how much I love my wife and our daughters.
I am -- you know it's really interesting. I tell the people on the campaign trail, when I asked Laura to marry me, she said, "Fine, just so long as I never have to give a speech. "I said, "OK, you've got a deal. "Fortunately, she didn't hold me to that deal. And she's out campaigning along with our girls. And she speaks English a lot better than I do. I think people understand what she's saying.
But they see a compassionate, strong, great first lady in Laura Bush. I can't tell you how lucky I am. When I met her in the backyard at Joe and Jan O'Neill's in Midland, Texas, it was the classic backyard barbecue. O'Neill said, "Come on over. I think you'll find somebody who might interest you. "So I said all right. Bopped over there. There was only four of us there. And not only did she interest me, I guess you would say it was love at first sight.
This is quintessential W. This is a guy that speaks from his heart, that is humble enough to be self-deprecating and that has genuine love for his family. Remember my "beer test" way back when? This is a guy you wouldn't mind quaffing some cold ones with! Call me crazy, but in my heart, I believe the American people want a president they can relate to and that they can LIKE.
OK, there was another memorable line...it was from jfk again, and it was on the same question...here it is:
KERRY: Well, I guess the president and you and I are three examples of lucky people who married up.
(LAUGHTER)
And some would say maybe me more so than others.
How many of you had to control the gag reflex on that one! "Hey, hey I'm rich cause I married a rich widow...woo hoo!! I'm not a schlup from Texas who married a librarian...got me a rich one!! Parteee!" Note, he then went on to talk about his dying mother (PULEEESE!!!!) "...integrity, integrity, integrity." Maybe she was trying to tell him, "Son, you don't have any, so don't run!" He never mentioned Teresa by name nor talked about what a "guiding light" or something she is...she isn't! She's his bank account! Note to Teresa: check your pre-nup closely!!
Now there was a lot of back and forth on specific policy issues. I counted 18 uses of the word "plan" by jfk...for God's sake tell us what's in one of your plans! A lot of the same lines were used by both sides. But my hunch is the Bush folks ought to be feeling pretty good about now. And as we get a little further away from these debates we're not going to remember the specifics, but we'll remember those few lines that stick...for good or bad. We're also going to remember a haughty professorial sanctimonious Boston brahmin who gets on your nerves. Then we'll look across our memory's aisle and see a genuine man, a hard-working, caring, thoughtful and warm God fearing man who has come to this place in time as our President. We have been blessed by his service to date, he has led us through a horrible dark tragedy with strength and character. He will lead us for the next four years and make us proud. He is an American in the best embodiment of the word.
SPECIAL DEBATE EDITION You must read the transript ...it is your homework!
Don't you feel like you just got an extra scoop of ice-cream in your float? The Friday Face-Off a day early! This actually works out for me, your humble "pajamahadeen" will be off tomorrow, returning to familiar ground in Tidewater, Virginia for the wedding of a very dear friend.
Well, the results are in. CNN's viewers and website responders say jfk won. FOX's viewers and website pollsters say Bush won. So there. Where does that leave us? It leaves us, I submit, with a waiting period of several days to see how it sinks in. What were the memorable lines, what was the body language, how did it "feel?"
From this viewer's perspective it went extremely well. W was clearly "on his game." I wonder if the old political Svengali, Mr. Rove suckered the Kerry camp into this trap. Remember, Bush was supposed to be strong on foreign policy weak on domestic. Perhaps the calculus in W's camp is that jfk has done so much damage to his own credibility on the foreign front that they prepped hardest for domestic issues and had that debate come at the end of the three, acknowledging that W hadn't been battle tested this season yet like jfk had been. No primary opponent means no practice.
So what are the memorable lines? Well, here's the one that may have finished the junior senator from Massachussetts: "We're all God's children, Bob. And I think if you were to talk to Dick Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian, she would tell you that she's being who she was, she's being who she was born as. " Stay with me here:
1. This arrogant know-it-all has determined that homosexuality is genetic.
2. He has brought a candidate's child into the debate (it was bad enough when Little Johnny did it with Cheney, but this was truly horrid.)
3. I thought you were pro-gay! But, oh -no, the Cheney's have one of "those people" several heartbeats away from the Oval Office...Evangelicals take note and don't vote!!!!
One of Redstater's close liberal friends confided this morning that this was the worst he's heard in a political debate EVER. For an interesting gay perspective on the comment, check out one gay conservative's viewpoint at GayPatriot.
Incidentally, when Bush was asked the question that started this exchange, I thought he handled it extraordinarily well. This is what compassionate conservatism is all about:
Q: Do you believe homosexuality is a choice?
BUSH: You know, Bob, I don't know. I just don't know. I do know that we have a choice to make in America and that is to treat people with tolerance and respect and dignity. It's important that we do that.
And I also know in a free society people, consenting adults can live the way they want to live.
And that's to be honored.
But as we respect someone's rights, and as we profess tolerance, we shouldn't change -- or have to change -- our basic views on the sanctity of marriage. I believe in the sanctity of marriage. I think it's very important that we protect marriage as an institution, between a man and a woman.
This one sailed out of the park! He then went on with a defense of marriage and although Redstater disagrees with the need for a Constitutional Amendment, I certainly agree that activist judges pose a serious threat to our society and need to be reigned in. Hey, re-electing W for four more years should help a lot!
How about some more memorable lines?
Well, I don't know if the lines were memorable on W's part, but how about the last question where Schieffer asking about wives and daughters said:
I'd like to ask each of you, what is the most important thing you've learned from these strong women?
BUSH: To listen to them.
(LAUGHTER)
To stand up straight and not scowl.
(LAUGHTER)
I love the strong women around me. I can't tell you how much I love my wife and our daughters.
I am -- you know it's really interesting. I tell the people on the campaign trail, when I asked Laura to marry me, she said, "Fine, just so long as I never have to give a speech. "I said, "OK, you've got a deal. "Fortunately, she didn't hold me to that deal. And she's out campaigning along with our girls. And she speaks English a lot better than I do. I think people understand what she's saying.
But they see a compassionate, strong, great first lady in Laura Bush. I can't tell you how lucky I am. When I met her in the backyard at Joe and Jan O'Neill's in Midland, Texas, it was the classic backyard barbecue. O'Neill said, "Come on over. I think you'll find somebody who might interest you. "So I said all right. Bopped over there. There was only four of us there. And not only did she interest me, I guess you would say it was love at first sight.
This is quintessential W. This is a guy that speaks from his heart, that is humble enough to be self-deprecating and that has genuine love for his family. Remember my "beer test" way back when? This is a guy you wouldn't mind quaffing some cold ones with! Call me crazy, but in my heart, I believe the American people want a president they can relate to and that they can LIKE.
OK, there was another memorable line...it was from jfk again, and it was on the same question...here it is:
KERRY: Well, I guess the president and you and I are three examples of lucky people who married up.
(LAUGHTER)
And some would say maybe me more so than others.
How many of you had to control the gag reflex on that one! "Hey, hey I'm rich cause I married a rich widow...woo hoo!! I'm not a schlup from Texas who married a librarian...got me a rich one!! Parteee!" Note, he then went on to talk about his dying mother (PULEEESE!!!!) "...integrity, integrity, integrity." Maybe she was trying to tell him, "Son, you don't have any, so don't run!" He never mentioned Teresa by name nor talked about what a "guiding light" or something she is...she isn't! She's his bank account! Note to Teresa: check your pre-nup closely!!
Now there was a lot of back and forth on specific policy issues. I counted 18 uses of the word "plan" by jfk...for God's sake tell us what's in one of your plans! A lot of the same lines were used by both sides. But my hunch is the Bush folks ought to be feeling pretty good about now. And as we get a little further away from these debates we're not going to remember the specifics, but we'll remember those few lines that stick...for good or bad. We're also going to remember a haughty professorial sanctimonious Boston brahmin who gets on your nerves. Then we'll look across our memory's aisle and see a genuine man, a hard-working, caring, thoughtful and warm God fearing man who has come to this place in time as our President. We have been blessed by his service to date, he has led us through a horrible dark tragedy with strength and character. He will lead us for the next four years and make us proud. He is an American in the best embodiment of the word.
Gee I wish I had said that...
They are gearing up in Tempe for tonight's showdown! Since I will be travelling on Friday, I will post the "Friday Face-Off Special Debate Edition" tomorrow. In the interim, here's this week's installment of "Gee, I wish I had said that..."
One of the most incisive columns I've read in awhile come from http://www.ejectejecteject.com/ you have to read the entire piece on Deterrence!! Here's a taste:
Good stuff!
More mass graves have been found in Iraq, the most recent in the northern section of the country. The fact that Saddam was a mass-murderer of Hitlerian proportions is simply lost on the left...and the entire EU, except England.
This is moral equivalency run amock! These are the "carrot men" jfk would have us wait on before we could engage in self-defense. The whole revolting story is available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3738368.stm
When Redstater was in his liberal phase and spending entirely too many hours at the fraternity house sampling ale at the ol' Alma Mater, we got a big kick out of Earnest Angley, the TV Evangelical who was out "heeeeeeling people." Little Johnny Edwards must have been watching the same show! Why yesterday, he claimed...folks, I couldn't make this stuff up:
Charles Krauthammer, the Pulitzer Prize winning reporter said this in response on Fox:
Folks, Charles Krauthammer ought to know - he is a former MD and a paraplegic: Time Column.
OK, on to the funny stuff!
One of the most incisive columns I've read in awhile come from http://www.ejectejecteject.com/ you have to read the entire piece on Deterrence!! Here's a taste:
It all comes down to carrots (liberals) or sticks (conservatives). By the way: if you’re in a rush and need to run, here’s the spoiler: You can offer a carrot. Not everybody likes carrots. Some people may hate your carrot. Your carrot may offend people who worship the rutabaga. But no
one likes being poked in the eye with a stick. That’s universal.I’m a stick man. I wish it were different. But part of growing up – in fact, the essential part of growing up – is realizing that wishing does not make it so.
Good stuff!
More mass graves have been found in Iraq, the most recent in the northern section of the country. The fact that Saddam was a mass-murderer of Hitlerian proportions is simply lost on the left...and the entire EU, except England.
Mr Kehoe said that work to uncover graves around Iraq, where about 300,000 people are thought to have been killed during Saddam Hussein’s regime, was slow as experienced European investigators were not taking part. The Europeans, he said, were staying away as the evidence might be used eventually to put Saddam Hussein to death.
This is moral equivalency run amock! These are the "carrot men" jfk would have us wait on before we could engage in self-defense. The whole revolting story is available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3738368.stm
When Redstater was in his liberal phase and spending entirely too many hours at the fraternity house sampling ale at the ol' Alma Mater, we got a big kick out of Earnest Angley, the TV Evangelical who was out "heeeeeeling people." Little Johnny Edwards must have been watching the same show! Why yesterday, he claimed...folks, I couldn't make this stuff up:
"Well, if we do the work that we can do in this country, the work that we will do when John Kerry is president, people like Christopher Reeve are going to walk, get up out of that wheelchair and walk again"
Charles Krauthammer, the Pulitzer Prize winning reporter said this in response on Fox:
For Edwards to make the claim he did is the worst demagoguery I've heard in Washington in a quarter century. To imply that Christopher Reeve was kept in the wheelchair because of the policies of the Bush administration on stem cells is ridiculous and insulting.
Folks, Charles Krauthammer ought to know - he is a former MD and a paraplegic: Time Column.
OK, on to the funny stuff!
Behave yourselves out there folks!!"The second presidential debate was tonight. It was a town hall meeting. Sure you all watched that. Last time John Kerry did a town hall meeting, true story, a woman in the audience told him he was 'hot.' Yeah, then she told Kerry she needs healthcare so she can afford a pair of glasses."
--Conan O'Brien"(Friday's) debate in St. Louis will be before an audience made up entirely of undecided voters. That creates a huge dilemma for Kerry. Does he stand on stage beside Bush or sit in the audience with all the other people who can't make up their minds?" --Jay Leno
"Martha Stewart's empire is said to be worth a billion dollars. Or as John Kerry calls her, the one that got away." —Jay Leno
Friday Face-off
FACE-OFF: n. 1. A method of starting play in ice hockey by dropping the puck between two opposing players. 2. A confrontation.
SPECIAL DEBATE EDITION For the complete transcript...and it's worth the read go to: http://www.debates.org/pages/trans2004c.html
SPECIAL DEBATE EDITION For the complete transcript...and it's worth the read go to: http://www.debates.org/pages/trans2004c.html
That WAS a face-off in St. Louis last night. If anyone is still "undecided" after that, then they fail the basic test of citizenship: being able to fog a mirror that is held under your nose. Clear distinctions were drawn between the candidates on how they would handle national security, on taxes, on domestic priorities, on abortion,and a number of smaller in-betweens.
STYLE: BIG WIN FOR W.
To the relief of Republicans, and Redstater himself, W showed up in fighting form. He was energetic in springing into his answers. He managed to turn his height disadvantage into a plus by appearing solid and athletic, like a defensive middle-linebacker waiting for the running back to come through the hole. I'm almost starting to like the blue tie! The roles were reversed - jfk was on defense, seemed programmed and in the cutaway shots he appeared to be smirking, overbearing and arrogant. As an old debater myself, one sure sign that your opponent is on defense is when he has to use time to address a prior question..."I'd like to answer your question, but let me first address what my opponent said in his last statement..." Edwards had to do frequently against Cheney and Kerry did it numerous times last night. Looking at body language, jfk actually managed to do an "AlGore" with the red line drawn between them! jfk's height advantage was erased last night as he Ichabod Cranely perched (http://www.schooltales.com/sleepyhollow/title.html ) on his stool and, dare I say it, scowled at the President. Those long, girlish, well manicured fingers wrap around the microphone like a talon...I know Halloween is approaching, but that was scaaary!
NATIONAL DEFENSE: BIG WIN FOR W.
Unless you are a multilateralist who wants to cede decisions on our safety to the EU, UN and any other alphabet soup that you think deserves a say-so, W won big. He hammered jfk on his indecisiveness and yes, flip-flopping: "I don't see how you can lead this country in a time of war, in a time of uncertainty, if you change your mind because of politics." He raised the good Senator's record (talk about Halloween horrors!) of voting for then against measures. W clearly laid out why we are fighting in Iraq...despite the Duelfer Report's findings that there were no WMD's in Iraq. W pointed out that Sadam was gaming the system...the coalition of the bribed was the UN Security Council.
W effectively pointed out the lunacy of jfk's position on coalitions:
"It is naive and dangerous to take a policy that he suggested the other day, which is to have bilateral relations with North Korea. Remember, he's the person who's accusing me of not acting multilaterally. He now wants to take the six-party talks we have -- China, North Korea, South Korea, Russia, Japan and the United States -- and undermine them by having bilateral talks."
And he rightly defended our allies like Great Britain and Poland who jfk seems to think are insignificant:
"You tell Tony Blair we're going alone. Tell Tony Blair we're going alone. Tell Silvio Berlusconi we're going alone. Tell Aleksander Kwasniewski of Poland we're going alone. There are 30 countries there. It denigrates an alliance to say we're going alone, to discount their sacrifices. You cannot lead an alliance if you say, you know, you're going alone. And people listen. They're sacrificing with us."
Redstater would have added that Kwasniewski publicly scolded jfk earlier this week and called W a "Texas gentleman."
Net, net, W has a vision for solving the terrorist problem: fight them over there and bring freedom and opportunity to them for a long range solution. jfk's response? "I have a plan" (which he said 14 times last night without ever offering specifics) and "let's get the UN, French and Germans to help." Great jfk moment last night that summed it up: Bush claimed if jfk had been the Prez, Saddam would still be in power..."Not necessarily in power..." came the reply.
TAX AND FISCAL POLICY: BIG WIN FOR W.
jfk looked squarely into the camera and said he wouldn't raise taxes on those making less than $200,000. Bush simply pointed out the Senator's record: over 200 times he's voted to raise spending caps and over 600 times he's voted to raise taxes. He also tagged our gangly Massachussetian with the "L" word. Slip up or purposeful mistatement: "Senator Kennedy has the most liberal voting record in the Senate."
The Medical debate was over when the subject of malpractice insurance costs came up:
W: "...you're now for capping punitive damages? That's odd. You should have shown up on the floor in the Senate and voted for it then. Medical liability issues are a problem, a significant problem. He's been in the United States Senate for 20 years and he hasn't addressed it. We passed it out of the House of Representatives. Guess where it's stuck? It's stuck in the Senate, because the trial lawyers won't act on it. And he put a trial lawyer on the ticket.
ETHICS 101: BIG WIN FOR W.
Stem cell research - W stood by his guns that Federal funds should not be used for embryonic stem cell research...it is not a ban, just your tax dollars can't be used for it.
Abortion - perhaps no place else was jfk's weakness exhibited:
"Now, I believe that you can take that position and not be pro- abortion, but you have to afford people their constitutional rights. And that means being smart about allowing people to be fully educated, to know what their options are in life, and making certain that you don't deny a poor person the right to be able to have whatever the constitution affords them if they can't afford it otherwise."
W responded with the zinger of "I'm trying to decipher what he just said..." and went into a passionate defense of life. He drilled Kerry with jfk's own vote against a ban on partial birth abortion.
CLOSING STATEMENTS: BIG WIN FOR W.
Peggy Noonan once noted that Democrats are great in press conferences and Republicans are better at giving speeches. The closing statement was an endorsement of that theory. jfk used the phrase "I have a plan" four times on a laundry list of items that seem small when you consider that we are at war. W didn't use the soaring rhetoric of a Ronald Reagan, but he painted a vision for the future and closed strong with his guiding belief:
"But our long-term security depends on our deep faith in liberty. And we'll continue to promote freedom around the world. Freedom is on the march. Tomorrow, Afghanistan will be voting for a president. In Iraq, we'll be having free elections, and a free society will make this world more peaceful."
This man has a core and deserves to be re-elected.
The press will try to spin it as a "tie," the CNN.com website will get swamped by DNC faithful voting on-line to say that jfk won. But at the end of the day, the man from Texas bested the man from Massachussets badly. Whatever loss of momentum his march back to the White House sustained last week has been replaced by a big, burly "MO" on his side. Thank you, Mr. President!
Gee I wish I had said that...
I don't know about you, but jfk's powers of ESP are becoming somewhat annoying - Q: So was it a mistake to go to war in Iraq? jfk: "It depends on the outcome." On-line columnist David Warren puts it well:
To blame the Bush administration for not having anticipated everything that has
happened since they entered Iraq, is to assume they have godly powers of
clairvoyance.
Concerning the "coalition of the bribed"...which now turns out to be France, Germany and Russia, blogger Instapundit quips:
How do you pass the "Global Test" when those grading it have been bribed to flunk you?
To blame the Bush administration for not having anticipated everything that has
happened since they entered Iraq, is to assume they have godly powers of
clairvoyance.
Concerning the "coalition of the bribed"...which now turns out to be France, Germany and Russia, blogger Instapundit quips:
How do you pass the "Global Test" when those grading it have been bribed to flunk you?
From blogger California Yankee comes this reflection:
After watching the Cheney - Edwards debate, I now understand why Edwards only won one primary battle.
I've directed you to the Victor Davis Hanson site before, but I've got to do it again...this is in the "must read" stack...make sure you scroll back through and get parts 1 through 3 as well:
http://victorhanson.com/articles/hanson100204.html
Finally, I've got to direct you to the new video at www.jibjab.com . If you haven't seen the remake of "This Land is Your Land," watch that...then catch their latest addition, "Good to be in DC." It's irreverent and hits at both sides...but we've got to keep our sense of humor.
I plan to publish the Friday Face-Off tomorrow after tonight's debates. Meet me in St. Louis!!
A Heartbeat Away
Let's be adults here...Dick Cheney won this dust-up last night going away. There were some spots he could have done better, but I suspect they are brushing up on seppuku ( http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=seppuku) procedures over at jfk central. Who was that kid up there with the Vice President?
There's a picture posted below about mate selections and what that says about a man...last night spoke volumes about the President and jfk. W picks his Veep to be a man that can assume the role of President with confidence...as Cheney himself quipped last night: "he didn't pick me because I could deliver Wyoming's three electoral votes." jfk picks HIS man for what? Sex appeal? Some more Hollywood type glam on the ticket? Smile wattage? Maybe it's 'cause he has a "pla- ya- an." (Dammit, I'm a Southerner and that accent grated on me! One radio wag this AM was speculating that Little Johnny was trying to channel Bill Clinton and he's still alive!)
At the start, in the weird 5 minutes before the official start, when Cheney and Edwards first walked in, you sensed a presence from the Vice President...he was pleasant, matter of fact, in-charge. Edwards looked like he was trying out for the lead in the Senior play - big toothy grin to the camera, eyebrows shifting up and down with the "how do you like me now?" look. Cheney sat down and wrote some notes on the pad...Edwards sat down looked over at Cheney then HE pulled out his pen and started scribbling notes. ("Oh! That's what I'm suppposed to do...OK. Damn, there's only one color of crayon!") Both were probably writing down the zingers they would use later...difference is, Cheney delivered, Edwards got drubbed.
Cheney was crisp and succinct in his answers. He bolstered the Administration's argument for going to war ("we feel we should hunt them down over there"), he spoke glowingly of the President's courage in making difficult decisions and he ripped the top of the opposing ticket, jfk, to shreds. When Johnny Edwards got in the way, he got mauled too: "Frankly, your Senate record isn't very impressive." This was a Chicago Bears circa 1985 style defense ( )...it was smothering. I was reminded of the Sean Connery line in the untouchables (Italians, no disrespect intended!): "isn't that just like a Dego, bringing a knife to a gun fight."
THE killer line came during the discussion of Iraq policy. Little Johnny kept talking about their "plan" and how magically everything will get better in the future if they are elected to play at 1600 Pennsylvania. Dick Cheney nodded with that little smile he gets, then pounced. He reviewed the switching positions and connected them to the Democratic primary results then finished with: "If you can't stand up to Howard Dean, how are you ever going to stand up to Al Quaeda?" If this was a boxing match, it was a body blow that you could hear ribs crack under.
At the mid-point of the debate, Cheney TKO'd Edwards with the zinger on the latter's Senate attendance and performance. "...I hadn't met you until you walked on this stage tonight." Little Johnny's knees buckled...his hand visibly shook as he reached for the coffee cup. The moderator should have called the fight at that point. They went on to trade jabs over domestic policy, but I expect most people tired of the civics lesson that was being given to a sitting Senator and tuned out.
The final bumbling funny was the " Aw shucks, I broke the rule again..." moments when Little Johnny couldn't stop repeating the phrase "John Kerry and I." He was out of ammo by the 30-minute mark and the only thing he could mutter in defense of the pummelling he took was "Halliburton."
Big Mo is back in the Bush camp and it should help carry the President through the next two debates.
There's a picture posted below about mate selections and what that says about a man...last night spoke volumes about the President and jfk. W picks his Veep to be a man that can assume the role of President with confidence...as Cheney himself quipped last night: "he didn't pick me because I could deliver Wyoming's three electoral votes." jfk picks HIS man for what? Sex appeal? Some more Hollywood type glam on the ticket? Smile wattage? Maybe it's 'cause he has a "pla- ya- an." (Dammit, I'm a Southerner and that accent grated on me! One radio wag this AM was speculating that Little Johnny was trying to channel Bill Clinton and he's still alive!)
At the start, in the weird 5 minutes before the official start, when Cheney and Edwards first walked in, you sensed a presence from the Vice President...he was pleasant, matter of fact, in-charge. Edwards looked like he was trying out for the lead in the Senior play - big toothy grin to the camera, eyebrows shifting up and down with the "how do you like me now?" look. Cheney sat down and wrote some notes on the pad...Edwards sat down looked over at Cheney then HE pulled out his pen and started scribbling notes. ("Oh! That's what I'm suppposed to do...OK. Damn, there's only one color of crayon!") Both were probably writing down the zingers they would use later...difference is, Cheney delivered, Edwards got drubbed.
Cheney was crisp and succinct in his answers. He bolstered the Administration's argument for going to war ("we feel we should hunt them down over there"), he spoke glowingly of the President's courage in making difficult decisions and he ripped the top of the opposing ticket, jfk, to shreds. When Johnny Edwards got in the way, he got mauled too: "Frankly, your Senate record isn't very impressive." This was a Chicago Bears circa 1985 style defense ( )...it was smothering. I was reminded of the Sean Connery line in the untouchables (Italians, no disrespect intended!): "isn't that just like a Dego, bringing a knife to a gun fight."
THE killer line came during the discussion of Iraq policy. Little Johnny kept talking about their "plan" and how magically everything will get better in the future if they are elected to play at 1600 Pennsylvania. Dick Cheney nodded with that little smile he gets, then pounced. He reviewed the switching positions and connected them to the Democratic primary results then finished with: "If you can't stand up to Howard Dean, how are you ever going to stand up to Al Quaeda?" If this was a boxing match, it was a body blow that you could hear ribs crack under.
At the mid-point of the debate, Cheney TKO'd Edwards with the zinger on the latter's Senate attendance and performance. "...I hadn't met you until you walked on this stage tonight." Little Johnny's knees buckled...his hand visibly shook as he reached for the coffee cup. The moderator should have called the fight at that point. They went on to trade jabs over domestic policy, but I expect most people tired of the civics lesson that was being given to a sitting Senator and tuned out.
The final bumbling funny was the " Aw shucks, I broke the rule again..." moments when Little Johnny couldn't stop repeating the phrase "John Kerry and I." He was out of ammo by the 30-minute mark and the only thing he could mutter in defense of the pummelling he took was "Halliburton."
Big Mo is back in the Bush camp and it should help carry the President through the next two debates.
Friday Face-Off
FACE-OFF: n. 1. A method of starting play in ice hockey by dropping the puck between two opposing players. 2. A confrontation.
At long last, the first debate is in the bag. Consensus is that it was a draw, with maybe a slight edge to Kerry. The orange glow was gone and he scored points with the metro-sexual set waving his long, recently manicured fingers around. W has a funny way of twisting his mouth that appears to be somewhere between a grimace and a half-smile...not flattering, but I think he made up for it by speaking directly into the camera. jfk spoke to Jim Lehrer. So here's how I scored it:
1. Style: A tie, although if the poofy-haired look is back, jfk wins. Kerry's height was an advantage, but his wierd Lincolnesque facial structure is cold on TV. W comes across as warm, caring and engaging. jfk comes across as the arrogant professor in the required course you hated.
2. Iraq: A tie. jfk managed to weasel out of his shifty record on the war. W failed to deliver a knock-out blow. The illogical thesis jfk puts forward regarding the "$200 billion spent in Iraq that could be spent at home" needs to be addressed - so you would stay in Iraq and finish the job but spend the money at home?
3. Korea: Big advantage for W. He communicated that he understood the complexities of this situation, that he knew all the world leaders involved and that a 6-way negotiation was the way to keep pressure on Kim Jong mentally Il. In an ironic twist, Mr. Multi-national said he would move forward with a bi-lateral negotiation with KJL, ignoring our allies in the region!
4. Iran: How 'bout them Moolahs? Advantage W. Especially if you saw any of the O'Reilly interviews earlier this week. W is crystal clear : Iran will not have nuclear weapons. jfk has a "policy" - he'll tell the IAEA we're "really mad now" and insist on sanctions. If that doesn't work, he'll convene a summit, go to the UN, derive another policy...hey, I'm serious dammit!! Hey, jfk, it's hard to see the nuance in a mushroom cloud!
5. W's Best moments: There were several...the wrenching story about meeting with parents of a fallen soldier showed how genuinely human this man is. jfk could not articulate a decent answer to this other than raise his experience in Vietnam again. I think W landed a solid body blow when jfk said that a "global test" would be applied before preemption. A stinging right hook caught jfk when W challenged him to explain his "coalition of the coerced and the bribed" to Tony Blair. W's humanness came through again when he ducked the "character" question and complimented jfk on his service, his fatherhood and his daughters. Finally, I think his closing statement was far superior.
6. jfk's Best moment: The shot at W about how his father pulled up short in lieu of marching to Baghdad in the first war was a solid jab that visibly landed on W's cheek - the split screen showed him glaring across the divide. Of course in Texas you don't talk about a man's daddy without 'spectin' to have to step outside!
Net, net, the "Insta-polls" will give Kerry the edge. He may have breathed a little life into his flagging campaign, but Redstater believes the lingering images will be a sincere W staring into the camera and talking to YOU versus elegantly manicured jfk pontificating on why his position in Iraq is actually consistent. Interestingly, the local rag, Pravda on the Cumberland - I mean The Tennessean polled 5 undecided voters...after the debate - 3 went for Bush, 1 for jfk, 1 still undecided.
At long last, the first debate is in the bag. Consensus is that it was a draw, with maybe a slight edge to Kerry. The orange glow was gone and he scored points with the metro-sexual set waving his long, recently manicured fingers around. W has a funny way of twisting his mouth that appears to be somewhere between a grimace and a half-smile...not flattering, but I think he made up for it by speaking directly into the camera. jfk spoke to Jim Lehrer. So here's how I scored it:
1. Style: A tie, although if the poofy-haired look is back, jfk wins. Kerry's height was an advantage, but his wierd Lincolnesque facial structure is cold on TV. W comes across as warm, caring and engaging. jfk comes across as the arrogant professor in the required course you hated.
2. Iraq: A tie. jfk managed to weasel out of his shifty record on the war. W failed to deliver a knock-out blow. The illogical thesis jfk puts forward regarding the "$200 billion spent in Iraq that could be spent at home" needs to be addressed - so you would stay in Iraq and finish the job but spend the money at home?
3. Korea: Big advantage for W. He communicated that he understood the complexities of this situation, that he knew all the world leaders involved and that a 6-way negotiation was the way to keep pressure on Kim Jong mentally Il. In an ironic twist, Mr. Multi-national said he would move forward with a bi-lateral negotiation with KJL, ignoring our allies in the region!
4. Iran: How 'bout them Moolahs? Advantage W. Especially if you saw any of the O'Reilly interviews earlier this week. W is crystal clear : Iran will not have nuclear weapons. jfk has a "policy" - he'll tell the IAEA we're "really mad now" and insist on sanctions. If that doesn't work, he'll convene a summit, go to the UN, derive another policy...hey, I'm serious dammit!! Hey, jfk, it's hard to see the nuance in a mushroom cloud!
5. W's Best moments: There were several...the wrenching story about meeting with parents of a fallen soldier showed how genuinely human this man is. jfk could not articulate a decent answer to this other than raise his experience in Vietnam again. I think W landed a solid body blow when jfk said that a "global test" would be applied before preemption. A stinging right hook caught jfk when W challenged him to explain his "coalition of the coerced and the bribed" to Tony Blair. W's humanness came through again when he ducked the "character" question and complimented jfk on his service, his fatherhood and his daughters. Finally, I think his closing statement was far superior.
6. jfk's Best moment: The shot at W about how his father pulled up short in lieu of marching to Baghdad in the first war was a solid jab that visibly landed on W's cheek - the split screen showed him glaring across the divide. Of course in Texas you don't talk about a man's daddy without 'spectin' to have to step outside!
Net, net, the "Insta-polls" will give Kerry the edge. He may have breathed a little life into his flagging campaign, but Redstater believes the lingering images will be a sincere W staring into the camera and talking to YOU versus elegantly manicured jfk pontificating on why his position in Iraq is actually consistent. Interestingly, the local rag, Pravda on the Cumberland - I mean The Tennessean polled 5 undecided voters...after the debate - 3 went for Bush, 1 for jfk, 1 still undecided.
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