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.