I really wish watching the debates was more fun than watching paint dry; so I must confess I only tortured myself for the first half of the debates, and then I just had to get up and do something. And I watched the debate thanks to DVR (what a truly wonderous machine, I've had it for a month and I can't believe I didn't get it sooner) because I was in class from 6-8. I have not watched or read any post debate coverage. My tally of the first 45 minutes: - Kerry mentions "plan": 5 times = 5 shots of JD (4 references inside of a minute, maybe that's why I stopped watching)
- Bad Bush jokes: 2 (something about Kerry referencing the MSM, could have been a good point, but it just got lost somewhere, and "buggy and horse days"... yikes)
- Creepy Kerry "you" references: I seriously felt like he was staring deep into my eyes, trying to reach in my chest to steal my soul (that could be the alcohol's influence though)
- Bush reference to Kerry record: 4 times (increasing taxes, and lack of sposored bills)
- Kerry pissy they actually looked at his 20 useless years in the Senate: 3 times
Now the debate: - Security: K wants to be like Reagan (except that he voted against everything Reagan stood for and proposed during the cold war, but other than that , yeah, they're exactly alike). B mentions Kerry comparing terrorism to the nuissance of prostitution and gambling. K absolutely untrue Tora Bora outsourcing crap. (Winner: Bush, more on Tora Bora later)
- Flu Shot Shortage: B if you're young and healthy don't get a flu shot like me, lawsuits make it unprofitable for Rx companies. K says people lost healthcare coverage under Bush (sad but giving people healthcare isn't the governments job, and those stats are misleading, because they don't take into account young people who choose not to get coverage or all the people in the millions of new jobs created who are waiting for insurance to kick in). (Winner: Bush)
- Don't remember the question but Kerry mentioned illegal imports of ceiling fans (I wasn't aware of the black market for ceiling fans or the smuggling of them, automatic win for Bush though due to referencing a pointless stat)
- Jobs: K says he can't stop outsourcing (wow, I can't believe it, a moment of truth) then mentions government (no Kerry, don't do it) fair trade regulation, tax credits, subsidies, and incentives (and he started off so well).
- Gay Marriage: K finally appears to be calm and collected. B appears as his normal self. K says it's genetic, B says he doesn't know (Winner: Kerry for being half right, and got lucky Bush dodged the question)
- Catholics/Abortion: K says he's Catholic, but disagrees with Catholics (uhh... anyone understand that?) B never says anti- or stop abortions, says decrease them: culture promoting life, partial birth abortion ban, adoption and other abortion alternatives (Winner: Bush)
- Healthcare: B says there's no free market and we need tort reform. K says government healthcare (Winner: Bush, every time Kerry says government healthcare I think of PJ O'Rourke's quote, "if you think healthcare's expensive now, just wait until it's free.")
- Where does the money come from (good question proctor guy): K 2 minutes of yada, yada, yada (doesn't answer the question). B says our healthcare quality is the envy of the world (but he could have hammered Kerry for not answering the question. Winner: Bush, but only because Kerry didn't answer the question. That was a hanging curveball that Bush should have clobbered out of the park)
- Social Security: B says privatize (government's already ruined it, private sector can't do any worse). K says don't privatize, leave as is. Proctor guy (again props to proctor guy) says so you want to leave it as it is, K says no, makes a reference to the last Senate vote he participated in back in 1985, throws lots of "we" around referencing the 90s (hello... Republican controlled House), then says it's the Bush tax cut's fault. Then says Greenspan's for the tx cut, but I'm against it (Winner: Bush, Kerry fell on his sword there for the president. I don't know why)
Well I've got Bush winning, and the more I listen to Kerry the less I understand him. I'll have to read some other blogs tomorrow though to find analysis of the last half and figure out what the best sound bites of the debate were. I'm too tired, and the JD is telling me to take a nap. |
