http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2000/results/index.epolls.html I tend to be pretty caustic on debates because I don't have much patience for people who confuse their personal experiences or their feelings as facts. I like statistics but I understand why many if not most people stay away from them. Statistics can be manipulated to come about to nearly any conclusion. So it often takes a lot of time and effort to sift through the crap to get to actual meaningful data. Even exit polls are ful...
(comparison in print out using MS Word and the alleged document from 1973) CBS's 60 Minutes may have fallen for a hoax yesterday. After airing documents that claimed to show that pressure was put on officers to "sugar coat" Bush's national guard service, blog sites such as Little Green Footballs and this one seem to provide compelling evidence that this was a hoax. Story developing.
In the real world, I don't care much about politics. Sure, I'll debate it with someone if they'd like but I'm not particularly motivated politically. On-line, I'll talk trash about politics taking a much stronger stance on positions than I would normally give since the point is to get energetic discussion going. People who know me would describe me as a political "moderate" on most issues. But in reality, I'm all over the place. A left wing position here, a right wing position there. I...
According to the FEC (and compiled by the opensecrets.org watchdog group) the Democrats have managed to take the lead in overall money raised and spent for the Presidency. The statistics aren't as clear cut as one might think. While the Democrast have raised a great deal more money overall, they had 9 major candidates to split it amongst where as the Republicans only had 1. But it doesn't bode well for the Republicans long term as the Democrats have put together quite an impressive cash...
And so it comes down to the final stretch. And as we predicted last summer, Ohio is going to be the key state. Both campaigns know it. If the election were held today, Bush would probably win -- but barely. But there's still more debates on the way with the Vice Presidential debate this week. Debates can't change the course of a race unless it's fairly close -- like it currently is. Debates are more than about getting swing voters to vote for you. Kerry's victory in the first d...
For me, watching Bush debate is a lot like watching my son play baseball. While I may root for him to do well, I feel helpless in being able to make him do well. Like when my son is batting, I try to will it that he'll hit the ball. Similarly, while observing Bush, I try to will it that he'll nail a point. So when Kerry says lamely, "I consider nuclear proliferation to greatest threat to our nation." I'm using all my mental energy to try to get Bush to say something like "Well Senator, I ...
Why do these shows interview so many spin doctors? Like we care what Hilary Clinton thinks on the debate or what Karen Hughs think. We know what they're going to say and it's meaningless. It's just talking points. Does anyone actually take the spinners seriously? I'd rather have the talking heads on there.
Bush is doing better this time but he's still totally outclassed by Kerry. The momentum is shifting to Kerry. President Kerry? Republicans may need to get used to that.
As I've said elsewhere, I think Kerry edged out Bush in this debate. But from reading views around the net and watching the pundits, it seems I am in the minority. But here's a difference: I was driving home from a friend's for most of the debate so I heard the debate on the radio and that was where I felt Kerry was beating Bush. I only saw the last part at home on TV and that I will say that Bush seemed to be doing a bit better. So I wonder if body language and other elements that...
I judge Kerry as the winner again in this debate. If I were to numerically score this based on my "gut" I'd give it like this: Debate #1: Kerry 5 Bush 2 Debate #2: Cheney 2 Edwards 1 Debate #3: Kerry 5 Bush 4 Total so far: Kerry/Edwards: 11 Bush/Cheney: 8 What do you think?
So far both Kerry and Bush look pretty good. What do you think?
Stephen Green is pretty ticked off with how Democrats are trying to undermine the US election with their shenegans. Read it for yourself. And here's a running tally of voter fraud. Slate has some interesting views on the whole Cheney's Daughter is gay thing . My own point is fairly succinct: If Cheney's daughter were suffering from Parkison's disease, would it have been acceptable for Kerry to bring her up as a reason to fund fetal stem cell research? Perhaps you would think that's oka...
Kerry seemed a bit off his game today and Bush seemed very much on his game. This time I give Bush the edge. He seemed relaxed, strong on the issues, and got all his points out. Kerry wasn't that bad but he was a lot more defensive than I would have thought. I don't think it will make much difference though. Bush blew the first debate so badly when the audience was so big. The audience here was much smaller than it was in the first debate. Kerry also played a bit of dirty pool wit...
I wish I were more excited about this election. It's a sad commentary of our political process and its overall nastiness that the best we can do it a John Kerry or George W. Bush. Two guys who wouldn't have made it through a first round of interviews at most companies. And so that's what we end up with - guys who can't get real jobs end up becoming politicians. Ever heard the saying "Those who can't, teach"? They should add a corollary to that: Those who can't, teach. And th...
Kerry's decision to use Cheney's daughter as a political prop in the last debate may come back to haunt him. Non-parents don't seem to get the big deal but most parents I know (left or right) are pretty outraged by it. It may turn out to be the blunder that costs Kerry in Ohio which is the key state in this election. One good article on the issue can be found here: http://thoughtsonline.blogspot.com/2004/10/james-taranto-and-others-may-be-right.html Imagine if Bush had talked about how t...