Is Kerry The Best Debater You've Ever Seen?

[THUNDER HANDS]

Poll question: Is Kerry The Best Debater You've Ever Seen?

Waaaaay back when DU was just a place where left-leaning folks would go to write sex threads and form circular firing squads to choose the best Democratic nominee, I said John Kerry would be the one.

When the war in Iraq started, I told my Poly Sci professor that Kerry would get nominated (technically I said Kerry or Dean, but more likely Kerry) and would win in a landslide.

She said I was crazy and we bet $50. I said I was so confident because once people see Kerry and Bush side-by-side during the debates, people would change their minds and jump off the Bush ship in droves.

I didn't realize, though, just how right I was.

After watching him last week, I began to think about how powerful Kerry is as a debater and began to wonder who I've seen who rivals him.

And I couldn't think of anyone. Not even Clinton has Kerry's debating skills and combination of physical presence.

So I'm asking you, is Kerry the best debater you've ever seen? If not, who else would you say this party - or even the GOP - has that could beat Kerry one-on-one.

Remember, Kerry's been in public life for 30+ years and NEVER lost a debate.

[Roland99]

1. Good but there are plenty better

I caught at least 3 major points Kerry either didn't address or keeled over and conceded to Bush.

Pissed me off.

[Jasper 91]

18. Kerry actually underplayed his abilities .

There were times in the debate , where you could see Kerry give a wry smile before letting things go . Not because he couldn't have pounced and annihilated Bush , but because he knew that to humiliate Bush would not be looked on favourably by some people , out of respect for The Office .

Believe me , he got the balance exactly right , ( just look at the response ), which demonstrates his brilliance .

[athena]

25. I agree completely with your assessment.

Couldn't have said it better. Kerry is much smarter than most people realize.

[Roland99]

32. Yes, I did see that but...

He let the $87 billion vote go.

And there were a couple of others that escape me at the moment.

[The Chronicler]

2. He is up there with Clinton.

They have different styles, but both are excellent in their own way.

[Placebo]

3. *cough* CLINTON *cough*

:hi:

[THUNDER HANDS]

9. why is Clinton better though

Because he's more folksy?

Personally, I think if you look at the Clinton from 1992 and the Kerry from 2004, put them in the same debate, Kerry would come out on top by a solid margin.

Not as much as Kerry did to Bush, obviously, but I still think it would be a clear Kerry victory.

[The Chronicler]

12. He connects emotionally with people

I took a speech class last semester and Clinton was used as a model.

[VOX]

31. True. And it's not something that can be learned. A form of genius, IMO...

Clinton just has this quality about him. I've seen him speak, and when he enters the venue, there is no doubt that a serious leader is in the room.

Hard to describe without sounding abstract. But Clinton's got **it**, in spades.

[autorank]

36. Agree, but it can be learned. Clinton got much better over time. n/t

[joanne]

4. That is a tough one

because I thought Bill Clinton was just as good. So I would have to say it is a draw between Kerry and Clinton.

I know you didnt ask.... but I'm going to add that Dumbya is the WORST one ever. :)

[demokatgurrl]

10. I just love it that Dubya got talked up as being a "great

debater", and really sucks.

[MsTryska]

5. I've honestly never watched any other debates.

I'm with you - Kerry was my gut instinct pick in the primaries.

Dean was cool but he was awfully "enthusiastic" for me.

[Jack_Dawson]

6. James Carville is the Best

IMHO

[girl gone mad]

15. Carville is good.

Kerry did very well against Bush, but I have to say that he didn't impress me as much in the primary debates.

I know it was hard for him to distinguish himself with so many others on the stage, but Sharpton managed. I was unhappy with the way Kerry let others fight his battles (mostly against Dean) for him in those debates, though I've long since gotten over it.

[4_Legs_Good]

30. I can't tell you how happy I am that Carville is finally working for Kerry

He's doing a great job, and I think Debate #1 was evidence of that.

david

[Mz Pip]

7. I don't think I've ever

seen anyone with the speaking skills of Clinton.

Kerry is good, though and should do well in the next debates.

MzPip
:dem:

[TheDonkey]

8. Definetly one of the best

He was no doubt the best in the primary and this presidential race.

[cheshire]

11. Big Dog and Kennedy were so smooth like 30 year old scotch. Yum

Kerry on the other hand was on top of his game, made points, didn't miss much, he was very good just not smooth and good old boy. Does anyone think the * is trying to act like Clinton in that folksy way, I was wondering?

[Julien Sorel]

13. This is kind of silly.

Kerry's performance, while good, was hardly technically flawless.

I've been involved in forensics, and I've seen people who were so good -- so well prepared, so quick on their feet, so confident, so smooth -- they were actually frightening. What made the moment huge was A) Bush was so awful Otis the drunk would have whipped him; and B) The Republicans had done Kerry the favor of spending something around 100 million dollars and about 3 times that in free news coverage, telling the public Kerry was something he's not: weak and indecisive. The contrast between the media Kerry and the real Kerry was such that in some ways Kerry was debating against the image the Republicans had worked so hard to build for him, and knocking down that straw man turned out to be easy -- especially since Bush did an inept job of defending it.

[THUNDER HANDS]

14. true, but

Kerry has beaten:

John O'Neil, Nixon's hired goon from Vietnam.

William Weld, a smooth-talking governor that was Kerry's equal in many ways.

John Edwards, Howard Dean, Wesley Clark, Joe Lieberman, Dick Gephardt and others, who all brought different styles and unique qualities to the primary debates. Kerry bested them all.

All I'm asking, is for one guy who could honestly beat this man. I'm not saying Kerry was perfect, but I've never seen a perfect political debater before.

[Julien Sorel]

16. I saw all the primary debates,

and Kerry was no better or worse than the rest of them excepting Sharpton, who was the only real bright spot. Of course, those weren't really debates, but to call Kerry the winner of those is stretching things to Bushian proportions.

[girl gone mad]

19. I still don't think Kerry beat..

Sharpton in the debates, nor did he really outshine our other candidates. He benefitted from the fact that Dean was out front and therefore the target. I seem to remember Kerry getting himself into trouble in one of the debates, though I can't think of the details off of the top of my head.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

20. Abraham Lincoln (nt)

[Crunchy Frog]

27. I didn't find Kerry to be particularly outstanding

in the primary debates. The fact is that he beat his opponents in the primaries, not the primary debates. One does not equal the other.

If the winner of the debates was always the winner of the primaries, Al Sharpton would be our nominee right now.

[incapsulated]

38. Nonsense

Just because Kerry won the primaries, that hardly means he won every debate, people don't vote that way. In fact, I watched them all and he didn't impress me that much.

[Parche]

17. Kerry

I picked Kerry almost 2years ago
I knew he would wipe up in the debates

[txindy]

21. John Kerry. Hands down.

The best I've ever seen in a debate. And I've seen quite a few over the years and not just on my "TV screen."

I cannot WAIT for Friday night! :toast:

[babylonsister]

22. Did your prof pay you the $50? n/t

[THUNDER HANDS]

28. I get the $50 after the election

Dang, I knew I should have upped it to $100. ;)

[On the Road]

23. Tony Blair is Top-Notch

and possibly the best I've ever heard. He gets pounded relentlessly in the House of Commons and has a remarkable ability to turn the debate around, make even the weakest situation seem position, and even the worst decisions reasonable.

Because of the parliamentary system, I think great political debaters in England outnumber those in the US about ten to one.

[cheshire]

33. I think he's great too. I still like him.

[On the Road]

37. He's Got a Terrible Record to Defend in Iraq

but even on Iraq, when I hear him address the issue, I have to think: "Damn! Tony can make it seem reasonable."

[tjdee]

40. Tony Blair is fantastic.

I think you're right about the parliamentary system.

When Tony Blair talks in the House of Commons, they actually shout and make noises while he's talking. And he still comes across undistracted and in control of what he's saying.

I still say we should subject the young king to that. He'd burst into tears, honest he would.

But, Clinton is amazing. Honorable mention to Ted Kennedy too. Those two talk about major policy issues as if they are making it up on the spot and explain it as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

[CrowNotAngelGRL]

24. I've never seen

other debate's and this one was my first debate to watch. I was very impressed with Kerry and everybody else after him will have to live up to high expectations. :bounce:

[Strawman]

26. No, but Bush is one of the worst debaters on any level I have ever seen

I can even think of some pretty mediocre high school novice debaters I coached who could have wiped the floor with Bush.

Kerry is very good. One of the best, and I'm especially proud to be able to say I support him when he's up there debating. He was very strong in the primary debates too, which caused me to rethink my support of Dean. Best ever? I'm not prepared to say that. Clinton would be a good challenger because I think he is just as smart if not smarter, he can frame things well, and he can connect with people a little bit better or at least more naturally than Kerry can. All things being equal, I think Clinton might beat him. That being said, I think John Kerry might make a better President and his views are a little closer to mine than Clinton's.

[joeprogressive]

29. Clinton was the master of the pause

Unlike Bush who uses a 10 second pause to try and figure out what the hell the moderator just said and how he would possibly spin some bulls***, Clinton would hesitate for a second or two, formulate an answer, then eloquently deliver it in a way that made sense to everyone.

[incapsulated]

34. Sorry, nobody tops the Big Dog

And Kerry was debating someone who would make an amateur look good, c'mon.

He didn't stand out as gods gift to debating in the primaries. Although I've never seen him better than now, he's pumped it way up since then.

Edit: dumb spelling

[autorank]

35. If he delivers a 2nd smack-down then YES, fur shur!!!

Clinton was/is awesome, I mean truly amazing. You really see that 180 IQ at work along with more than a little PT Barnum. However, Kerry has the future of the world on the line in these debates, literally. He's up against people who revel in breaking the rules and lying. The degree of difficulty with the Kerry - * debates is enormous. If he pulls off 2 out of 3 or 3 out of 3, he's walking tall into the debate hall of fame.

N.B. The best singal debate performance still goes to Al Gore in his expert handling of Ross Perot on Larry King. That was truly a sight to see, just amazing poise and skill. Al, get that cable news operation up and running! We miss you.

[Amaya]

39. Clinton

Yes, I'd have to say Clinton :)