Why did Kerry say this?

[SensibleCenterist]

I finally caught Kerry's appearence of The Daily Show off the Tivo.

Great show, but what I don't understand is where Kerry gets of on say "Bush won the debates with Gore in 2000." No Way! Why would he say that?

BTW he did not seem stiff or awkward or hard to understand or any of the things the press paints him as.

[madmax]

1. He's raising the bar...

[w13rd0]

2. Bush "won" the debates...

...because he succeeded in lowering expectations to the point that the media considered him to have "won" if he didn't drool all over himself during the debate.

[DenverDem]

3. He's setting busholini up.

Johnny K will coldcock junior in the debates.

[madmax]

4. Tut Tut now who are you going to believe the press

or your own lying eyes? ;)

[Mr_Spock]

5. This was discussed in two threads yesterday.

It was concluded that it was a good strategy.

[rocktivity]

8. Here's one thread

link

:headbang:
rocknation

[WI_DEM]

6. It's good strategy

Everyone always lowers the bar for Bush as long as he doesn't soil himself he wins a debate. But the man has been president for four years and already has run one national race and it's about time the pundits and press start holding him accountable for more than "just getting by."

[Liberal Gramma]

7. Because he wants people to expect a different outcome

He is going to cream Bush The Inarticulate in the debates, but he doesn't want to say so in public before the event. First, it would look arrogant, and second, it would set the bar pretty high. There's also something rather gentlemanly about his remark, kind of like a classy football coach who has just routed an opponent saying that it was a tough team and the players had to put forth a great effort to win. I thought it was a smart move.

[poliguru]

11. What was funny

Did you all notice how he couldn't repress a smile as soon as Jon said, "Now when you debate the President..." He just can't wait.

[still_one]

9. The idea is to keep expectations low

Build up the other side with false ego, then go in for the kill...

The press has been saying Kerry is dull, just like they said about Gore. Interestingly enough they leave the impression that bush is all charm

I say good. You and I know what an idiot bush has made out of himself, and how inarticulate he really is

If there are debates just wait

[incapsulated]

10. To *Raise Expectations* on Bush

They always set the bar so low, all he needs to do is show up and not drool on himself to be declared the "winner". Kerry is raising the bar so that they can't get away with that strategy this time. He will have to "live up to his great debate record" this time, hehe.

:)

[DemocratSinceBirth]

12. Bush Is The Greatest Debater Since Abraham Lincoln

barf....

[Joylaughter]

13. He also said

that Bush has won every debate he ever had - against Ann Richards and Al Gore. In other words Dubya has debated 2 people in his whole career.

[Julien Sorel]

14. Here's a link with poll results from the three Gore-Bush debates,

with some analysis:

http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/poll001017_postdebate.html


And here is an outstanding job of analysis from the Daily Howler, which opened my eyes to a few things:

http://www.dailyhowler.com/h031802_1.shtml

The Daily Howler piece has links to more analysis of the debates, and I was blown away by it -- those people are good. If you want to understand the manouvering that could happen leading up to the debates, I highly recommend the Howler links as a reminder of what went on before.

[Lerkfish]

15. the problem with debates anyway...

is that bush's last debate with Gore was obvious to us that Gore mopped up the floor with him. So, since they couldn't say Bush won, they said Gore lost it by being too pedantic and scholarly (I forget the words used at the time), which I thought was hilarious AND pathetic...

they're Gore lost because Bush was too stupid, and by Gore being able to string two sentences together in a coherent fashion was being condescending to poor pablum shrub, flaunting his intelligence instead of "connecting with the people"

something like that.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

16. Even if Kerry demolishs Bush, the media will say Bush won.

So he might as well say so in advance as well.

[kentuck]

17. If Bush beat Gore in all three debates....as we are told....

then John Kerry doesn't have a chance against him...

[stevielizard]

18. I can't provide a link, bbbbut

I read an article a few months ago that talked about Kerry's formidable debating skills- in high school even - he just seems to know what he's doing, so when he says something like this I figure it's a move of sorts.

[Spiffarino]

19. Yep, Bush is going to wipe the stage with JK

Kerry is articulate, well-spoken, and good with facts. Dubya is "folksy".

The press will paint Kerry as the arrogant patrician, while Bush will be the boy next door. Same old crap. That's why we have to push just as hard on the press as the winglets do.

Mail them. Call them. Comment on their websites. If "journalists" are willing to give up their objectivity because Rush and Hannity can stir up RW outrage, we can give them a dose of our own righteous anger. Plus, unlike most Freepers, we can do it in an articulate way.

[newdealer]

20. Stiff or awkward?

I heard that today by some commentator, and I was floored. I thought he seemed relaxed, joking with Stewart. I thought it was a great tactic to make his first TV appearance on the Daily Show since the Swift boat attacks, and the subsequent ad nuseaum discussions, because it made him appearer that he wasn't rattled about it, that he didn't need to address the whole mess except by joking with Stewart about the idiocy of it, which is what it deserves.