Do you think bush will not debate?

[still_one]

Bush campaign non-committal on debates against Kerry

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/afp/20040905/pl_afp/us_vote_debates

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

1. Clear sign that Shrub is afraid .

[still_one]

2. probably, but do you think the people will accept it if he doesn't?

[Lovecrafty]

6. We've had debates as far back as I can remember!

If Bush renegs and won't do them, then THAT will reveal to the American public more about his character than ANY commercial from Moveon.org!! He will be perceived as either a coward or arrogant...either way he will lose probably millions of votes! He had better just take a few Xanex and get out there on the podium! To chicken out will be the worst mistake Rove can make!

[tritsofme]

11. No debates in 1964-1972

1976 was the first year we had them since 1960.

[Lovecrafty]

13. Well I can't remember THAT far! I was born in '71! :)

[tritsofme]

15. Is that supposed to be an excuse?

Geez, kids these days.

j/k

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

7. Well they have accepted his BS so far ...

so they will accept anything . Debates have been a part of the Presidential election for decades now . And if he tries to get out of debating Kerry then that is a clear sign that he is shaking in his boots .

If the news media does not let him get away with not debating then the people will not accept it ...

[Gore1FL]

9. None in 1968

n/t

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

14. Thanks for that info .

I did not know that . :) :hi:

[Gore1FL]

20. To be honest

i didin;t know until last week -- Someone pointed out that Ahnold lied in his convention speech concerning his decision to become a republican watching the Humphrey-Nixon debate. It was in that thread that brought the non-existance of a Humphrey-Nixon debate to my attention.

[Snake Head]

26. I don't think he's afraid

I think what he's trying to do is a combination of things:

1. lower expectations
2. draw the public in...create a "will he or won't he" buzz to focus the attention on himself
3. play hard-to-get so that the Kerry campaign makes concessions. This way, Bush debates according to his own rules that he was able to coerce from Kerry.

To ultimately refuse to debate Kerry will undermine the "warrior" image that has come to define his presidency and the current campaign. So rest assured, the debates will happen, and they will be conducted largely on the Bush campaign's own terms.

[A_Possum]

31. He's afraid, and Kerry should just shrug and say so

Which he's basically already doing. "You don't want debates cause you're afraid of debating me? OK, here's the chicken suit guy to follow you around."

No concessions, and I doubt there will be any for just the reason you suggest.

[JI7]

3. he will probably, but we can't get overconfident and start attacking him

as being a horrible debator or anything like that in their attempt to avoid debating.

i think they want the democrats to push them and make it seem like bush is scared and all that crap. so when the debate actually happens the standards for him will be low.

[VolcanoJen]

4. If I were Kerry, I'd invite Bush to bring Cheney along with him...

... if he's so unsure of himself.

Seriously. I think it would be an excellent way to combat Bush's cheap way out of the debates. Kerry should say he's open to adapting the rules so that the vice president can appear in tandem with the president at the podium. I'd milk it for all it was worth. }(

[Infomaniac]

10. That's a good suggestion

As I recall, there were a couple of raised eyebrows in the press about Bush and Cheney's joint appearance before the 9/11 Commission. It might also remind people of Bush's April press conference; the one where he was so completely out of his depth.

[GingerSnaps]

32. I love that idea

Kerry could beat the pants off of the both of them.

[troubleinwinter]

36. "invite Bush to bring Cheney along..."

VolcanoJen~ I hereby appoint you to high official position in the K/E campaign!!!! This will work. And you gave me a great laugh. :7

[Diego360]

5. Lowering Expectations

Me be paranoid maybe but-- I think Rove is setting up the whole "Bush is afraid to debate" scheme so that it will lower expectations for his performance, much like they did during the first campaign. Then when Bush doesn't bite his tongue off and cry like a baby at the debates, the media will exclaim about his "brilliant performance" while wrecking Kerry for wearing earth tones.

Kerry's trying to counter with his "Bush has never lost a debate" meme, but the chattering class has a short term memory

Happened before, might happen again.

[newyawker99]

25. Hi dygger!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[sally343434]

8. He won't if he can avoid it politically

It will boil down to whether debating will have less of a negative political impact than not debating. In other words, if his internal poll numbers are high enough, he'll weasel out. Otherwise, he'll have to debate, at least once.

If he does, look for the press to help him to such a degree that, as long as bush doesn't trot out on stage, drop his pants, and defacate on the floor of the stage, they will proclaim him the greatest debater of all time.

[rndmprsn]

12. some 527

should come up with a advert attacking bushies manliness for trying to get out of the debates...and do it soon to force his hand before they can get a handle on it.

[Julien Sorel]

16. Some armchair strategeric thinking.

At first I thought it would be impossible for him to refuse. Now I'm not so sure: you can smell the fear here in AZ. Their whole background strategy is to paint Kerry as weak and unmasculine; as soon as Kerry and Bush are standing next to each other, that will be a kick in the balls to that notion because of the height difference, and Kerry's deeper voice. Kerry's Lurch-like looks will even help him there. Bush looks old and tired, and a little bit paunchy these days. The office is not wearing well on him.

Then there's the probability that Bush will stammer and hem, as he did when the protestors popped up at the RNC. This is important: It's not that such a lapse would make him look stupid, because everyone knows he's not too swift. It's that one of his Bush moments, in the middle of a debate with Kerry, will make him look weak and uncertain, and his whole campaign is based upon the idea that he's strong and resolute. So he has a lot to lose, whereas, who can say what he'd lose for refusing to debate? The problem is, I can't think of an excuse for him not to do it. Maybe a terra alert or something, but really, it's hard to back away, which would make him look like a coward.


Curiously, I wonder if the calculus is, in a close race they would be less likely to debate because a Bush slip up could cost them only a couple of points in the polls, whereas if he's up a bunch, he could afford the screwup. I also don't think he handles pressure well, and he'd be under a lot of pressure in a close race.

[EST]

17. Bush CAN'T debate, at least not on the issues

All Kerry needs to say is, "you're a liar and I can prove it" on virtually every thing that comes out of that felon's head!

[Lovecrafty]

19. Yep! Simply saying "911" and "terrorism" every 3 minutes won't work!

He'll be forced to face his failed domestic policies on a national stage! He will attempt to claim success and Kerry will simply rebuttle with COLD HARD STATISTICS!!

[rndmprsn]

29. kerry debating

i saw a 5 minute clip of the kerry/o'neil debate from the dick cavet show, 1971 i believe.

anyhow, kerry was quick and clever and skillfully put o'neil in the corner.

after o'neil accused him of lying about attrocities etc...kerry asked calmly in response "were you ever in a free fire zone?" knowing his answer would be yes...o'neil took the bait, then kerry starting reading from some papers about free-fire zones, o'neil shot back...what are you reading?! to which kerry cooly replied "the geneva convention...have you ever heard of it?"

bush has no chance and is afraid to get into it with a real man.

[flordehinojos]

18. is anyone equal to the Fuhrer in the Fuhrer's sight?

Why should the Fuhrer stoop to debating someone that he erroneously considers his lesser? That would be bush boy's arrogant and narcissistic way of protecting his own suffocating inadequacies.

[dbt]

21. bu$h will not debate.

Something will come up that requires his full attention (geez, I kill myself!) to keep the country safe from Terra.

There will be no debates, unless Kerry wants to argue with a cardboard cutout. bu$h's handlers know that he would be sticking his tiny penis into a Waring blender* if he debated; all his opponent would have to do would be to talk about bu$h's record.

:evilgrin:
dbt

*Long live the Glorious Memory of Warren Zevon!

[Shopaholic]

22. My guess is that they're angling to get it down to one debate

for *. There's no way in hell they are going to agree to three.

[a kennedy]

24. I think your right scmirage,

no way will the * camp let * will do three debates.

[Triana]

23. He'll debate. He'll get called a 'girlie-man'

if he doesn't. Besides, he's too good of a liar not to. He'll have to debate, at least once, even if Uncle Dick has to hold his hand. Otherwise, he'll be ridiculed by Kerry, Democrats and maybe one or two media for being a chicken - not that he isn't.

- unless Rove can spin the excuses just the right way and orchestrate the media correctly - which he can.

bu$hit has gotten away with lying, occupying sovereign countries for no reason based on lies, mass murder, alienating all our allies, trashing our budget, ruining the lives of men, women, and children, and the elderly nationwide and worldwide, and destroying our environment. No reason to think he couldn't get away with not debating. Americans are stupid. They keep handing this man gallons of K-Y and just bending over and asking for it.

The idiots who let him deserve what they get. The rest of us shouldn't have to suffer their stupidity. I think he'll debate, though.

[2bfree]

27. If he doesn't maybe that big chicken can follow him around.......

like he did when Papa Bush wouldn't debate. Good ol' chicken George!

[BillZBubb]

28. Bush* will debate.

He'll use the "negotiations" to try to show he is controlling the decisions, while Kerry is meekly agreeing to his terms. The psychological message: he's the top dog and a fighter--Kerry is an appeaser.

He'll also let us Democrats start calling him chicken and pointing out that he is a lousy debater who knows Kerry will kill him. This will help reset the bar very low for him, while raising the bar for Kerry. If he just shows up, then, he's a winner.

This is CLASSIC Atwater/Rove stuff.

The only way to win this is for Kerry to say no negotiations, period. And stick with it, do not waver!!!!!

[Renew Deal]

30. Kerry should show up in Arizona and do a question and answer

with the moderator. He should say that he is showing up one way or another.

[rocktivity]

33. Absolutely, Bleachers

Kerry should show up for the debates whether Bush does or not!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Kazak]

34. For every (already scheduled) debate that Bush* fails to attend...

Kerry needs to capitolize by giving his position unopposed to a national audience.

[rocktivity]

35. Here's the inside dope

From the official debates web site:

Presidential debate:
Thursday, September, 30, 2004, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL (Fox)
Friday, October 8, 2004, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO (ABC)
Wednesday, October 13, 2004, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ (NBC)

Vice presidential debate:
Tuesday, October 5, 2004, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH

Each debate will last for ninety minutes, start at 9:00 p.m. ET, and take place before a live audience...Each debate will have a different single moderator to be selected by the CPD...no later than September 10.

Format:
The candidates will be seated at a table with the moderator in the first and third presidential debates and in the vice presidential debate. The second presidential debate will use the town meeting format in which undecided voters, selected by the Gallup Organization, will question the candidates.

Pool coverage for the third presidential debate has not yet been determined.

:headbang:
rocknation

[Kazak]

38. Kerry needs to threaten to do this...

I'll bet there would be three debates.

[zulchzulu]

37. Kerry will debate a cardboard Bush if need be

I know where I can find one and would be glad to send to Kerry to use as a prop.