The Debates may be a no-win situtation for Kerry even if he wins

[genius]

Most people don't watch the debates. They watch the media spin. We all know the news is right-wing and will look for every expression or line Kerry uses to say Kerry lost. They are expecting to have to cover for Bush when he curls up into a ball and calls for his mother and so any performance more impressive than that from Bush will make them think and say he did great and won. We need to change the expectations and that may change the coverage afterwards. We also need to figure in advance how to counter the media spin.

[wurzel]

1. You seem to be assuming there will be debates. That's debatable!

[Blayde Starrfyre]

2. Bush is helped by low expectations

Bush holds an advantage in the debates because he's such a terrible speaker. As long as he doesn't use a racial slur or swallow his tongue it will be considered a victory.

[patdem]

6. I do not believe low expectations will save him after he has been pResiden

NO...I think much will be expected...little will be delivered, it will be ultimatly the spin from the media, and if he does badly enough there may not be enough spin to save his sorry arse!

I know bush* can distort any word in the English language and get a pass, and Kerry calls the wrong name of a football team and he is deridded for weeks...I can see that the media has it out for Kerry, but I do believe bush* will be SO bad-unless he is given the questions in advance...that he cannot be held up even by the biased media!

That is only MHO!

[Blayde Starrfyre]

10. I agree expectations should be higher

But sadly they aren't. And there will be spin from the media, but it's going to derive from those low expectations. I don't know that they necessarily have it out for Kerry, certainly some do, it's more that he's a war hero, an experienced senator, a great speaker, and a real leader. Bush is a silver spoon fed party boy of unspectacular intelligence. The criticism is analogous to the thrashing the Dream Team took at the Olympics.

[faithnotgreed]

3. i cant speak to media of course but recent

surveys show that there is much interest in the debates. the poll last seen was 71% are interested in the debates. and given that our society is more wait to the last minute type, i can imagine there will be a lot of people watching. i would think the undecideds would definitely be watching...

[still_one]

5. debates are critical

there will be many viewers

[GaryL]

11. I heard a number.

That 61% of those polled will watch some/all of the debates. Much higher than the conventions.

[kentuck]

4. I doubt that Kerry will win the debates...

No matter how well he may do... I remember the Gore/Bush debates...No way that Bush on either debate, even with the sighs and everything else considered.

[mourningdove92]

7. Bush did not win the election either.

Remember that.

[napi21]

8. Try to remember the Gore/Shrub debates!

I remember two things!

The first debate, Gore sighed repeatedly in the background, and it made him look BAD, even to me!

In another debate, all Gore kept saying was "I agree with Gov. Bush"!

I blame it on Gore's advisors, but he lost those debates all by himself. The Gore we saw in 2000 is completely different NOW.

[procopia]

9. Yes, Gore sighed repeatedly

because Bush lied repeatedly. Which is worse?

[napi21]

12. Yes shrub lied, but the sighing wasn't the right response.

I remember watching the debate and heard that. At first I wondered who in the world is that??? Then the camera switched to Gore. Even as a Gore supporter, I kept saying, or please stop that! Itt's not the thing to do.

Calling Shrub on the lies would have been great, but Gore just did the wrong thing that time.

[jmowreader]

15. Gore had other problems

Gore was supposed to be this scintillating debater; he came off as kind of stiff.

Gore also had on way too much blusher.

Kerry knows about those two problems. They say he's wooden, but I saw him address the VFW's national convention in August while waiting for a plane and even the people wearing little elephant jewelry were going "damn!" This guy, when he is on fire, can outspeak Bill Clinton--and Clinton used his tongue prettier than a twenty-dollar whore. </blazingsaddles>

Kerry will also bring someone who knows how to make him up. The artist he's using on his campaign stops is good; he looks very fit and healthy with no excess color. (As opposed to Bush, who has excess color all the time--way, way too much red, especially on his nose. :evilgrin:)

Kerry has the ability to take Bush apart. If he uses it, Bush will not know what hit him.

[lefthandedskyhook]

13. To win in the eyes of the voting public...

A candidate simply needs to win the ethos battle. The ancient Greeks discovered this: the average citizen will be swayed by speaker appeal(ethos) far more than by logic (logos). Almost nobody understands what really influences them to this day, however.

The chimp has the benefit of a long and massive effort to promote him as something he is not: a compassionate masculine leader. This false shell can be pierced by:

1. Moving the discussion into unexpected territory.

2. Pressing george for intelligent explanations of abstract terms like compassion, inalienable rights, sovereignty, diplomacy etc. etc.

3. Demanding explanations for the many clear deceptions of the past four years.

4. Demanding explanations of promises not met.

5. Demanding explanations for inept actions related to the Iraq debacle.

6. Taunting effectively for not being available for more debates.

Poise is everything. Once the opponent is thrown off balance, the object is simply to keep him there while not gloating, but standing tall and at ease. Kerry can do this once he cracks that shell.

Nobody is going to win this debate on the issues. That discussion has been going on for a long while and the nation is deadlocked. The voting public will show no mercy, however, to the candidate that they perceive as an inferior person.

[JDPriestly]

14. Poise

When it comes to poise, Kerry has a huge advantage. Kerry has developed a warmer persona in front of the camera than Gore did. Kerry will do fine. Remember, Bush admits he can't think on this feet. Kerry thinks on his feet very well. Kerry has goofed a couple of times, but Bush goofs every time he speaks. Also, now that Bush's debate tactics are well known, Kerry can probably find ways to question or debunk the myth of low expectations for Bush.

[salin]

16. Bush gave several speeches this year

and one press conference (all pre-convention) that were aimed at shoring up falling ratings. And he failed abysmally each time. When he didn't answer the questions that had been raised around the issue that forced him to hold the event .... he looked shifty, arrogant, and vacuous... remember the "I can't recall one thing that I would do differently" response? Didn't play well at all.

And the attempts to pump up his performance by the pundits/media, didn't work. His numbers kept falling. He was just THAT bad.

I think that the debates might really kill his renewed popularity.

[theoceansnerves]

17. i hope people remember those

especially the "i wish you had given me this written (sic) question ahead of time." that press "conference" was horrible!

[mourningdove92]

18. Remember also, that recently there have news reports

regarding Smirk "practicing" for the debates. To me, that shows concern.

I haven't read anything about Kerry practicing.

[annabanana]

19. Pish Tush!! Bush is a BRILLIANT debater!

(haven't you seen our "expectations" thread)

He's NEVER lost a debate!!

[robbedvoter]

20. Spin, set-up - W cannot do wrong, Kerry cannot do right

Gore's famous "sigh" was made up - and many here bought it.
If W starts to drool, the camera will be moved away from him and he'll be praised anyway. It's been so with all debates since Raygun onwards (dunno about before). Even people who watched will be told what they really saw so many times, they'll buy it.
Expectations have nothing to do with it.

[snowbear]

21. debates

Ron Brownstein and several of the other political analysts are predicting that the first debate (September 30) will break all prior records in viewership.

As crazy as this campaign has been, everyone and their brother will be tuning in to see the two on the same stage --> B-) :dunce:

They estimated the first debate in 2000 had 46.6 million viewers.. Viewership dropped off slightly for the 2nd & 3rd one. http://www.debates.org/pages/his_2000.html

Even if people miss the debates.. it's impossible to miss the continuous news clips and coverage of them afterwards.. :headbang: