Did Kerry miss a perfect opportunity to KO Bush in the first round?

[chemenger]

Watching the debate last night, Bush repeated X number of times about Kerry's sending mixed messages to the troop, the terrorists, the Iraqis. Bush brought up their standard Kerry flip-flop ... first he was for appropriating $87B to the troops and then he wasn't.

Why didn't Kerry sieze upon this as the perfect opportunity to defend his position ... "I supported and would support appropriating whatever $$$ it takes to provide our troops with what they need to complete their mission but I voted against the appropriation because I believed and still believe that it is wrong to place both the financial burden and the burden of providing the young men and women to man our armed forces on those who can least afford it. I believe that if our lower and middle income families sacrifice to provide us with the young men and women for our armed forces then the wealthy who have benefitted greatly from the Bush tax cuts and at least sacrifice those tax cuts to support the war effort. President Bush is the one sending mixed messages. He wants us to support him in his decision to invade Iraq but didn't want to support me in how to finance his decision. "

I believe that if he had said something to this effect in response to Bush's accusations of Kerry sending mixed messages last night it would all be over for Bush today. Kerry would win by a landslide never seen the likes of which we've never seen before.

[LisaM]

1. No, it's better for him to wait

start circling now, but don't give him a chance to re-group. The later the KO punch, the better.

[lancdem]

2. There may have been a couple of missed opportunities

but I think did very, very well, and that's fine by me.

[gWbush is Mabus]

3. your opinion is wrong

seriously though,

-you can't explain the 87 in a simple way to morans in 30 seconds - people are stupid
-once you are on the defensive, you have already lost the battle
-if Kerry delivered the knock-out punch, we would be hearing how Kerry was negative, attacking, harsh, angry, mean-spirited all day today

well played JFK, well played

[chemenger]

7. Just asking.

Thanks for your opinions. I just want to see Bush gone in the worst way and I'd like to see him go with his head hung low. Did you hear him say so many times in one variation or another how "I know how to lead ... I know what needs to be done ... I this and I that"

I hear loud and clear how Bush wants us to sit back and enjoy the ride while he and his administration of miscreants take us the ride of our lives ... right to the doorstep of hell.

[SoCalDemocrat]

4. I think Kerry is tired of defending it

Kerry voted for the Democratic version of the bill.

He voted against the Republican version, and with good reason. Their version didn't have the necessary provisions to ensure that the contracts were fairly bid and that there was an oversight process in place making it accountable to Congress.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

5. Nahhhhh.

Kerry could have walked over to Dear Leader, cold cocked him, and proceeded to turn him into a frothy pink spot on the stage and the SCLM would have called it a close battle that Kerry narrowly won on points. They have a vested interest in keeping viewer interest up and eyeballs on their screens by calling the race "tight". The also have another vested interest, and that is Round II of Media Deregulation. To be sure, promises, however veiled or not veiled, have been made to the media industry about the delivering of Round II in the second term of Dear Leader. That is the carrot and the stick that keeps this sordid game a'going. Hence, Kerry will not see a clear win called until the last possible moment, when they know that all hopes have been dashed.

[Demit]

6. that argument can still be effective in the Domestic Policy debate...

might even be a more appropriate place for it.

I find it hard to believe that people are so ignorant of how things are voted on in Congress that they are still swallowing the Rethug claim that Kerry truly intended to vote against funding the troops. Or that his vote was some kind of reversal.

I'm looking for the next debate to be the second part of a one-two punch. With the third one being the coup de grace that finally flattens the chimp. :)

[sonicx]

8. the 87 billion issue would be gone if Kerry said

"Bush wanted to veto it before he supported it. He threaten a veto because he thought wealthy tax cuts were more important than fiscal responsibily"

Game Over.