Friday, October 08, 2004
A new TIME poll and it is just stunning how much the debates helped Kerry. Not just that it shows Kerry gaining 6 points to make it a tie, but all across the board.
On being "likeable," a key strength for Bush in 2000, Bush now trails Kerry, 70% - 65%.
but 30% of voters said that they were more likely to vote for Kerry because of the debate. This compares to only 14% more likely to vote for Bush.
Females now support Kerry over Bush by 12 points, 50%-38%. Pre-debate, the TIME Poll found women split evenly
It goes on and on. Its really amazing.
Bush's back is agaisnt the wall and it shows in his speeches where all he does is attack Kerry with lie after lie.
When the imcumbents only strategy is to hurl lies and smears at the opponent, you know tehy are in trouble. Especially when they ran for office 4 years ago to "change the tone".
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
So far the fallout will probably rest on Cheneys “we never met” nonsense. Simply because it’s the one lie they have him absolutely dead to rights on (I suppose they could show why he was wrong citing this figure because he was deliberately distorting this percentage… but this one has gotcha appeal) . It’s stupid and shallow to make this of all things an issue, but heck, we gotta win.
To recap, here’s Darth Cheney:
Now, in my capacity as vice president, I am the president of Senate, the presiding officer. I'm up in the Senate most Tuesdays when they're in session.
The first time I ever met you was when you walked on the stage tonight.
The DNC already has released video of them shaking hands and sitting next to each other at a prayer breakfast, and Cheney thanking him BY NAME, at the same event. Another video of Cheney and Edwards swearing in Elizabeth Dole in the senate has made the rounds, and reportedly the DNC has a video of a third meeting.
Also, Tim Russert was on the Today show this morning saying Edwards and Cheney were on MTP both one day on different segments, shook hands backstage and exchanged pleasantries.
Also, Kos shows the number of times Cheney has presided over the senate on a Tuesday in the last 4 years: 2 (that one is a lie only if you parse it to count only Tuesdays, so its not really that compelling)
Now, debates are always gonna be full of nonsense exaggerations like this, and I’m sure there are some Edwards pulled as well, But what strikes me is how unbelievably sloppy this lie is. I mean, you know it was a canned set up line that they crafted for Cheney beforehand. My question is; Who is their researcher? The DNC had video of them shaking hands within 2 Hours.
This is bad because its just like what happened to Gore. Gore in the first debate said “"I accompanied James Lee Witt down to Texas when those fires broke out," It turned out he went with Witt to numerous disaster areas but not with him to that specific one with Witt, he just went with a deputy. Big freaking deal. But it worked against him because it played right into the narrative the republicans were trying to create for Gore, that he can’t be trusted and he exaggerates and lies.
That’s exactly what just happened to Cheney. But it didn’t happen with a gaffe by Cheney, but a scripted line of attack.
Sloppy.
Initial thoughts as my "debate party" wraps up.
A tie. A boring tie, with a slight edge to Edwards simply because the sheer number of lies from Cheney will catch up to him afterwards in teh postdebate spin, where all this is decided anyway. Cheney lied a lot as usual, but the media will be lazy in reporting it, and never use the L word, as usual. Edwards got some good licks in, but also hurled mindless platitiudes that didnt work in the format he was in.
What amazed me was, and maybe I didnt notice it as much in the first debate, how each of them would essentally ignore the question. Gwen Ifill asked Cheney in the very first question, point blank, about Bremer and Rumsfelds recent statements:
Paul Bremer, the former head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, gave a speech in which he said that we have never had enough troops on the ground, or we‘ve never had enough troops on the ground.
Donald Rumsfeld said he has not seen any hard evidence of a link between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. Was this approved—of a report that you requested that you received a week ago that showed there was no connection between Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Saddam Hussein?
Cheney never answred the question. Didnt mention Rumsfeld or Bremer or anything they said. Instead we got the practiced and vague "Global war on terror...stay the course" answer. the whole debate was like this. A bunch of mini speeches that ignored the questions.
I lied when Cheney wanted more than thirty seconds and Gwen basically gave him her version of "the Cheney"
Ultimatly Edwards won, but it wasnt as decisive. The real test about Kerrys momentum will be in the post debate spin. Things dems need to grab onto and hammer away at:
I have not suggested there‘s a connection between Iraq and 9/11
Please...
Vice President Cheney said Iraq was the heart of "the geographic base of the terrorists who have had us under assault now for many years, but most especially on 9/11."
But my favorite, for its sheer gotcha theatrics, is this one.
Now, in my capacity as vice president, I am the president of Senate, the presiding officer. I‘m up in the Senate most Tuesdays when they‘re in session.
The first time I ever met you was when you walked on the stage tonight.
Atrios, take it away....
Congressman Wamp, Senator Edwards, friends from across America, and distinguished visitors to our country from all over the world: Lynne and I are honored to be with you all this morning.
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
I’ve finally decided what I hate most in this world. For the longest time it was Yankee fans, Ashton Kuchtner, and that infernal rap music the kids listen to. But now I have a new hatred.
Undecided voters.
This time during election season the news networks treat them like they are god. Cosntantly monitering their opinions, holding roundtable discussions every night on Hardball.
They are idiots.
Just listen to any MSNBC “panel” discussion with undecideds. How in sweet baby Jesus’s name can you not have an opinion on who to vote for? Who cares whether Gore sighs or Kerry has too much of a tan. To be undecided it means you have absolutely no real opinion about abortion, stem cell research, deficits, tax cuts, the environment, civil liberties, health care, education, and everything else.
That doesn’t matter to the undecided. They care about whether or not they feel they can have a beer with the candidate (an actual Zogby poll question, I shit you not). I work with a woman who’s still undecided and she drives me nuts. I just want to ask her “are you pro choice?” Yes? Then you’re either a Kerry voter or a goddamned retard.
"I told him, OK, pretend I've got a gun aimed right at your head ready to shoot. Who's it going to be -- Bush or Kerry?" Zogby said he told the man. "And without batting an eyelash, he said, 'You're going to have to kill me, then.' "
You got it buddy.
Monday, October 04, 2004
I love this guy.
So, here we have a draft dodger who accidentally found himself in the Vietnam War compared with a presidential candidate who flew many missions in a dangerous plane out over the Atlantic, completing five years of military service in the Texas Air National Guard.
Kerry in the debate:
I'll never give a veto to any country over our security.
Bush the day after:
Sen. Kerry's approach to foreign policy would give foreign governments veto power over our national security decisions.
Liar. He's a flat out irrefutable liar. I mean it doesnt get any clearer. But will the major media and pundits come out and say "President Bush lied today on the stump about Kerry". Of course not. Thats not "polite".
The fallout from the debate continues.
Condolieza Rice went to such pathetic extremes to cover up for the numerous Bush nonsense he spouted at the debate.
Bush:
We pursued al Qaeda wherever al Qaeda tries to hide. Seventy-five percent of known al Qaeda leaders have been brought to justice.
“Known” leaders. How cute.
From CNN:
Rice said the total number was in the "tens to 100." U.S. officials estimate that most if not all of those positions have been filled, and the top two members of the organization -- bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri -- remain at large.
"Tens to 100". who wants to bet its probably.... 10.
And then there is this doozy:
BUSH: Libya has disarmed. The A.Q. Khan network has been brought to justice.
CNN:
Khan is living in a villa and was pardoned this year by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. None of Khan's co-conspirators have been brought to trial.
Asked how that could be interpreted to mean Khan has been brought to justice, Rice said, "He has been brought to justice because he's out of business."
So get this. The United States National Security Advisor just said that if and when a known terrorist gets pardoned and is allowed to live in a posh villa, he has been “brought to justice”.
Now I"m gonna say that again in case it hasnt sunk in.
The United States National Security Advisor just said that if and when a known terrorist gets pardoned and is living in a posh villa, he has been “brought to justice”.
I cant wait for Osam to be "brought to justice". I of course would prefer the Kerry version. By killing him.
How the f*ck does that not become a gigantic and huge story?
Don’t Forget Poland!
BUSH My opponent says we didn't have any allies in this war. What's he say to Tony Blair? What's he say to Alexander Kwasniewski of Poland? You can't expect to build an alliance when you denigrate the contributions of those who are serving side by side with American troops in Iraq.
[snip]
LEHRER: Thirty seconds, Mr. President.
BUSH: Well, actually, he forgot Poland. And now there's 30 nations involved, standing side by side with our American troops.
Polish President: “We were taken for a ride”
WARSAW : In a first sign of official criticism in Poland of the US-led invasion of Iraq, President Aleksande Kwasniewski said that his country had been “taken for a ride" about the alleged existence of weapons of mass destruction in the strife-torn country
"That they deceived us about the weapons of mass destruction, that's true. We were taken for a ride," Kwasniewski said Thursday.
Poland to pull out of Iraq
Polish troops will start to withdraw from Iraq in the New Year and all will be out by the end of 2005, the country's president has promised.
