This is Life!: Revolutions Around the Cruciform Axis

The "Debate"

Yep. I watched it. Am I sad? But I am a political junkie. If I could have a set of magic spectacles that would pipe in political news programs (and, really, just news in general), I would wear them all day. My ideal basic cable package is CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News (with Discovery Channel, History Channel, and A&E--for; reruns of Law and Order--thrown in).

In terms of the debate itself? Bush lost. Badly. He faltered in the first fifteen minutes and never really recovered--though I thought he got a bit better toward the end. The quintessential Bush smirk and shaking of his head were there. And though I frankly find the sort of honest facial expressions Bush does a good reflection of his own honesty, the shaking of the head thing gave him that "deer in the headlights" look.

Although later in the debate Bush got more specific, early on, if I heard one more "it's hard work" I was going to throw my shoe at the television. Everyone who reads this blog knows I like Bush the man. But wow did he suck last night. And Bush let all sorts of falsehoods just stand: $200 Billion in Iraq? More like $120B. 90% of the casualties? More like 50%. 90% of the costs? Well, Bush did finally get in the facts about the other nations ponying up, but he failed to show how it's not 90%.

That being said, Kerry gave little more than an image. Granted, it was a better image than he's been giving these past months. What did he have to offer? A better plan. When pressed by Lehrer as to what that plan was, our man Kerry told us that he's going to hold a lot of international meetings (something he apparently likes) and then he's going to do everything the president is now doing, only faster. Nuclear proliferation? Well, yes the president is working to counter it, but it'll take thirteen years. Kerry'll do it in four. Oh, he'll be preemptive, too, but only so long as it passes a global test. (What the frick-frack is the global test?) On that one, though, I can't see how it would be faster. I mean, if you have to hold all those meetings first, it doesn't seem to be so preemptive.

Kerry, did, however, step in it pretty massively. Iraq was a colossal mistake, a grand diversion. But when Lehrer pressed him whether soldiers in Iraq are dying for a mistake? Kerry said flatly, No. Huh? A mistake that's not a mistake? Bush, sez Kerry, wasn't giving soldiers body armor, but Kerry did vote against the funding to give those soldiers the supplies and equipment they need. Kerry claimed that he never said Bush lied. Uh, yeah, right. None of us think that "mislead" is synonymous with lying? Please.

But let's give this one to Kerry. 2004 Presidential Debates: Kerry 1, Bush 0.

I'm going to miss next week's veep debate, due to teaching a class on Tuesday nights. That's the one I want to see. Dr. Evil Cheney should take Forrest Gump Edwards to the woodshed.