Who Shot Liberty Valance?

Rhetoric doesn't match the record. 98 times! Now we're seeing Bush, the numerical idiot savant. He doesn't do wonky well - the downside of the "folksy" persona. Please lord, let it stop.

I say "Bob". . . Notice how all the examples are always about "Bob"? There's a reason why he's a major figure in the SG religion.

Ah, the "education" president. Is this the "compassionate" conservative peaking out? Whoops. Nope. More hard work to do. It's the same whiny "It's hard work" line he used last time. "Let me finish what I started".

Kerry slams Bush on switching the topic from jobs to education. Nice line by Kerry, but I can't type fast enough. Kerry's slamming Bush on jobs, wages, health care costs and pretty much everything else in the "bread & butter" issues.

Is it fair to blame the administration? Wow, a softball for Kerry! I'm surprised. Good position on outsourcing - I'll make the playing field as level as possible. Businesses get benefits outsourcing and Kerry will slam this down faster than an Enron gamed energy market. Kerry will provide a level field in the area of trade. He's going to take on China for currency manipulation (hey, I think they deserve it). Kerry will fight just as hard for their job as he will for his job.

Snippy Bush is back. Mis- statements. Snippy, snippy, snippy. "Encourage marriage, not discourage marriage" Bush said this with his "command" voice, so you know he's talking gay marriage here. Bush can talk with a straight face about fiscal sanity.

Kerry got the "play with these votes" line in.

"No ones playing with your votes". Man, Bush is really pushing the "liberal" line. Memo to Bush, the audience isn't laughing.

Oooohhhhh. Gay marriage question. Is homosexuality a choice?

Respect and dignity.

Went to watch the sunset, so I missed all but Kerry's bit, which I thought it was good.

Abortion question. "It's a sin to vote for Kerry". Wedge question and Kerry's fielding it. Choice. I'm sure he'll do Okay with most religious types, but won't please the evangelicals. Ah, turning it to "faith without works". Explaining that faith drives his values and determines what he fights for.

Bush leads with the "culture of life". Every time I hear this I think of a petri dish with little molds growing on it.

Health care costs.

"I hope it isn't the administration's fault". What a horrible line. Ah, the health savings account. Privatizing the system. Ah, lawsuits. Yep, the entire reason is those stinky sharks that masquerade as lawyers. Getting wonky again. Information technology. "Buggy and horse days"? WTF? Electronic records. 20% of the costs wrung out by automation?

Kerry is slamming Bush with what he's doing to personal keep the cost of health care high. Bulk purchasing and collective bargaining for drug prices. Bush is scribbling again. Kerry keeps giving him body slams with pharma. Pushing the loss of health care.

"No record on the reform of health care" "no record on health care". Bush the compassionate is trying to peek out.

"once again the President is misleading America". Good line.

Health care is a good issue for Kerry. I can't believe the Heathers are claiming otherwise.

Another question on the cost. Where are you going to get the money, Kerry?

He's spinned the question into an explanation of his health plan, rather than answering the question as to how he's going to pay for it. Nice pivot.

What's with Bush's blinking eyes? He's really freaking me out with that. It's like his brain is firing all three neurons at once.

Bush just slammed CBS! Woooooooooooo! He's going to get the crap beaten out of him tomorrow. My pick for the "slip up that cost the debate". Insulting the debate moderator isn't a good idea. The Heathers hate that.

Oooooh. Kerry just turned Bush's attack back on him saying that he doesn't fully fund the VA. Bush's response is vapid. "of course we're taking care of our veterans and they know that".

Social security question. The eternal "fixer upper" project here on planet earth.

Bush's entire platform seems to be based on delivering the social security check - no mention of the amount. Blue ribbon panels should be banned from the political realm. "Solvent" is the new gold standard.

"Invitation to disaster" "a two trillion dollar hole in the system". Kerry's bitch slapping Bush with the CBO. Where does the two trillion dollars of transitional money come from? "Bush has broken the pay as you go rule". Kerry's firm on social security.

Kerry, you won't cut benefits. Greenspan says you're full of shit. Are you?

Greenspan is responsible for the siphoning off of the SS funds to go for tax cuts. Kerry's actually jabbing Greenspan. Kerry would have given this money to the middle class. "Cut the deficit in Azaelf". "We'll make whatever adjustment necessary". Turns it back on jobs. Kerry's on the attack and looking real good - nicely animated and engaged.

Bush looks like he's in a bar trying to impress his friends. "Most of the tax cuts went to low and middle class Americans". He's going to get eviscerated tomorrow on that little exchange, if not tonight. Bush is claiming it's all Clinton's fault and 9/11. "Fiscal Sanity".

Immigration question. Security issue. Economic issue. Human Rights issue. Which do you see it as, Bush?

I see it as all three! That was really imaginative. Bush was a "border governor", don't you know! He's talking about a "temporary worker" card. Bad of Bush to bring up jobs. Ah, all about "the card". The Card will magically protect us.

"I don't think we should have Amnesty". Kerry is for Amnesty and Bush is against it.

Kerry pivots on jobs again and delivers a couple of body blows on take home pay and how much it sucks for most of everyone these days. Pushing tax burden, which is good. Pivots on a plan and talks about border security. Sounds more coherent than Bush, which only gave platitudes. "Earned legalization". "Start moving them towards citizenship and out of the shadows".

Bush is flopping around claiming that Kerry's claims are "outrageous".

Kerry comes back looking like a sane, intelligent person instead of the smirking chimp on the other side of the stage.

Gap between rich and poor is growing wider. Minimum wage is stuck. Would you raise it, Kerry?

Kerry's slamming the republican leadership for not even allowing a vote. "Lowest value in 50 years". 9.2 million women would earn 3,800 dollars more a year. Whoa. Body slam with the comparison to the tax cuts. Good line about values, but again, I can't type that fast. "Fundamental right". "money into the hands of people who work hard and play by the rules". More consumption will raise all boats.

Bush supports increasing the minimum wage. Pivots onto education and "no child left behind" act. Explains it's really a jobs program. WTF? "You cannot solve a problem if you cannot diagnose a problem". Yes, indeed Mr. President who doesn't have intelligence nor reads the papers. "An education system that doesn't quit on children".

Bush, will you seek to overturn Roe V. Wade.

Kerry slams him by saying, again, that the President hasn't answered the question. "the right of choice is a constitutional choice". Kerry's showing his human side now and slamming Bush about not fully funding his NCLB act he was just touting. "The president reneged on his promise" to fully fund.

Bush says Kerry has a litmus test on abortion. Yes, the test is "do you agree with the constitution".

"You measure it by how you get the job done". Kerry again claiming the human role with style and Bush smirking away like a frat boy sitting in the back of the class.

Back door draft question. What would you do, Kerry, about this situation.

Kerry attacks with the mistake of Iraq - after all, we're in this mess because of Bush's mistakes. Kerry's giving out his plan for solving this problem. Turns again to alliances and diplomacy, which is going to infuriate Bush. Yep, Kerry is directly attacking Bush with the "alliance" thing. Bush is fuming and smirking. You can tell he's going to explode.

Nope, Bush keeps his cool and doesn't fly off the handle about Poland. Practice has obviously paid off. Yes, I'm sure that every soldier in Iraq thinks it's precisely what they signed up for. Bush pushing the "handing over our security" to other nations meme.

Kerry defends and explains it simply. The "truth standard". Okay, let's see the right wing attack that!

Bush is invoking his father's coalition. Kerry voted against it. "Apparently you can't pass any test in his version of the world".

Kerry did an excellent job attacking Bush on the issue of the assault weapons ban. Again using the "leadership" stick.

Affirmative action question.

Again, Kerry is quite good here. "Mend it, don't end it". Smart strategy. Hopefully, the Heathers will pick it up.

Bush is defending himself regarding meeting with the black caucus. Boy, that is painful to watch. He brings up Pell grants again. Again, it's a "jobs" program. Small business loans. Unbundling government contracts so small businesses can suck on the government teat. He's pounding on the table again.

Bush, what part does faith play in your decisions.

Yes, I'll bet Bush prays a lot. He prays for all the people in the world. "Equally an American". Worship the way you see fit. Prayer and religion sustain me. "I receive calmness in the storms". "I just feel it". "Stand on principle". Faith based initiative. "Armies of compassion". Foreign policy. Afghanistan. "Freedom is a gift from the almighty.

"Everything is a gift from the almighty". Kerry's showing his religious side. Good. Two greatest commandments. "We have a lot more loving of our neighbors to do". Pivots and attacks beautifully.

Kerry, after 9/11 we were one. Now we're polarized (he, what about the 2000 election?). Will you work to

Kerry starts with some nice stuff and then slams Bush for being a "divider, not a uniter". He's laying out his record of bipartisan work. "No secret meetings with special interests". Kerry is pledging to work with McCain - let's hope he reciprocates.

Bush is surprised at how partisan Washington is! He's invoking Ted Kennedy and the NCLB act (wasn't that 3 years ago?). Entrenched special interests which are now all sniffing the Republican butts. Bush brings up the 2000 election and how divided it is. Bush claims McCain and Kerry can't have him! Bush is pounding the podium again.

What's the most important thing you learned from these women.

Bush makes a good joke about "listening to them". He's babbling without mentioning anything he's learned. He's just explaining how great his wife is. Now he's talking about the story of his meeting his wife. Nice story, I guess.

Kerry has a great line about "marrying up" and gets the whole audience to laugh. Good sign. Now he's talking about his mother, which is great. "integrity, integrity, integrity". That's the last words of his mother to him. Kerry's saying that the women in his life make sure he doesn't take himself seriously.

Closing statements.

Kerry's first.

"We're being tested as a nation". Kerry says "idear" instead of "idea". Massachusetts. A summary of his plans for his social programs. Using the opportunity to make it crystal clear as to what he's saying with respect to how he would protect America. Nicely done.

Bush is last.

He's quoting something. Optimism. Bush is giving the summary of bad things. Then the great recovery (uh, where is it). Over the next four years, over the next four years. Optimistic we'll win the war on terror. "We must never waver" "kill the enemy wherever it exists".

Kerry wins hands down.