Us presidential election 2004

[Balschoiw 0]

Quote[/b] ]Whos goona watch the Bush - Kerry debate?

I read the rules and setup for that debate. Makes it very uninteresting...

[kerosene 0]

How scripted is it? I know questions from the public are pre-screened and not allowed to deviate from what was submitted, but is the actual debate basically scripted and do bush and kerry get told the qeustions they'll be asked in advance?

[Supah 0]

Quote[/b] ]Whos goona watch the Bush - Kerry debate?

I read the rules and setup for that debate. Makes it very uninteresting...

Do you have a link to that Balschoiw? I'd like to read that

[kerosene 0]

I dont have a link but i found out a little more, the questions have to be answered in 90 seconds, the questions from the public are pre-approved, essentially it stops them from having a conversation or accidentally saying something they should'nt, so it may boil down to a series of rehearsed soundbites.

This is actually the first time they've even released their debate rules.

I also rememebered that the podiums will be 50 inches high and they had to negotiate the temperature of the Air-con.

[billybob2002 0]

Quote[/b] ]I don't think Jesse Jackson would dislike Kerry. Most people with color don't like Bush from my personal encounters.

Action Jackson=Kerry advisor...

[Balschoiw 0]

Sure.

Here you go:

Quote[/b] ]As soon as they go on the air, the two men are to shake hands. After that, no touching. No roaming, crossing over to the other man's position or getting closer to their rival than 10 feet. No risers that would create "an impression of elevated height."

No opening statements. No props of any sort. No pulling out notes scribbled on old envelopes. No pointing to or naming anybody in the audience. No interrupting. No asking the other man a question or soliciting from him a pledge of any kind.

No demands for more debates besides the two already set for Oct. 8 in St. Louis, Mo., a town-meeting format, and for Oct. 13 in Tempe, Ariz., an encounter on domestic issues.

After a coin toss monitored by a representative from each camp (which already happened off-camera Monday), the candidate chosen to go first has two minutes to answer the initial question. His opponent has a minute and a half to respond.

Moderator Jim Lehrer, the PBS-TV news anchorman, may choose to extend the conversation for no longer than 60 seconds, with each candidate getting 30 seconds.

Each candidate is to be asked at least 16 questions and will be able to make a two-minute closing statement. If a candidate's reply continues longer than permitted, lights will flash and be visible to TV viewers. Colored lights will notify each man when he has 30 seconds, 15 seconds and 5 seconds remaining. There will be an audible cue to signal that his time for a response has elapsed.

The detailed rules, written in legalese, were agreed upon after intense negotiations between former Secretary of State James Baker, a Washington lawyer who is a Bush family friend, and Vernon Jordan, a Washington lawyer and long-time ally of Democrats. The "memorandum of understanding" was signed by Ken Mehlman, campaign manager for the Bush-Cheney team, and Mary Beth Cahill, the Kerry-Edwards campaign manager.

The nonpartisan, nonprofit Commission on Presidential Debates, which has been sponsoring presidential debates since 1988, refused to sign the accord, as demanded by the Bush team, but it agreed to enforce the memo's stipulations.

In a rule not likely to be obeyed, the TV networks were warned not show an opponent's reaction during a candidate's response, a technique known as a "cut-away." Both sides recall the furor that resulted from when President George H.W. Bush glanced at his watch while debating challenger Bill Clinton, which some took as an indication of boredom and proved more important than what he said.

The networks also were admonished not to air debate reaction shots from the audience or a candidate's wife or other family members, who traditionally sit in the front row. The audience will be instructed not to applaud or make any noise, but that hasn't stopped them in the past.

Networks, including CNN and Fox, said they won't abide by the no-cut-away rule, and if either man makes a face or displays any emotional reaction, it's likely to be broadcast. The commission said it has no way of knowing what the networks are airing.

In an effort to prevent what is known in the TV business as "flop sweat" -- undue moisture on a candidate's face -- the debate commission has agreed to "maintain an appropriate temperature, according to industry standards, for the entire debate." But there is no provision for what would happen should the temperature scoot up past 70 degrees or get so cold that candidates start shivering.

Each man may bring his own make-up person. Neither man's photographer may shoot pictures during the debate. Both dressing rooms will be the same size and of the same quality and equidistant from the stage.

Both campaigns got the same number of tickets for the debate.

Each candidate may have only one staff person in the wings during the debate, except that Bush will also have his military aide and his doctor.

Each lectern will measure 50 inches from the floor to its top edge facing the audience and 48 inches from the floor to the top of the inside writing surface facing each man. Each side will have the same type of fixed, hard-wired microphone.

Kerry practiced at a resort in Wisconsin with former Clinton White House counsel Greg Craig playing the role of Bush. Bush practiced at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, with New Hampshire Republican Sen. Judd Gregg depicting Kerry, just as he played the role of then-Vice President Al Gore four years ago.

On Oct. 5, when Vice President Dick Cheney confronts North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, Kerry's running mate, at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, the two men will be seated, in deference to Cheney. No audience participation will be permitted, and the moderator, Gwen Ifill of PBS, is supposed to keep them quiet.

The two men will sit in identical swivel chairs of equal height that can be locked in place, and each will have identical lapel microphones.

Guidelines established after intense talks

[Akira 0]

I believe it is the second debate between the candidates that is going to be in the "town hall" format.

IE open to unscripted questions for the audience. Some commentators have pointed out that this was most likely unwise for Bush, but this format has become a "tradition" since the Clinton campaigns.

EDIT: Oh right...see that is in the article

[Bernadotte 0]

I believe it is the second debate between the candidates that is going to be in the "town hall" format.

IE open to unscripted questions for the audience.

Yeah, although I don't think the other debate questions will be scripted either.  The main difference is that, tonight, the campaign managers get to control which news organisations supply the questions.  (Sorry Billybob, no questions from Drudge Report on Kerry's sun tan.)

[billybob2002 0]

Quote[/b] ] (Sorry Billybob, no questions from Drudge Report on Kerry's sun tan.)

booooo

[Blake 0]

The 1st debate just started...

[Akira 0]

Thats a new one on me...

Libya disarmed?

Oh boy...."idealogy of hate"....

[Balschoiw 0]

Quote[/b] ]Libya disarmed?

Yeah Gadaffi changed his clothes from military to nomad style. I guess we can assume this as Libya´s disarment, right ?

[Blake 0]

Good point by Kerry about  un-armored Humvees, I really must agree that's not the safest vehicle to do patrolling in hostile areas...some wheeled APC for example (like SISU XA series *hint* *hint*) are quite durable against mines.

[Akira 0]

The Middle East is apparently "desperate" for democracy...according to Bush...

EDIT: Bush's facial expressions are cracking me up....

[Blake 0]

"Invading Iraq was as if Roosevelt would have invaded Mexico after Pearl Harbour" funny stuff

[Akira 0]

What the hell is he talking about?

"Osama doesn't get to decide how we defend ourselves"

I musta missed something

EDIT: OMG! Please quit repeating "wrong war, wrong time"

[Blake 0]

Quote[/b] ]"Osama doesn't get to decide how we defend ourselves"

Kerry stated something like that fighting in Iraq gives Osama more fuel to carry out terrorism and it led to Bush's rather awkward response...

[Akira 0]

I'm starting to get the idea that Iraq is "hard work."

Also...interesting Kerry brings up 14 military bases being built in Iraq, some "with a permanent design".

Kerry out right stated "America has no long term designs for Iraq."

[Akira 0]

Asked straight out if he would wage another pre-emptive war Bush says...

"I hope I don't have to."

EDIT: Interesting....Bush thinks NK can be contained by diplomacy (but not Iraq). He thinks we need to get other countries involved (but not Iraq).

EDIT2: "trans-shipment"? What the hell is "trans-shipment"?

[Akira 0]

General View:

There was a little while there that I think the advantage was in Bush's side, but in the end I think Bush faltered.

[denoir 0]

Really difficult to call. Bush was certainly on the defensive, but that seems to suit him.

It will be interesting to see the polls.

[Blake 0]

I think Bush was pretty nervous at times and kept repeating too much. In my view Kerry was stronger in this one. But neither didn't screwed up completely anyway.

It's annoying to look each candidate's supproters interviewed afterwards, everybody is saying their candidate was sooo much better...naturally what else can they say.

[llauma 0]

But Bush was Bush and he leads the predictions by being Bush. Appearantly that's what the majority of USA currently prefers so I believe that Bush will be the winner in the coming polls.

[DB-ERAUPilot 0]

Kerry whooped that ass!!..Bush seemed like he only had one line the entire debate..like he can't think for himself. And I love how Kerry admitted to his failings while Bush just skirted the questions.

KERRY IN 04 !!!!

[red oct 2]

yup Kerry did very good. better than i hoped. w/out the help of his 527 buddies and not being able to engage in mud slinging, Bush was left just repeating himself and every attack he made against Kerry, would just be shredded up and countered. i really look forward to the next two debates.