The Baltimore Debate |Slate

[Rose Siding]

A field goal for Kerry, a touchdown for Dean

Just about everybody did well in this debate, much better than in last week's debate in Albuquerque, N.M. Joe Lieberman was fiery (he even drowned out a heckler), Dennis Kucinich sounded almost sane, and John Edwards finally talked and laughed like one of those regular people he keeps claiming to represent. But the most important performances were turned in by John Kerry and Howard Dean.

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http://slate.msn.com/id/2088124/

[ewagner]

1. I got a kick out of Edwards

He was so amused by Sharpton's remarks he could hardly talk. Quite true, that he showed a remarkably human side. I really like the guy but I have a lot of trouble envisioning him as pres. I wish he had chosen to run for Senate again because he has a terrific future ahead of him.

[blm]

2. I though the NM debate was much more stellar for all of them.

This FOX debate was just too odd.

[dwckabal]

3. I agree for the most part

All of the candidates looked very good. I didn't know much about Kucinich before the debate, but I must say I came away with much more knowledge and respect for the man. Lieberman's fiery oratory seemed a little over the top, while Dean was cool and collected (BTW, he needs a larger collar size on his shirt; he looked like he was ready to bust out of his last night!). Kerry was squirming some during a few of the questions, but he came off well.

I realized something this morning while I was getting ready for work. I asked myself why Al Sharpton and Carol Moseley Braun even bothered to announce their candidicy, when they know that they can't paossible win. But after seeing them last night, I realized that they bring valuable insight to the campaign, and that being in these debates help put forth issues that otherwise might get glossed over during the campaign.

Kudos to Al Sharpton who not only gave concise and knowledgeable answers to all his questions, but helped relive some of the tension when the hecklers were disrupting the debate. It's unfornate that a lot of people dismiss him as a crackpot.

John Edwards had the unfortunate position of being after Mr. Sharpton; it was very hard to follow up after Al got done with his piece. But Edwards came off as confident and passionate, especially about health care (as was Kucinich).

Bob Graham may have shot himself in the foot with his "no homosexual marriage" comment, but otherwise was very passionate. Dick Gephardt was very critical of President Bush, but why does he have to sound like John Wayne all the time?

I'm looking forward to the debate in October.

[DJcairo]

4. This is a poor piece of political journalism

Granted it's an opinion but this quote is out of line:
"Kerry was as lively as Kerry gets. He'll never convince viewers like me, who find him stiff and absurdly formal, that he isn't stiff and absurdly formal."

Ask yourself, is that really fair? Or this:
"He approaches political questions the way soldiers approach urban warfare: He never walks into a sentence without leaving himself a way out."

Excuse me, but Kerry is the one who made famous the wors,"How do you ask a man to be the mlast man to die in Vietnam? How do you ask a man to die for a mistake?"


This is pure character assasination. As if to be president who have to speak in applause lines only and you'd better not look to regal otherwise your"stiff." As if Dean doesn't clearly have his own set opf issues while he's in front of a camera. Or to ignore the fact that grammatically, Dean's closing statement was practically Bush-like.

As far as I can discern, the only one who wasn't screaming and whaling the whole time and the only candidate who spoke thoughtfully and laid out his comments ina clear fashion was Kerry. I admire Dean for the campaign he's run and the fire he's lit under the Dems but using him as a foil to attack Kerry is ridiculous and I intend to speak out against it.

[hedda_foil]

5. Oh please, DJ ....

Saletan has lauded Kerry and bashed Dean as well. I don't know if he twists in the wind or if he calls them as he sees them. I was enormously put off by some of his columns which put Dean down far more than this one does Kerry. I didn't think they fairly represented Dean at all. I like this column, of course, but I have no idea where Saletan will go next. Maybe he's getting ready to cheerlead for Clark and turn on Dean again.

[DJcairo]

6. Frankly, I resent all these sorts of oppo pieces

I generally despise character pieces on political candidates. After what happened to Gore in 2000 I don't trust the press to judge character any more that I trust Bush to win a spelling bee.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

7. But never stops you from starting threads with them, does it?