Predictions bout the great first debate.

[Agathon]

Bush was a boob. He spent too much time attacking Kerry's character, and not enough time on the issues. Kerry attacked the President's handling of the issues.

[The Mad Monk]

Originally posted by Ramo
Not me. I'm hurt.

If it makes you feel better, I refer to you as Ramo Lamo Ding Dong...

[Agathon]

I got one too.

Markos should really prevent banned people from posting PMs.

[Ramo]

Ramo Lamo Ding Dong

[Vlad Antlerkov]

I'm waiting for mine. Evidently I don't hate America enough...

[The Mad Monk]

ABC flash poll: Kerry won 45%, Bush won 37%, no change in likely vote.

[Sava]

Tim Russert said the smartest thing. He said "This is the John Kerry the Democrats voted for in Iowa. Someone who will go toe to toe with George Bush."

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Rather poor timing for Fez to get banned. He needs to plan his schizoid outrages better.

[Bosh]

Bush just kept on pounding and pounding the talking points "wrong war" "mixed messages" "wrong war" "mixed messages""wrong war" "mixed messages""wrong war" "mixed messages""wrong war" "mixed messages""wrong war" "mixed messages""wrong war" "mixed messages""wrong war" "mixed messages""wrong war" "mixed messages""wrong war" "mixed messages""wrong war" "mixed messages" He did a good job of it if you like that sort of performance (although I wanted to throw something at him when he COMPLETELY dodged the first question in order to hit his talking points) but it was pretty boring.

Kerry was a bit all over the place and didn't counter Bush's main talking points hard enough. I think his best bit was the anecdote about De Gaulle and JFK about how America's credibility with the world has been damaged. I don't think that he did quite enough to pound home how much more difficult Bush's alientation of most of the world will make it for us to gather an alliance in the future or how much of America's credibility Bush has burned. So Kerry did more of a real debate, Bush did more of an advertising campaign but its a bit of a toss-up which is more effective since Kerry didn't pound some of his criticisms home.

Hmmm what else? Bush pissed me off when he claimed credit for the formation of the Department of Homeland Security when it happened despite his opposition to it, it seems that Bush likes claiming credit for things he originally opposed. Also the bit where he says he knows what Iraqi soliders are going through because he gets to sit in his comfy chair and real casualty lists what pretty laughable.

As far as the non-verbal BS that the press obsesses about, Kerry definately won. He was far better than Bush at remaining composed while the other person was talking and it really showed in the cut-away shots. Also he never spoke out of turn and Bush did serveral times in order to signal that he wanted his 30 seconds.

So a marginal victory for Kerry. Also keep in mind that as long as it was even relatively close, this is going to help Kerry in the polls since Bush was well in the lead in the polls on the issues they talked about.

So maybe:
Kerry B
Bush C+

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Even though I think Bush got pwned,I expect little movement in the polls.

[Whaleboy]

Kerry appeared the more intelligent, articulate, capable and competant of the two. Bush will still win the election for those precise same reasons. For the idiot to whom literacy, racial harmony and Canada are new concepts, Bush is truly the only man who can represent their interests and intellect.

[Bosh]

Originally posted by Agathon
Bush was a boob. He spent too much time attacking Kerry's character, and not enough time on the issues. Kerry attacked the President's handling of the issues.

That too
Bush also did a crappy job of defending the specifics about his Iraq policy, but then Kerry did a crappy job of proposing a better solution (except for constant "summit" blather). So that issue's a wash.

[Drake Tungsten]

Originally posted by Boshko
Bush just kept on pounding and pounding ... So maybe:
Kerry B
Bush C+

How in the hell did you see it? You not work on Fridays or something?

edit: Or you work at night. Duh...

[Ramo]

Kerry did a crappy job of calling Bush on the specifics of the Iraq policy. He droned on too much about alliances.

[Bosh]

Originally posted by Ogie Oglethorpe
Even though I think Bush got pwned,I expect little movement in the polls.

That would be true if this was the domestic policy debate, where Kerry is leading. But this is National Security and Iraq policy, where Bush has been pwning Kerry in the polls. So unless Bush crushed Kerry (and I don't think anyone short of Fez and Malevolent Light are going to claim that) even a draw in this debate is going to help Kerry in the polls.