Summary
After the first debate between George Bush and John Kerry, most Americans felt that Bush had been beaten decisively. One observer said, "Kerry whooped him like a dog, and then he ran off just like a puppy who had been abused, with his tail stuck between his legs, after an accident."
This was a reversal of fortunes. Hardly unexpected, but hoped for by Democrats, who believe their guy was far superior to anything that Bush had ever been, or ever could be. In the political game of running for President of the United States, the Bush people ran desperate. Mostly by doing what they had done so well, for so long: lying. They lied about everything including the time of day and the seasons of the year. They lied about the war in Iraq and the war in Iran. They lied about things that could be so easily checked that it seems outrageous. But, they lied anyway. They lied because they had a prize in their hands, and they were not about to lose it by employing a device the Democrats call truth. They knew the truth did not and would not work. They tried truth and it failed. So, they went to the battleground with half-truths for the entire first round of the Bush/Kerry debate. Half-truths didn't work either, and they walked away with a defeat that they spun so well as to make most of the Republicans who listened come out believing that their "Bushy boy" had won handily.Gwen Ifil, a seasoned professional who cannot be accused of political bias, started the ball. After a humdrum, 90-minute debate-like effort, sometimes tedious but always pointed, most Americans decided that this effort was a draw. Neither candidate had won. Interestingly enough, John Edwards, the "pretty boy" candidate from North Carolina, who earned his fortune as a trial lawyer, going after huge companies that he had proved to be negligent in personal injury cases, not only held his own with Cheney, but bested him many times during the course of the debate. Given Cheney's age and experience, he should have won handily. But, he did not because he came up against a superior intellect in John Edwards, as well as one who had more truth on his side.See the full content of this document
Extract
Presidential Debate: An Invitation to Lie
After the first debate between George Bush and John Kerry, most Americans felt that Bush had been beaten decisively. One observer said, "Kerry whooped him like a dog, and then he ran off just like a puppy who had been abused, with his tail stuck between his legs, after an accident."
The come-back for Kerry was strong. Reviewing tapes ...See the full content of this document
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