Did the debate clock backfire on Bush?

[Dookus]

Evidently the Bush team insisted on a countdown clock, visible to the audience. Kerry mastered it brilliantly. Timed all his answers just right.

Bush, however, seemed like he was just rambling and rambling until the damn lights came on. Oddly, he even REQUESTED a 30 second response in which he had NOTHING to say. He just spouted the same old cliches, and kept looking for the clock to come on.

I was fantasizing that his clock would break. I could see Bush, 6 minutes into a rambling answer, just banging the lights in front of him and saying "Is this thing brokerated?!"

[TheDebbieDee]

1. Brokerated! LLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOooooooolllllllll

Whenever I looked at * during the debate last night, all I could think of was Wil Farrell's SNL imitation and the word "strategery"!

[Vickers]

3. I can't believe you guys.

Making fun of him like that, it's damned unpatriotistic.

[gatorboy]

14. Bwaahahaaa!! Stop it!

Yer killing me!

[mcar]

2. I had this same thought

The clock backfired on Bush, for sure. He'd ramble up to the red light and then just stop talking.

He could have finished his part of the debate in about 15 minutes instead of 90. Everything he said after that was a repeat.

[Beetwasher]

4. Kerry CHUMPED THEM!!! Ha Ha!

He made it look like he had a problem w/ the clock (the story that broke yesterday) and their post debate spin was going to be how he kept breaking the rules and going over the limit and/or the tan!! He CHUMPED them and left them w/ NO POST DEBATE SPIN to crucify him over and divert from THE SUBSTANCE. They couldn't go by their prepared script and so were left with nothing but the actual substance! The substance ruled!

[htuttle]

6. He did that on the very first question

He spent about 1/3 to 1/2 of the time for the first question thanking people for the debate, but was STILL able to concisely answer the question.

Bush was thrown off by that, since that meant he suddenly had to thank everyone also, and had to ad lib. Started with the halting speech right off the bat.

[Beetwasher]

11. Yup, That Was A Brilliant Move, I Noticed That Too!

Forgot about it though!

[eissa]

13. Great point

I tensed up when Kerry first began to thank everyone, mistakenly thinking he was using up time. I never thought that he did it to slip up * -- with that idiot, everything is so scripted that having to ad lib something must have been hell!

[Tummler]

5. Are you saying Bush* is a clock tease?

n/t

[villager]

7. good line, Tummler...

...good Yiddische DU handle, too....

[Boredtodeath]

8. Oh hell, yes

He kept looking at those lights with a "will you PLEASE come on now!" gaze. He did his one line press answer and waited for the lights.

It was hysterical.

[cally]

9. With the split screen and the logos,

I couldn't see Kerry's lights but I could see *'s. He kept violating the rules. It backfired.

Kerry was fantastic.

[gasperc]

10. that 10 second ahhhh, during a 30 second response HE requested

oh that was priceless

check out faces of frustration

http://www.democrats.org/

[AP]

12. I don't want a president who couldn't talk ALL DAY about one subject.

Last night, we learned that Bush can't even talk for thirty seconds about the only thing he's done in 4 years: make war.

He couldn't explain what the hell he has been doing all that time.

[OneTwentyoNine]

15. Don't know but the split screen backfired BIG TIME on FOX...

Someone's head is rolling at FOX this morning as we speak. They thought they would have John "agent orange" Kerry on camera looking stupid while our lead laid out plans for the next four years.

It was just the opposite as Bush looked like the deer in the headlights between pitchers of water.

David

[Cat Atomic]

16. Wouldn't it be great if Kerry pointed out Bush's constant cliches

in the next debate? And early- let him flop around for an whole hour, afraid to use his little slogans. That's all Bush has.