Will the debates help Obama? I'm hoping, but not sure.

[Silent3]

As far as I'm concerned, both Gore (yes, even with the sighing) and Kerry (even with the media-driven label of "wooden personality") both far exceeded Bush with their Presidential debate performances.

Then again, silly me, I tend to judge the Presidential debates by irrelevancies like how smart and knowledgeable people sound, their degree of substance over soundbites and talking points.

Being a bumbling, stammering doofus armed with platitudes and pandering apparently makes you more "real", however, not like one of those insufferable smartypants who's too snobbish and "elite" to be trusted with an important job like the Presidency, a job that calls for a folksy, down-home reg'lar guy (who happens to be 100 times wealthier than the average American, but isn't "elite" because he likes NASCAR and pork rinds) and the most simplistic (and preferably belligerent) fits-on-a-bumper-sticker policy positions you can find.

Has eight years of Bush been enough to teach the American people that maybe smart and nuanced isn't such a bad thing? Is there a ghost of a chance the press with do the slightest thing to elevate the debates, rather than analyze and grade debate performances in terms of how they imagine the dumbest Americans will respond, inadvertently (or not) reinforcing the standards of idiots as the gold standard?

[SuperTrouper]

1. Yes!1 And Biden will trounce Palin, too

[FrenchieCat]

2. Please......

Try not to worry so much,

And read this..... http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6996468

[MaryEllen9399]

3. I think it is going to be like Kennedy-Nixon

the viewers are going to see a vibrant young man and a pasty old white man. The contrast is going to be stunning.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

6. Nixon was only 4 years older than Kennedy, but looked at least 15 years older

I hope Barack kicks his stupid ass clear around the world! Of course, the media will probably say McCain is an orator on the level of Lincoln. :mad:

[alsame]

11. I completely agree - nothing is going to call more attention to

McCain's age and health than the sight of him next to Obama.

[Silent3]

14. It's sad that my greatest hope for the debates...

...comes from hoping that shallowness about things like age and appearance will swing in Obama's favor, and that Obama can dumb himself down enough to appeal to Joe and Jane Sixpack.

[Phoonzang]

4. It all depends on Obama.

If he gets it together and stops giving long, complex answers to questions and instead gives short, pithy answers that invoke emotion they will help. If not...well....

[Cant trust em]

7. Your answer, while correct, is sad

If Obama sounds smart, we're in trouble. That is the crux of it.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

8. And he's a lawyer

We are taught to speak on the level of the person being spoken to. Don't sling Latin around and speak of "res ipsa loquitur" and "sui generis." Talk so your audience can understand you!

[Silent3]

10. I just wish the American people...

...would grow the fuck up and and start appreciating substance a little more than style. Even better, realize that providing substance IS a style, and a damned good one.

It doesn't help that the press reinforces this stupidity by evaluating everything in terms of how well a shallow American who wants to be pandered to and can't tolerate nuance will react.

[Phoonzang]

19. What can I say....tt's the era of reality shows.... nt

[Cant trust em]

5. The more we get people focused on issues the better it suits us

Sounds like what we say every year, but with Sarah Palin in the mix facts are even more important. If they're going to be fooled by a former beauty queen then we have to focus on the issues and let the last 8 years speak for themselves.

[Epiphany4z]

9. I hope so...but you know the media will

spin the shit out of it..just like that religious talk both McCain and Obama did...McCain will give a bunch of one word answerers designed to get rw nuts going crazy and Obama will give well thought out answerers t hat the media will spin as John Mcain ..so sure of on the issues...strong answeres... The will spin Obama..not so sure long confusing ...oh well you know the stick like they did to kerry.

[kwenu]

12. Only if he trashes McCain and tells the truth about the Republican record.

[elkston]

13. You know what. Every time we get anxious about Obama not stepping up...

he steps it up and brings it home. I have no doubts that he knows whats going to sell in the debates and is preparing every day.

Don't confuse how Obama answers interview questions with how he's going to act in a debate. His debate style will be a modification of his town hall openings, which are now getting punchier and more succint.

And once again, though Obama was naive not to think so, he did not treat Saddleback as a debate, but an Interview.

[scheming daemons]

15. Kerry was 6 points behind Bush before the first debate.... ended up losing by 3....

...so they helped.

[dkofos]

16. It depends on how the M$M spins it.

They managed to make bush the winner even after having
his ass handed to him by both Gore and Kerry.
And they seem to be even more brazen now.

[SurfingAtWork]

17. Not if he keeps trying to talk to us like adults

Seriously, he needs to start working on 1 or 2 sentence soundbyte answers. The american people are too stupid to process nuance or thoughtfulness.

[SurfingAtWork]

18. Dupe