I'm watching MSNBC and they are showing clips of past Kerry debates

[Bush was AWOL]

If Kerry could question and counter Bush comments like he did to Dean and Weld this shit would be over tomorrow night. I know we're supposed to downplay his ability to debate, but if they could ask each other questions and counter responses, this election would be over tomorrow night with Kerry winning an electoral landslide.

Kerry is tougher than I thought.

[Mojambo]

1. The rules of the debate

make it virtually impossible to have exchanges like that.

The format of the debates favors Bush greatly, IMO.

[tuvor]

4. What, if Kerry breaks some rules, he suddenly can't be president?

I have to have faith. Without it....

[Bush was AWOL]

2. I'm pissed at the Dems. who negotiated for agreeing with this

If they are actually allowed to debate, the election would be over tomorrow night and people would be ashamed they ever considered voting for Bush.

[emulatorloo]

11. Bush will break the rules, then it will be free for all.

Even if Bush plays by the rules. Kerry will handle him

[iwantmycountryback]

12. If they didn't have these rules

There would be no chance of having 3 debates.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

3. Kerry started a debate club when he was in prep school...

...so he's had a real love for debating for quite some time. Here's a link:

<http://encarta.msn.com/text_761581713___8/John_Kerry.html>

Excerpts:

"Kerry returned to Massachusetts to attend prep school at age 13. For the next five years he was enrolled at the elite St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire, where he founded a debate club and became a sports standout in hockey and soccer. In 1960, at 16 years of age, Kerry gave a speech at the school favoring the election of John F. Kennedy as president."

...snip...

"In the fall of 1962, Kerry enrolled at Yale University, where he became a leader in the Yale Political Union and the debate club."

...snip....

"Kerry was given a high honor at Yale by being chosen to deliver the class oration to the graduating class of 1966. He delivered a speech that questioned whether the United States should be involved in the Vietnam War, saying: 'The United States must, I think, bring itself to understand that the policy of intervention that was right for Western Europe does not and cannot find the same application to the rest of the world.'"

Kerry is a LOT tougher than most people think...his opponents have made the mistake of underestimating him, time after time. I think that the NeoCons have badly underestimated Kerry, and they're about to find out just how bad.

[n2mark]

5. Not sure

Not sure if this is true, but I read somewhere that Shrub and Kerry had the same debating instructor in college. But, depending on the student, you all finish......

[jean]

9. Olbermann said the same tonight on Countdown - same debate teacher

[secular_warrior]

6. suprisingly I agree with what Scarborough said

that Kerry should say "Unfortunately George Bush won't allow me to ask him why he let Osama get awat at Tora Bora, he won't allow me to ask him why he let Zarqawi and Al Sadr get away, and why he's not trying to win the war in Iraq or the war on terror."

[trogdor]

7. Well, I'm watching Hardball at U. Miami.

The screaming Kerry people easily outnumber the screaming Bush people by about 5 to 1.

[Bush was AWOL]

8. Uh, not according to Chris Matthews

[Shopaholic]

10. Yeah--but Matthews thinks

Al Gore is the Democratic Nominee. He said it more than once tonight as in "What does Al Gore need to do tomorrow night to win this debate?" Unbelievable. What a complete and total fucked up loser Tweety truly is.