Any "not a real debate" complainers wish to recant?

[CarolynEC]

For all the kvetching about the rules, about how it wasn't going to be a "real" debate, about how the repugs victimized us again... it seems to me the structure of tonight's event worked very much in Kerry's favor.

For one, he had to keep his answers fairly short, and not slip into techno-wonk mode. He was wonderfully focused and clear, as a result.

And the structure prevented the dialogue from descending into nasty bickering, where JK would dominate to such a degree that he'd be accused of being "mean" to our delicate little president.

Maybe Vernon Jordan knew exactly what he was about when he negotiated the terms of the debate?

:)

[sangh0]

1. DU's Gloom and Doomer's are never right

Never

[restorefreedom]

2. I'll eat some crow..

I thought it was going to be boring

Guess the Big K showed me...

[krkaufman]

15. I will, as well.

I thought the rules would limit the back-and-forth.

There was plenty of rebuttal, and Lehrer did a great job moderating.

[siliconefreak]

3. It was a great surprise

I was so depressed last night, thinking about the direction of the campaign and the notion that the "debates" would be a complete farce. Wow - how things can change in 24 hours!

The debate format was the best I've ever seen. I can't believe I'm saying that.

[CarolynEC]

4. That's our guy. JK knows how to use the tools and materials at hand....

.... and build us a victory. Not a done deal yet, but he sure laid in a solid foundation tonght.

Next even is a tow-meeting format -- prepare to watch him shine!

[Selwynn]

5. No, not at all.

Kerry did very well in what ammounted to not a real debate.

[Lex]

6. Well, it *wasn't* a real debate format.

But I never doubted Kerry's ability in any format.

In a real debate, Kerry would've beat Bush's rear-end even MORE.

[CarolynEC]

8. ... and instead of winning praise for his sharp focus and laser-like...

... clarity, he would have gotten into a real scuffle and been tagged as being "too mean" to our poor little chimp of a president.

No, he got his points in, he and Bush addressed each others statements just fine... and JK blew holes in Bushie's stories as needed.

The format worked just fine. Information was exchanged and contested, and JK got his message out to the one who matter most: the voters.

[tinrobot]

7. After they tossed out the rules

It became a real debate.

[LTR]

9. It was much better than I thought

And this has nothing to do with how they performed. I thought the debate would be bland, safe and stupid-proof. No interaction between the two. No rebuttals.

This turned out very well. And there was a lot of substance in the debate tonight. Not bad.

Oh, and Kerry kicked Dumbya's ass!

[CarolynEC]

10. Any venue from which Bush exits wearing a boot print on his butt...

... is a good venue!
:toast:

[Lex]

11. True. Very true.

Can't complain about the way Kerry kicked his butt tonight!

[despairing optimist]

12. My Ralph Kramden imitation: Hummah hummah hummah . . .

Actually, the debate was a revelation, the best conducted that I can remember in more than 30 years of watching them. Everyone stayed within the rules, more or less; the audience was dutifully silent throughout the proceeding; the moderator asked intelligent, important questions and didn't let the candidates get away with much; and the candidates stayed on message (W still believes in Santa and the Yellow Brick Road, etc.). Given such a, um, fair and balanced forum, it was a perfect opportunity for Kerry to excel, and he took full advantage. News flash to Arnold: it's time to cut the girly-man stuff before the blowback hits you.

As for negotiating the terms for the debates, the next one is, I think, in a townhall meeting format, which might be more forgiving of chimps caught in headlights. I hope Bill Clinton has been coaching Kerry, since the townhall meeting is where he shines. (What's the format for the last debate?)

But Kerry has clearly shown he can handle things very well, in his own style--very important for a leader to have. Whatever the format, he's got what it takes, and voters of all persuasions were impressed on Thursday night.

[bobbieinok]

13. Lehrer was a much better moderator than he's been in the past

[enki23]

14. actually, the rules were circumvented

and so it became something of a debate after all. they used the "optional" thirty-second re-rebuttals more often than not. and in them, they challenged, and responded to each other's points. had they followed the rules more completely, it would have been much more hollow.

luckily, the rules mostly got lost in the shuffle. and bush broke them more than kerry, in any case.

[CarolynEC]

16. No, the optional rebuttals were a PART of the rules.

Nothing was circumvented.

My point is that way too many people were buying into spin designed to undermine the importance of this event for a presidential challenger. The effect was to help diminish the value of JK's performance before it even happened. All in the name of some sort of ideological purity -- or etymological purity -- about what is a "real" debate and what is not.

What we saw last night was a real debate, played out within the agreed-upon rules.

And JK won, a victory that may prove to be the decisive factor in his winning the White House.

[SheepyMcSheepster]

17. indeed, it was much better then i thought it would be. eom.

[SCDem]

18. I was happily suprised

I was expecting to have dual press conferences but I was very satisfied what transpired.