BillHobbs.com is a frequently updated blog of original reporting and commentary by Bill Hobbs, a longtime Nashville journalist and media relations adviser. I am currently serving as communications director for the Tennessee Republican Party, a job I began on Oct. 29, 2007.
Glenn Reynolds has a very good roundup of debate bloggage. For what it's worth, I think Bush won on both substance and style - Kerry seemed rather arrogant and haughty and as if he was trying to bait Bush into slugging him. Bush seemed forceful and certain and determined, but not arrogant or haughty. I was amazed to hear Kerry once again criticize the "nuclear bunker-buster" weapons program, the one weapons program that offers the United States - that is to say you and me - any chance of destroying nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass murder held in underground hardened bunkers by rogue regimes before they pass them on to terrorists or launch them against one of our allies or us. I had a full treatment of Kerry's dangerous promise last week here, and a follow-up here.
Bush was right on two related points last night. Kerry's narrow focus on defining the war on terror as a war to get Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda indeed is a "fundamental misunderstanding" of the threat and how to deal with it. And the core threat is this: weapons of mass destruction finding their way from rogue regimes to terrorists to use against the U.S. and its allies.
I think there were a couple of moments in the debate that could hurt Bush if they stick. He kept shouting at Rose and the audience in the beginning, and I think that will turn off a lot of women who are on the fence, although he did calm down after a while.
Kerry got in trouble with his abortion answer - it sounded wishy-washy, and on such a loaded issue both sides will hate him for it.
If the media calls Bush on the part-ownership in the timber company, that could add to Kerry's theme that he doesn't live in the real world. Its a nitpicky side issue, but its the kind of thing that can stick if it becomes part of the storyline.
Main Entry: FLIP-FLOP
Pronunciation: 'flip-"fläp
Function: noun
1 : the sound or motion of something flapping loosely
2 : a backward handspring b : a sudden reversal (as of direction or point of view)
3 : a democratic presidential or democratic vice-presidential candidate in the 2004 presidential elections.
- flip-flop intransitive verb
Main Entry: WAFFLE
Function: intransitive verb
Inflected Form(s): waf•fled; waf•fling
Etymology: frequentative of obsolete woff to yelp, of imitative origin
1 : EQUIVOCATE, VACILLATE; also : YO-YO, FLIP-FLOP
2 : to talk or write foolishly : BLATHER (or RATHER of cBS)
3 : a democratic presidential and/or democratic vice-presidential candidate in the 2004 presidential elections.
waf•fler &r/ noun: John Kerry and/or John Edwards
Main Entry: WISHY-WASHY
Pronunciation: 'wi-shE-"wo-shE, -"wä-
Function: adjective
Etymology: reduplication of washy
1 : lacking in character or determination : INEFFECTUAL
2 : lacking in strength or flavor : WEAK
3 : a democratic presidential and/or democratic vice-presidential candidate in the 2004 presidential elections.
- wishy-wash•i•ness noun: see democrat
Main Entry: LI•AR
Pronunciation: 'lI(-&)r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English lEogere, from lEogan to lie -- more at LIE
: see democrat
Main Entry: LIE
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): lied; ly•ing /'lI-i[ng]/
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English lEogan; akin to Old High German liogan to lie, Old Church Slavonic lugati
intransitive senses
1 : to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive
2 : to create a false or misleading impression
3 : an act or action committed by a democrat
transitive senses : to bring about a false agenda by telling lies
Main Entry: DEM•O•CRAT
Pronunciation: 'de-m&-"krat
Function: noun
1 a : an adherent of a socialistic transition to communism b : one who practices transitional socialism with the final goal of communism
2 capitalized : a member of the U.S.S.R. (United States Socialist Republic)
Main Entry: WEDG•IE
Pronunciation: 'we-jE
Function: noun
1 : the condition of having one's clothing wedged between the buttocks especially from having one's pants or underpants yanked up from behind as a prank -- often used with get or give
2 : the democratic party's plan for the American people should John Kerry win the 2004 presidential election
Main Entry: PLAN
Pronunciation: 'plan
Function: noun
Etymology: French, plane, foundation, ground plan; partly from Latin planum level ground, from neuter of planus level; partly from French planter to plant, fix in place, from Late Latin plantare -- more at FLOOR, PLANT
1 : a drawing or diagram drawn on a plane: as a : a top or horizontal view of an object b : a large-scale map of a small area
2 a : a method for achieving an end b : an often customary method of doing something : PROCEDURE c : a detailed formulation of a program of action d : GOAL, AIM
3 : an orderly arrangement of parts of an overall design or objective
4 : a detailed program (as for payment or the provision of some service)
5 : something the democratic party falsely claims to have : see WEDGIE
- plan•less /-l&s/ adjective: see democrat
- plan•less•ly adverb: the actions of a democrat
- plan•less•ness noun: see democrat
Posted by: SemiPundit at October 11, 2004 10:14 AM
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