The First Debate

Friday, October 1st, 2004
Filed Under: Politics/ 3 Comments


It was actually my intention to post on another topic tonight, but it wouldn’t be right to miss offering a few comments on the first presidential debate that took place earlier this evening.

The simple truth is that Kerry won. He made his points better than Bush, he looked and sounded better than Bush, and he controlled his emotions better than Bush. Think I’m nuts? Take a quick trip around the major news sites and look at the polls. Tune in to a couple of cable news shows, and listen to what the analysts are saying. Bush was looking for a kill shot tonight, a chance to ruin any presidential credibility that Kerry had, and he failed. Not only did Kerry look and sound presidential, but many have commented that someone without any knowledge as to the current president would have likely guessed it was Kerry.

Bush has never been a particularly skilled speaker, but his plain and simple routine seems to resonate with Joe Average out in rural Alabama. And honestly, maybe that guy thinks Bush won the thing running away. It’s impossible to educate people this late in the game. As Yogi Berra once said, “There are some people who, if they don’t already know, you can’t tell ‘em.”

Keep in mind that foreign policy was supposed to be the strongest area for George W. Bush. He won’t exactly be able to roll out “strength” as the reason he’s the best man to stimulate the economy. His exasperation won’t help create new jobs in this country. No reasonable person believed Bush could run on his miserable record and hope to win. Instead, his campaign has focused around a ridiculous assertion of leadership. Some people have been so blinded by this notion that they have lost sight of the facts.

Apply the qualifications and ideas of each candidate in a way that hits closer to home. Do you own a business? Do you run a company? Imagine that Bush took over for a year and applied his policies to your business. What would be left when you returned? Is that a risk you would be willing to take? The United States is our company. We are the board of directors, and our votes count. The future is now.