Just watched the Dean/Perle debate and guess what? I ENJOYED IT

[BigBearJohn]

It was refreshing to watch two intelligent men have an
intelligent conversation WITHOUT lobbing "sound bites" at
each other!! IMHO they both presented there realities
very well. And the "debate" showed me the kind of conversations
Republicans and Democrats SHOULD be having, instead of the
typical juvenile banter. There was a bit of give and take
during the evening and I was actually able to sit back and
relax during the evening, willing to take in both sides.
(NOW WASN'T THAT A SWITCH!!!)

I have had my faith totally restored in DEAN.
Dean was extremely eloquent, focused, and he truly FRAMED
the discussion of what Democrats are all about. He took no
guff from Perle; in fact he countered some of Perle assertions
with vigor, reason and determination.

I actually walked away from the debate knowing more about
both sides than I had known before.

BEST OF ALL, it gave me an extreme confidence that we sure
do have the right man now as Democratic Chairman. The goosebumps
are still running up and down my spine. I truly admire Dean.
I am reborn.

[Psephos]

1. Excellent post n/t

[BigBearJohn]

22. Thanks!

[magellan]

2. Hear, hear!

I caught the last 10 minutes. It was a classy and classical debate -- an actual old-fashioned intelligent discussion between two men who knew what they were talking about and showed each other respect.

The content of Perle's rhetoric was as expected and didn't move me. But I was blown away by Dean! He expressed what I was thinking, responses that -- until he opened his mouth -- I had no hope of ever hearing coming from a Democrat in my lifetime.

Can the Chairman of the DNC run for President??

[Gulf Coast J]

12. Bush 41 was chairman of the RNC before he ran for the nomination in '80

No reason Dean can't run in 2008. If the Democrats make decent gains in '06 and Dean is seen as a major reason, I'd have to think that he would up their with Sen. Clinton as a major contender for the nomination.

[Erika]

3. Dr. Dean was great

He was a professional and a gentleman, and gave the message we aren't going to put up with the Bush radicals anymore.

[madfloridian]

4. Excellent post. I agree.

That is the essence of Dean, the one you saw in that debate tonight.

[Cary]

5. Me too.

[eleny]

6. Perle is still a scum sucking bottom feeder

I don't care how articulate he may be. He's a PNACer and one of the worst of the worst. I'd lift my skirt and piss on his grave.

[Indiana_Dem]

8. I think everyone has to remember, Perle had to be on his best

behavior because he was not in friendly territory. The audience was clearly behind Dean. Perle had to be civil. He did well at that because he had to. I heard him on an NPR interview one time and he was absolutely cruel sounding and at that time he was safe in a radio studio without people to heckle or harass him.

I have to give Perle credit for agreeing to come and debate Dean. Maybe he thought he could present his argument better than Dean.

Dean was absolutely stunning. I've always pictured Perle as Satan....at least some evil man from a Vincent Price movie anyway. But Dean's resoluteness, vitality, and strong rebuttals made Perle appear as an old weary man.

[eleny]

10. I give not an inch of credit to Perle for anything

He's a political demon who would drag us all to hell if it suited his needs.

[ailsagirl]

11. Amen. I couldn't stand to listen to him but Dean did great!!

[burythehatchet]

17. the really funny thing is that Perle has been Wrong

about everything. Where's the accountability? Not to mention his insider dealing with Lord Black. (It was painful to type Lord, btw)

[arikara]

30. The phony title doesn't mean a thing to anyone

except to the other phony "lords" that prance around England. Even CBC doesn't use the scumball's title when referring to him.

[meow2u3]

13. Perle even SOUNDS like Vincent Price

My apologies to Vincent Price.

[housewolf]

7. Neither is campaigning for anything

I wonder if that's the difference.

I enjoyed it to.

[Bouncy Ball]

28. Yes, that has to be taken into consideration.

I think it's too bad when people are running for office, they actually start modifying their behavior and message in weird ways.

I think they should stay true to who they are and what their message is, even while running for office. I know that's easier said than done, but I think it is even more important than ever.

[lady lib]

9. I just watched the last 30 minutes and loved Dean.

He's blunt, clears right through the right wing crap, and kicks ass!

[SoCalDem]

14. That's what debate is truly about..

People being willing to listen patiently to BOTH sides.. We have lost the "art" of public debate.. What we have now is nothing more than "smashmouth speechifying".. Neither participant actually listens to the opponent, because all their time is scripted, and they have no intention of addressing each other's point.

[bklyncowgirl]

15. It was a good debate

This was an intelligent and wide ranging discussion where the participants had the time to get into the details of the subject.

You have to give Perle some props for keeping his cool with a crowd that clearly didn't like him but you also have to have a great deal of respect for Dean's willingness to take on an opponent whose life is foreign policy. Even a minor gaffe here could have been a disaester and while Dean's clearly knowledgeable, he's not a foreign policy pro. I thought he did a very good job of framing the issues and outlining in broad terms his foreign policy philosophy.

Good stuff and far more informative than you typical candidate's "debate" or your Crossfire style tv slamfest.

[sellitman]

16. I found it sad.

Sad that Dean isn't our President instead of the Nit-wit we wound up with.

[rjx]

23. I feel your pain

Dean had my full support ever since I found out about him a few years back. It is sad.
I doubt that Dean would run for President again, but when his popularity sky rockets, ya never know.

[Bouncy Ball]

29. I can't listen to Dean speak

without feeling a touch of wistfulness.

I was one of his original supporters, way back in the very early primary days.

[sellitman]

39. I never send money to a Politician until Dean ran.

He was the first to get me to put my money where my mouth is. I gave on multiple occasions. I gave to Kerry too much later but not with the same gusto. If only he had won our boys might be on their way home by now. Damm these Pukes!!!!

[Paradise]

18. Thanks for this post. Like you, I actually enjoyed the debate. n/t

[blue neen]

19. Agreed. 100%.

I was so impressed with Chairman Dean. He had a fantastic knowledge of the foreign policy issues they were discussing. He is showing what DEMOCRATS STAND FOR. He was articulate and forthright.

He and Perle were both gentleman, but I do feel Dean bested Perle in the debate by a WIDE margin.

[dandrhesse]

20. your perspective is interesting, I watched the same thing and I had

to turn it off. Why do we tolerate the Republicans lying to the american people every chance they get. It is unfortunate the shoe didn't hit him in the head that would have made it more interesting.

I thought it was interesting that the moderator called for some respect for the speaker. The speaker, in my opinion didn't deserve respect. When you stand before a well-informed crowd and lie, you deserve to be booed.

I wish more people would do that in general. During press conferences it would be refreshing to hear a reporter say "that is not true, the answer you just gave, implies or states that ... and that has been proven time and again to be baseless or false." I realized this would only happen once because they would lose their press pass... which brings up another sore point.

[annabanana]

21. Our Country needs SO MUCH MORE of this..

This is the kind of show that should be shown in our schools, should be in prime time on the networks. It is exactly the kind of information that Americans need if we are to be good stewards of America.

[rjx]

24. Does anyone know where on the net

I could find a video of the debate? I looked nfor a while, but didn't find anything.

[BigBearJohn]

25. Try this link:

http://movies.ziaspace.com/American%20Perspectives-~2.wmv

[Bouncy Ball]

26. Wow. Now I need to either watch it online or read

the transcript after that description.

I would expect that from Dean. The man has the backbone of about five men. Which is greatly appreciated, especially nowdays.

I truly admire and respect him.

[mzmolly]

27. Bravo!

:hi:

[ultraist]

31. Dean KICKED ASS!

He spoke out like a true blue DEMOCRAT! :kick:

[BigBearJohn]

32. I truly admire the man. He a total grasp on what needs to be done.

I am going to do everything I can to support him.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[ComerPerro]

34. I will never, ever, give credit to any Republican or neocon for debating

Its easy as hell to debate anyone, anytime, anywhere when you can lie your ass off and no one will call you on it.

And Perle did just that (in the parts I saw, I didn't see it all).

Lies about "We went on the best intelligence we had availible" are just vile and nauseating.

Also, while watching this I pondered something that I find myself wondering about just about every time I watch a neocon:

Why are all Republican policies based on lies?

[coreystone]

35. The "DEAN/Pearle" debate will be on C-SPAN at 5PM (EST)....

I hope I would not have to start a new thread to draw attention!

:-)

[SmokingJacket]

36. So many Democrats seem to have gone into hiding...

but Dean is out there blasting away at the Repubs.

I admire him so much.

[applegrove]

37. The Rovbots will be spewing fumes!!!

[coreystone]

38. I supported Dean, still do, but!!!.................

He has got to get his facts straight. I just watched the Dean/Perle debate. Dean was talking about Cheney. He was referring to Cheney's tenure as Secretary of Defense. At first he started to say in Bush I's administration, then he MIS corrected himself to say Cheney was SOD under Ford. It wasn't the only miscue. All in all, I think Dean did a reaasonable job, but he certainly didn't hit any home runs; maybe some strong doubles and a triple here and there. Remember he was in "friendly" territory!

:-)