I predict Bushie will agree to one debate in 04 elections

[RuB]

and then let the right wing media justify his actions and they will get away with it. They will say among other things that America knows his stance on the issues ect blah blah blah.

[La_Serpiente]

1. The American people will not let him get away with it

That's lame.

What would be even worst is if he got the questions in advance, like Ahhnold.

We should have one debate on foreign policy, one debate on domestic policy, and one debate on where we want out nation to go.

At least the Democratic nominee would be big on vision.

[drdigi420]

2. the american people

HA!

I'm not impressed with us as a whole lately.

No wonder the world views us as reactionary rednecks.

[RuB]

19. There's no word to describe how pathetic America has become!

9/11 was a tragedy for damn sure but come on America!

[Resistance Is Futile]

18. Clues

1. The American people will believe whatever TV tells them to believe.

2. TV is now an integral component of the right-wing olgiarchy.

3. No self-respecting olgiarchy will ever allow its figurehead to be debased at the hands of an outside opponent.

[w13rd0]

3. Will he require that he know the questions in advance too?

I'm sorry, but if he were to try shit like that, well, it's not like my opinion of him and his bushbots can get much lower, but that would be sad. man can't handle dissent anywhere he goes. yeah, he LOVES free speech...right...

[alcuno]

4. That many?

I predicted last January that there would be no debate at all. What's he going to say? What can he say? Terror, terror, terror, terror, terror...?

[Kolesar]

5. I was predicting "zero" debates, but you have a point

Refusing to debate would be costly, so the GOP will stage something. The debate will be Shrub's "hail Mary" football play, trying to win in the last seconds, despite being widely hated and distrusted.

[Davis_X_Machina]

11. No debates.

The late date of the Republican convention has little to do with the proximity to 9/11. Far more important is having the convention as near to the actual election day as is feasible.

Stall the negotiations on format, etc, as long as possible. Then plead shortness of time, that at the candidate's time -- apart from the hours each day spent managing the War on Terra, that is -- is fully spoken for, and hence no debates.

It's less than a 60 day window. They can spin it out so that Junta Boy both never debates, and never pays a price for never debating.

As Viggo Mortensen said, "The current administration is, in many ways, perhaps the most powerful and effective public relations firm in the world. "

[snippy]

28. Good analysis. I think you are right.

Bush risks too much if he debates and the failure to debate easily can be spun.

[maha]

6. People are getting pissed off.

I agree he will try to avoid debates, because that's his pattern. However, if he's behind in the polls next fall, which is entirely possible, he might lack the political "capital" to avoid debating.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

7. And it will be on Fox

And he'll get the questions in advance. The Democrat MIGHT get the questions in advance, if they ask nicely.

He'll memorize 3 self-depracating jokes.

He'll memorize 4 platitudes.

He'll memorize 4 or 5 accomplishments that will, of course, be lies.

He'll avoid answering any uncomfortable questions and Rove will have taught him how to answer a question about smoking out terrorists instead.

He'll talk about changing the tone in Washington and how tragic it is that the Democrats haven't heeded the message.

The debate will end. You and I will believe that the boy king should hang his head in humiliation and start packing his stuff to go back to the pig farm. The TV commentators will talk about what a master stroke of statecraft Bush's performance was.

Can you see it? I sure can.

[Lefty48197]

8. Only if it's on Faux

and if Brit Hume is the moderator, AND if he has control of the Democrat's microphone.

[elfin]

9. I think you are right...

and even then it will be a courageous thing for him to do because he will be so busy responding to a (planned) terror attack that taking precious time from being Flyboy in Chief shows how patriotic he is and how much he cares about the democratic process in the face of terror.

[bluestateguy]

10. Mm, hm

It will be one of those Meet the Press style debates. He'll insist on Karl Cameron of Fox as the moderator. His negotiating team will never let him do a town hall meeting where ordinary citizens could ask him questions about the missing Weapons, etc.

[Hieronymus]

12. They'll

say that he's too busy with the war etc. to take time out for debate. Never mind he's campaigned non stop.:kick:

[dbt]

13. No debating for bu$h

Either Dean or Clark would carve him to bits and the boy's handlers are painfully aware of this. They'll find some way to dodge a debate completely.

:evilgrin:
dbt

[SoCalDem]

20. There will be an elevated terror alert the day before, and he will

address the nation from the oval office and say how sorry he is , but the safety of the "murkan" folks comes before politics..

The faithful will swoon, and immediately attack the evil contemptuous democrats for trying to get them all killed by distracting the fearless leader..</sarcasm>

[RuB]

23. Or they'll suddenly grab Usama and Saddam

right before or a week after the pathetic excuse of a Republican convention and it will divert the ridiculously short attention span of the American people. They may even spice it up and say they were found in bed together. That'll really divert America's attention.

[caledesi]

14. Any ONE of our candidates would crush *.

All of them are articulate,composed, factual..bye bye *.

[Cat Atomic]

15. I don't think he'll even do one debate.

They'll say he's too busy with "national security" issues. In other words, the idiot do what he always does when he's in a corner. He'll scream, "9-11!! 9-11!! 9-11!!"

[Rooktoven]

16. I wanna see John Edwards question Bush.

THere's your dream debate. You'd only _need_ one.

[Clete]

17. Bullshit.

I can say that can't I as an answer? There will be no debates with Bush anymore than the staged events before the last enthronement and even less this time. Look what the other Austrian got away with in California?????????????????????

[onebigbadwulf]

21. Australian Foreshadow

The fact that Bush answered ZERO questions on his tour of Asia and Australia can give America an eerie foreshadow of things to come in 2004.

[w4rma]

22. He'll have to be hounded and shamed into accepting a single debate, IMHO

Bush* is the most pathetic SOB to ever disgrace the White House.

[snippy]

29. I agree. And the hounding and shaming should begin now.

Democrats should start now saying that Bush will not be allowed to debate, just as he is not allowed to hold press conferences. This could force Bush into holding a press conference and it might make Bush go on the record that he will debate the democratic candidate. Then if Bush pulls out, the democratic candidate can hammer him for LYING AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN.

[GalleryGod]

24. One debate; 60 minutes in length; Late October.

Maybe Pigboy Russert as moderator so he can show clips of the Dem Nominee like the Clinton-Lazio Ambush. We can't count on the debates for anything.

[radfringe]

25. 1 debate IF

- he gets questions in advance
- "candidates" can't ask each other questions
- all questions will be limited to one specific topic
- all questions will be approved by and re-written by Rove
- the network sponser has to guarantee standing ovations
(only for the whitleass)
- audience members will have to be screened and vetted
- debate won't be "LIVE" so that Rove can edit it's content
- those asking the scripted questions will have to be screened/vetted
- camera close-ups will only be on the whistleass
- audience shots will only be of pre-selected people with frowning
faces when the Dem candidate is speaking

basically IF it happens, it will look like a pre-planned, scripted and rigged game show

[DemocratSinceBirth]

26. One Debate Is Risky....

There is no opportunity to redeem yourself if you flop...

Much to his eternal regret Carter agreed to only one debate with Reagan... When he "flopped" there was no opportunity to redeem himself...

Reagan had two debates. One with Cater. One with Anderson. Reagan was outpointed by Anderson but got props for debating him...

Also, there have been debates since 1976. They have become part of electing a president. There's no way * can avoid them.... And Chimpy's hubris will compell him to debate...

[union_maid]

27. We win the debate

Doesn't matter who the candidate is, or even if there's no debate. This one is a win for us. He says no debate and it's a major campaign issue. He says yes and he gets creamed unless he can actually have someone there to give the answers for him. I can't see a downside here.

[Silverhair]

30. Two debates & one VP debate also

First, there will be debates. The formula is gravitating toward a two & one mix, so that will probably hold. Both sides will have to agree on the questioners and the moderators. All channels will carry them.

There will be some positioning as each side accuses the other of trying to avoid debates.

[snippy]

31. That is certainly the pattern of past elections since 1976.

However, there is so little upside to Bush in debating that I doubt he will be allowed to do so.

[NicoleM]

32. If Georgie is too scared of our nominee to debate,

our nom should demand a minimum of two debates. He should say that he'll show up whether George does or not. Then we need a major outlet to agree to it. I think somebody will--big ratings if he shows or if he doesn't. If George doesn't show, not only does he look like a big baby, but our guy gets free airtime. And if he does, we take him apart.