Looking (Way) Ahead - GE Debate?

[NashVegas]

Several of us have speculated about how we'd like to see our candidates have a chance to debate GWB* 1:1 and how glorious it would be to see him ripped to shreds.

I'm having second thoughts and thinking of 2000, seeing the Chimp look stupid, then hearing TV pundits say "Bush masterful."

How bright did we think Reagan was? I didn't think he was too bright, and all it took was four words, not relative to policy in the least, for him to wipe - or be perceived as wiping - the floor with Carter:

"There you go again."

If GWB decides to wiggle out of a debate, it might actually be a *good* thing, especially if his numbers are already on the way down during the course of the GE. If anything, another "masterful" showing in a debate could be his lifeline.

[leyton]

1. Expectations game.

I think that Bush somewhat won the expectations game. People expected Gore to trounce Dubya in the debate, but when Gore made the mistake of appearing frustrated and Dubya remained calm, the latter beat all expectations.

So perhaps we've got to make sure it looks like we're not cocky when we take on Bush. And if we nominate someone like Kerry, it might not hurt us if people expect him to be wooden in the debates, because then it's all the better when he loosens up and performs well.

[OneBlueSky]

2. there probably won't be any debates . . .

BushCo will engineer some kind of crisis sometime between the Republican convention and the election, and Bush will claim that he's too busy protecting America to stoop to politics at such a crucial time . . . besides, as long as Republicans control the election process, he won't need to debate . . .