Kerry v Edwards speeches: "as if pep rally had morphed into a math class"

[PeaceProgProsp]

It looks like Kerry's attempt to preempt Edwards might have backfired by showing a contrast he'd probably prefer wasn't made apparent.

Mr. Kerry's and Mr. Edwards's contrasts with each other are mostly textbook questions of style and tone. On Tuesday night, when Mr. Kerry took to television to claim victory and bumped Mr. Edwards's own ebullient speech off the air, it was as if a pep rally had morphed into math class.

...

If Mr. Edwards, who has run an upbeat campaign, is to continue as an alternative to Mr. Kerry, he will face pressure to begin drawing some sharper differences with his opponent. He suggested one possible approach in their debate Sunday night by gently mocking Mr. Kerry for a long-winded answer about his vote to authorize Mr. Bush to use force in Iraq, a position Mr. Edwards shared.

Mr. Kerry did not wear especially well in the period in early 2003 when he was seen by many party leaders as the presumptive front-runner. Only after he slipped far behind Dr. Dean in the polls and joined him and Mr. Bush in opting out of public financing and the spending and contribution limits that come with it did Mr. Kerry begin to rebound.

Joe Trippi, who built a half-million strong Internet-based following as Dr. Dean's campaign manager until he was replaced after Dr. Dean lost the New Hampshire primary said, "Even the opt-out happened because of Dean. We moved the entire debate."

Mr. Edwards is now betting that he can move it some more.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/18/politics/campaign/18ASSE.html

[sleipnir]

1. Then it's time to learn Calculus!!

I'm breakin' out my old TI-85!!! Whoha!!! Here comes Mr. Kerry, I hope he gives lectures on Particle Physics, too! I love lectures, especially at 8am, those are fun.

[DjTj]

5. TI-85? old?

...man, I grew up with a good old TI-82...those were the days...

[DFLer4edu]

24. You're behind the times

Brutal torture is now eased with the aid of the TI-86!!!

[DFLer4edu]

25. I'm behind the times

I realized my calculator is actually a TI-83.

[fujiyama]

11. I have a TI-89...

so :P

The 89 is great cuz it has the Computer Algebraic System (CAS) which allows all the great symbolic manipulations.

I am such a geek. ;)

[GreenArrow]

2. the funny thing is

that while Edwards chided Kerry for his long-winded answer, his own answer took even longer.

[PeaceProgProsp]

3. I reacall that he answered the question in the first sentence. And then

talked in complete sentences and paragraphs about things that made sense and weren't a dodge.

[DjTj]

4. Kerry's answer: 477 words; Edwards' answer: 263 words

and Kerry was interrupted by the moderator in the middle. Edwards spent one-third of his words telling Kerry that there's still a race going on.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44506-2004Feb15_3.html

[GreenArrow]

18. I stand corrected

Must have been "bad intelligence." Maybe Edwards spoke for a longer time? It appears I was misinformed on this.

[DemDogs]

20. Big difference: Edwards answered

Edwards started his answer with "Of course." Then he did go on to criticize Bush, but first he answered. Kerry never did answer

[Name removed]

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[NV1962]

7. That's a compelling reason why he should run for Speaker instead then

A President doesn't need to excel with words, that's what the WH staff is for.

Running the government of the world's sole superpower takes a little bit more than the ability to deliver nice peptalks.

Give me a better reason than that... Heck, Edwards deserves a better pitch than that.

[Kinkistyle]

9. Don't need to be a good speaker to win White House.

I think we have MOUNTAINS of evidence pointing to the validity of that statement.

[spooky3]

15. Good communicators are usually excellent thinkers also.

Their thoughts are organized and they listen well.

[katieforeman]

23. well said!

[Skwmom]

16. Reagan was a great speaker.

A horrible president (no substance) but a great speaker. Will this country never learn?

[Carolina]

22. no he was an actor who learned his lines well

off the cuff, without notecards or a script, he was lost and "couldn't remember."

[JI7]

8. some people like math

[Awsi Dooger]

10. Now project this to October

And envision the contrast between a Kerry campaign event and one for Edwards, specifically how they will play on TV. Night after night for 8 weeks, other than debate nights, that's how the race will unfold in the nation's living rooms.

Why aren't we absolutely petrified of nominating another bland, laundry list speaker? Especially when the uplifting alternative has been smack in our laps the entire time.

I'm continually amazed at the overwhelming policy knowledge on DU, and the flunk-out level regarding sociology. The priority level between the two is reversed, and then some. On election Tuesday, the percentage of swing voters who will emphasize national security/military background will be hysterically dwarfed by those who swarm toward the more genuine and likeable candidate.

Our runaway hatred for George W. Bush refuses even a lightbeam of acceptance that he is personally likeable. The 2004 election tilts 100% on whether our nominee exceeds Bush' appeal, or like Gore makes GW look like a sincere, laughtrack charmer. Kerry is one avenue, Edwards quite another.

I really don't want to be here on election night, too deflated and sick to post a meaningless "I told you so" thread.

[NV1962]

12. "whether our nominee exceeds Bush' appeal"

True, hard to beat a sexy thing like Bush.

[robbedvoter]

13. Yup. Safire is pushing for Edwards too:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/18/opinion/18SAFI.html?hp
Here's how: Although Dean is not a kingmaker, he can be the frontrunner-maker. By staying in through Super Tuesday, this anti-Warwick could ensure Kerry's nomination. By throwing his waning strength (and Web fund-raising) to Edwards, he could help transform a routine Boston coronation into a neck-and-neck race down the homestretch.

There's a consummation devoutly to be wished. It would mean the weekly Kerry victory parade would be over and the media pendulum could swing again — and that the pressure would be on Edwards to cut the class warfare lest he expose the deep economic split in the Democratic Party.  

[NV1962]

14. Except Safire's talking outta his

wishbone.

Won't happen: Super Tuesday involves ten states, not one like WI (even a smooth operator like Edwards can't spread himself all over the place) and not all are open either (ahem, if you know what I mean)

Kerry slides onward, and Safire will come up with new nonsense to justify his creativity bonus.

Predicted right here!

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

17. Kerry, like Gephardt, has "Legislators Disease"

Can Kerry speak an entire sentence without adding in some statistic? "Back in the Legislature, we worked hard to pass the Graham-Huxley Act to improve schools by 14% and invested 3.4 billion in new programs for the children."

I loved Gephardt, but he had it even worse.

[KittyWampus]

19. Ah, The NYTimes Did It's Best In The "Kill Clark Effort."

Now it moves on to Kerry.

[DemDogs]

21. One of the great lines in journalism this year

Great work by Todd Purdum