Who won the 2nd Pres. Debate?

Republican_Man · **Fri Oct 08, 2004 9:51 pm Who won the 2nd Pres. Debate?**

So who do you think won the second debate?

I was at Homecoming stuff for my school, so I only saw the last 10 minutes.
From what I've heard from my dad, he did GREAT and I'm SURE that he won, but I'm gonna watch it tonight.

Arellia · **Fri Oct 08, 2004 9:56 pm**

Bush won. Not a tie, not Kerry. Bush won. He was in his element. Finally. He only missed a couple jumping points. I'm finally happy.

Defiant · **Fri Oct 08, 2004 9:59 pm**

I heard only that each candidate misstated things like mad. (no surprise!)

I only saw the closing statements, and it looked like Kerry knew what he was saying, and Bush was struggling to think of what to say. I will watch the rest of the debate tonight.

Republican_Man · **Fri Oct 08, 2004 10:01 pm**

Arellia · **Fri Oct 08, 2004 10:09 pm**

Bush won. I really don't care who's talkin'. He finally got Kerry to flail a little, and get a little uncomfortable, if I do say so. And also, Bush got mad. THE CROWNING POINT OF THE DEBATE: (paraphrased to memory)

Kerry: ...and the President counted the $84 he got from his timber company as a 'small business'--

Bush: *stands* Now, that's news to me...I own a timber company? ... *walks around smirking and turns to the mediator* Want some wood?

I APPLAUDED!

Republican_Man · **Fri Oct 08, 2004 10:11 pm**

Defiant · **Fri Oct 08, 2004 10:18 pm**

It wasnt misleading. It was entirely direct. He was more direct than hes ever been.

Republican_Man · **Fri Oct 08, 2004 10:19 pm**

Defiant · **Fri Oct 08, 2004 10:23 pm**

Yah, laugh at me. Thats a good way of proving your point. Oh wait, no its not.

Arellia · **Fri Oct 08, 2004 10:32 pm**

Bush made his points better tonight, he showed more strength tonight, and you can't say he was flailing on issues, because he wasn't. He was confident, he was on, and he was trumping Kerry whenever he could, unlike in the last debate where all my ferverent screaming of, "JUMP ON HIM, JUMP ON HIM!" didn't seem to effect his responses. This time, he rebuked Kerry's acusations of 'not providing the troops with the right equipment.' He hit Kerry's proposed 'summit' hard. He made a point of spending more on security, of having spent more for no child left behind, and having cuts in all ranges of taxes, INCLUDING the rich so that small businesses could benefit. He admitted to mistakes, but he stood up for himself and that Saddam would fund the terrorists and give them havens, and that under Kerry, Saddam would theoretically be in power. Kerry's response to that was weak. "Saddam might not be in power..." I don't call that a novel rebuke. No. Bush argued well on abortion and embreyonic stem-cell research (Not as well on stem-cell research, but good enough.)

Bush was on. It's game-time now.

Defiant · **Fri Oct 08, 2004 10:33 pm**

I will say nothing of the debate until I watch it, but I can bet you ten bucks that youre wrong, and only looking at the debate with your conservative spin.

Arellia · **Fri Oct 08, 2004 10:35 pm**

Did I say he was right the whole time? No. (Although, most of the time, YES, I did agree with him, no suprise there

) No spin. I'm simply saying that Bush was jumping on issues that I was glad he jumped on. Whether he was right or not, up to you. But he did state his opinion well this time. FAR better than last time.

LightningBoy · **Sat Oct 09, 2004 12:46 am**

Bush, bar-none.

Founder · **Sat Oct 09, 2004 4:51 am**

Bush, hands down. Anyone saying anything else is lieing to themselves.

sabertooth1217 · **Sat Oct 09, 2004 11:03 am**

Who do you think won the debate and why? I am going to go with John Kerry again (Last week he won the first debate, everyone can agree with that, other than stuck up people.) George W. Bush was more prepared this time around; He had a lot of things to say. GWB made a few jokes, which wasn�t the best when he is trying to gain votes. I learned a few things about JK that I didn�t know before to. I.E. he is for abortion and voted 98 times to raise taxes. But JK did look into the camera, after a request from one of the people who asked him in the debate, to look in and promise the entire country that he will not raise taxes. If he does raise taxes, in four years when he runs again, I will not support the man, but I would still vote democrat no matter what. I may be considered very arrogant and haughty for that statement but I live by it. John Kerry won the debate because he was able to comment on everything, and it was fast with reason. Bush tried to stall off and on (He spoke a lot slower than John Kerry did and there were times where he was just walking around and not saying a thing during the debate.)

Arellia · **Sat Oct 09, 2004 1:50 pm**

Disclaimer: Excuse the randomness of these paragraphs. I don't have the time to quote everything, or put things in order. Sorry.

WHY the popular vote is NOT what you need to look at: If we went by the popular vote, candidates could concentrate on a FEW high-population states and blow by the elections, leaving the middle of the country to rot. (Essentially.

) I'm not saying the electoral college is the end-all be-all in a democracy. But it protects states like North Dakota, who would otherwise be tossed aside and ignored. It's the only strategy we have for protecting the most states we can. Bush did not steal anything. Did you notice Ohio? The vote was just as close in Ohio as it was in Florida, and Gore was given Ohio. Stealing? NO! The only reason Florida was an issue is because they did not have a recount protocal. Otherwise, it would have been just as quiet as any other recount.

Jumping around a lot? Eh? I don't think ANYONE is getting what I was saying.

Bush. Was on. The OFFENSIVE. Finally. THAT was/is my point. When I saying 'jumping' I mean that as in pouncing on a point, getting in a jab to the other side, etc. And he DID answer the questions. Am I mistaken, or did Kerry himself skip around points? Hm.

Kerry's defense about allowing partial birth abortions was shallow, least be said. That is THE most GRUESOME form of abortion (Not that the other forms are any less...) and voting to let it be was a mistake. (Even though it did get banned, as I recall)

2.3 trillion dollars in new spending, cutting the deficit in half over 5 years, and...what? Kerry's going to lower taxes? My, my, we ARE going to disappoint people, aren't we? (NOT to mention, unless the majority in congress changes, NO, HE CANNOT GET NATIONAL HEALTHCARE! Period.)

Bush walks around, he pauses. Kerry is a better speaker. Anyone will tell you that. I don't call it stalling. The jokes lightened the mood, something that politics needs here and there, quite frankly. Some of our greatest presidents walked into debates smiling and joking (*tastefully*) about some things. Not a sin.

Note the debate critics. How many are saying Kerry WON? Not a lot. Those who are saying the equivalent (Without coming out and saying "Kerry Won," you note) Start a good deal of sentences with 'But.' "Bush did well, BUT..." "Kerry did well, BUT..." Amusing, wouldn't you say?

Founder · **Sat Oct 09, 2004 3:56 pm**

I liked Bush's strength in this debate. You could tell he got a lot of grief for losing the last one and he was going to make damn sure well he wouldn't lost this one. It was blatantly obvious Kerry was caught off guard by this.

Bush made jokes? Oh no! A candidate can't make a few jokes.....Sickening..... We need cold emotionless robots in the White House like Kerry, Edwards, and Gore.

Although it was funny when Kerry lied and said Bush owend a Timber Company.

Arellia · **Sat Oct 09, 2004 4:45 pm**

Two words: Go Founder.

I am also VERY intrigued as to how he's going to get France and Germany with us. The mind tricks are a working theory. Either that, or, I don't know, we could...hm...bribe them by passing money under-the-table like a certain dictator we used to know? Better question: Why do we WANT allies that will take money from a man like Saddam Houssein?

Republican_Man · **Sat Oct 09, 2004 5:42 pm**

Republican_Man · **Sat Oct 09, 2004 5:59 pm**

Oh, and that "I made a mistake in talking about the war. The President made a mistake in taking us to war" line that Kerry's been saying is baloney. It's nothing more than caca. He didn't just make a mistake in talking about the war--he voted AGAINST FUNDING OUR TROOPS!

silent_one22 · **Sat Oct 09, 2004 6:16 pm**

CJ Cregg · Commodore Joined: 05 Oct 2002 Posts: 1254

This debate was a tie.

If you like Bush, Bush won
If you like Kerry, Kerry Won
If your undecided/Independant, Kerry Won.