If you think this has merit, please recommend it. I don't like asking for this, but the sheer volume of posts here gives a very short life span to a diary entry. Unless it is recommended.
Your mission should you decide to accept it:
Reading this from PoliPundit, A Consertative Blog. I get the impression that the Freepers will focus on three things in the following days. Look for these themes and get ready to slice and dice them NOW:
First theme: Kerry is veague
Who Won the Debate .... Kerry made some mistakes, .... by bringing up Domestic Policy several times, and by refusing to answer repeated requests for specific actions he proposes. (emphysis here mine) That won't help John.
Second Theme: Minimalization
Was anyone's mind changed? Starting with the obvious, while a lot of people said they would watch, I don't think very many people stayed there for all 90 minutes. That helps Kerry for his quick start, but the fact that he couldn't make salient points (emphysis here mine) is not good for changing minds. That is, the Bush people still are going to support the President, and the Kerry core will still be with Kerry. Nothing was said that would change the bases on each side. Of the undecideds, Kerry only gained some who were leaning to him anyway. If the election were Saturday, Kerry would gain some points, but he didn't do what he needs to, to keep them.
Again the minor theme of Veague here.
Third theme: Nothing Memorable
What will be remembered from this debate?
Not much. Kerry couldn't make his chances into anything serious, and Bush couldn't prove Kerry an idiot. The internals for Kerry will rise a bit, but not too much, because all Kerry did was say what he has said before. He refused to stake a specific position, (emphysis mine) and that is never a good plan.
This is also the third way they have said veague.
Expect them to turn it to indicisive also. I thought that the real key to this line of attack was the following:
Before the debate, I noted the things to watch for. Neither man sweated or looked totally bad, but Kerry was definitely more confident. On the other hand,
Kerry never answered the hard questions (emphysis mine), and that will settle in over the next few days. Worse, Kerry drifted off topic at least as much as Bush, but where Bush came off as, well, the same as he has before, Kerry reminded a lot of people that he is an internationalist, who promises a lot without any details, and who
talks tough but won't take a leak without someone's permission first. (emphysis mine)
All in all, not much change, and that means Bush dodged a bullet, and Kerry missed an opportunity.
This one impressed me, a shot at the swiftboat theme and veague and indecisive in the same breath. If you think that attacks along these lines have disapeared, you're wrong.
See where I'm going here, They are still working on the flip flop theme. Now, what are the short arguements (with Facts mind you) that we can use to discredit Bush and keep the pressure on the Mainstream Media?
Remarks should be of the type that you can cut and paste then submit it to your favorite Media publication that is busy trying to bias in favor of Bush in the interest of fairness.