Burnt Orange Report

Debate #2 Liveblogging

By Byron LaMasters

This will be the thread for debate liveblogging tonight. I think I've got Jim committed to liveblog with me (he was going to on Tuesday, but fell asleep. I guess law school will do that too ya).

[Previous BOR debate liveblogging: Veep Debate Liveblogging, Post Veep Debate Liveblogging and the First Debate. Jim D. in Italics, Byron L. in regular type.]

9:34: "Saddam would still be in power and the world would be a lot better off."

9:33: Kerry's greatest strength has been how he has humanized every issue.

9:30: Ouch. This may just be the key to the night. Bush had the perfect chance with the last question about mistakes to be humble and to show humility. He failed. He is certain, but also wrong.

9:29: I think this was a grave mistake for Bush, to take a "yes or no" position on abortion. Most Americans have complicated feelings about abortion, and I think there will be broad sympathy for Kerry's position.

9:24: This is the moment I've been waiting for.

9:23: Ok, I'm reassured. Bush won't bring back slavery. But he opposed the James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act, and his running mate voted against sanctioning South Africa over Apartheid and against a holiday for Martin Luther King Jr.

9:22: "I would pick somebody who would pick me"

9:21: Oh here he goes pandering to the troglodytes.

9:20: Oh thank God, he's not for picking pro-slavery judges.

9:19: Bush is giving a fine response on the stem-cell question, although I think he is exaggerating the number of lines.

9:18: Cool. Pandagon is liveblogging after all.

9:12: Wood. I'm sure Wonkette will have something to say about that.

Update: She does: "Did the President of the United States really just ask Charlie Gibson if he "needed wood"? Where's Bob Dole when you really need him. . ."

9:11: Now that was odd. Need some wood?

9:10: Oh heck yes. Make him defend the PATRIOT Act.

9:08: Speaking of folksy. It's an interesting tack that Kerry is taking. He's reminding everybody that he, President Bush and Charlie Gibson are wealthy, but that he's on the side of ordinary people, and Bush isn't. I think it's effective. Kerry is an elitist. He can't deny it, and he isn't denying it. But he's effectively pivoted to say, "Neither of us is one of you, but I'm fighting for you - President Bush is not".

9:07: I like how Kerry keeps referring to Charlie Gibson and people in the audience. He seems like a real thinker.

9:05: Bush's "folksy" manner is backfiring. He looks like a goddamn moron.

9:04: Damn. Orwell.

9:03: Here's George Dubya Jetson again. I don't want a hydrogen car. I want a flying hydrogen car.

9:02: Did bush just say he was a good steward of the land? *gag*

9:02: "Bush has a record! Look at his record!" - lies.... all lies....

9:01: Bush's argument would be stronger if he actually could give examples of Kerry's "liberal" record. Kerry explains what he's done and what he'll do. Bush simply smears with a broad brush.

[The first hour of the debate in the extended entry.]

8:59: Just in case anyone forgot, George W. Bush is not a fiscal conservative. In fact, he's more liberal on fiscal issues than Carter and Clinton!

8:57: Kerry looks us in the eye.

8:53: I am a Keynesian, or I would be, if I could pronounce "Keynesian"

8:52: The blame game. No problem is Bush's fault. He'll take the credit for all the good news, but when there's bad news on the deficit, he plays the blame game. Blame Clinton. Blame 9/11. Blame the war. Blame tax cuts. How about taking some responsibility for once?

8:51: That's right, Bush. Beat up on the trial lawyers. It didn't work for Launch Faircloth, it won't work for you.

8:50: Ah, the baseball anologies. Bush is only 0/2? He's worse than that!!

8:49: You know why Kerry is smiling? Because screaming "liberal" is no longer viable politics in a post-Bush nation.

8:47: Senator Kennedy?

8:45: JohnKerry.com!!!

8:44: In your face, Mr. President.

8:43: On to the domestic issues, and Kerry is kicking ass. Bush is making up excuses for selling out to the drug companies: they're unsafe, they're not approved by the FDA, Kerry hasn't done anything...

8:38: Oh yeah, this woman is REAL undecided. He worries because he is optimistic... and a screenshot.

8:36: Clear, concise, perfect line: "The president chose tax cuts for the wealthy over protecting the homeland".

8:34: Poland?!?!?!

8:32: Ok, Angry Bush is back!!

8:31: Show-off. :-D Kerry likes to rattle off names

8:30: Rumors on the Internets?

"We don't need mass armies anymore"??? Then why is there a backdoor draft of our national guard and reservists.

8:29: So far this has been fairly free of gaffes. Both the president and the senator have done quite well.

8:26: I think that Bush has replaced his angry, annoyed look with a confused, perplexed look. It's rather amusing. CNN is doing regular cutback to both candidates while the other is talking. OMG - "That answer almost made me want to scowl" - that joke was totally FLAT. Haha.

8:22: OMG, Did Bush just compare himself to Ronald Reagan?

8:17: 17 Minutes to bring up "Wrong War, Wrong Place, Wrong Time". And Bush got it in the Wrong order.

8:13: Well, it took 13 minutes to bring up "the global test". Bush: "the kind of mindset that sanctions were working"? Uh, Mr. President, the sanctions were working. Good Kerry response. Bush should have taken the opportunity instead to bring up Kerry's vote against the 1991 Iraq war (after Kerry brought up supporting Clinton's intervention in the Balkans in 1998).

8:11: Bush sounds like he's about ready to pop.

8:08: More Dean bashing by Bush. Also liveblogging are Outside the Beltway and Wizbang.

8:06: It took two minutes: "A campaign of mass deception"

8:04: Wow. They like talked to each other for several seconds on the way out. If you didn't know better, you'd think they were old buddies at a class reunion. But impression will change quickly.

7:58: Looks like there won't be any liveblogging from Pandagon. Other livebloggers from the veep debate appear to be back:

Bull by the Horns, Washington Monthly and Vodka Pundit.

7:55: Alright. Jim and I are ready to go liveblogging. I'll be in regular type, Jim will be in italics.