BUSH DUCKING DEBATE
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| Wed, 09-15-2004 - 10:45am |
Presidential Debates and Missed Opportunities<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Wednesday, <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />September 15, 2004; Page A24
The president has been offered a rare opportunity to discuss key issues and concerns with Americans and appears to be leaning toward declining it . President Bush seems to be concerned about the town-hall-meeting format of the second debate, in which undecided voters picked by the Gallup Organization would ask the candidates questions. The Post noted that the Bush campaign is concerned that "people could pose as undecided when they actually are partisans."
Can't the president answer citizens' questions, partisan or not?
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I am extremely unhappy about the prospect of the president skipping the most critical of the three debates. But I am not surprised, given that the 1992 town-hall-style debate is largely seen as the nail in the coffin of his father's reelection bid and given the great pains the White House has taken to insulate President Bush from criticism and the opinions of Americans who are not vocal supporters.
Rather than canceling the town-hall debate, the Commission on Presidential Debates should leave an empty stool on stage next to the candidate who does show up. That might make for the most interesting presidential debate in years.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21915-2004Sep14.html?referrer=email
Patriotism means to stand by the Country. It does not mean to stand by the President. -- Theodore Roosevelt.

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It would be funny, and hopefully disastrous. Although it appears over 50% of the public has not been listening to this drivel up to now or they could not possibly consider voting for him. Or is this segment of the populace as ignorant as he is? God I hope not!
Patriotism means to stand by the Country. It does not mean to stand by the President. -- Theodore Roosevelt.
~mark~
Yes, I think I even mentioned that Clinton had only done two debates also. But he didn't have anything to prove as far as knowing the issues. This one does. So of course he will not do that debate since it would highlight his ineptitude.
Patriotism means to stand by the Country. It does not mean to stand by the President. -- Theodore Roosevelt.
I know he does not like the town hall style of debate, so if that is his problem, then have it made into another regular debate.... That way, there are still three debates, and Bush doesnt have to worry about having people being planted in the audience at the debate, the way they were when the Democrats were debating.
That is all the DNC has to run on.....Bush bad.....Bush bad.....Bush bad....
The Bush-Kerry race might not, at first glance, seem to have much in common with tumultuous past elections in places such as Haiti, Nicaragua and East Timor. But come Nov. 3, the United States will share a distinction with those countries: It will join the ranks of nations whose elections were overseen by international monitors.
Responding to the 2000 presidential deadlock, at least two international groups plan to monitor the Nov. 2 U.S. elections.
A delegation for Global Exchange, a San Francisco-based nongovernmental organization that has monitored elections in 10 countries, arrived here this week. The group will fan out to several swing states to investigate what spokesman Jason Mark said were serious and deepening concerns about minority disenfranchisement, the integrity of electronic voting machines and other issues that have "undermined confidence" in U.S. elections. Mark called the effort "unprecedented."
The group's 20-person team includes: Brigalia Bam, chairwoman of the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa; Damaso Guerrero Magbual, who heads the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections, the oldest election monitoring group in Asia; and Caerwyn Dwyfor Jones, a county election official in Wales who helped supervise Cambodia's first free elections as well as elections in other countries.
For the first time, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe also plans to observe the U.S. elections.
Patriotism means to stand by the Country. It does not mean to stand by the President. -- Theodore Roosevelt.
I wouldn't be too hopeful. The brilliant intellectual Al Gore was widely assumed to have the election in the bag until after the debates with Bush, Bush was underestimated then as he is now. That's good for him though, the more people go on about how bad he'll be in the debates, the less well he'll have to do to exceed their expectations. Funny how the horrendous speaker of drivel inspired a nation at his convention this year, while his opponent....
Personally, I think anyone who believes that 50% of the population is ignorant is just, well, ignorant. I've always believed that intelligent and educated people can have differing viewpoints, but then maybe that's just ignorant of me.
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