Here is Just My Opinon’s real-time blog of the debate (edited for spelling):
Well, this had to be the worst debate of them all. I suppose it was a tie, i.e., they both dressed identically in navy blue suits and red power ties. Let me preface my remarks by saying I have already irrevocably made up my mind who to vote for. Nothing that happened in this debate could have possibly changed it. The only issue that matters to me is who will take the fight to the enemy in the (so-called?) war on terror. George Bush will. John Kerry will not. That’s all that matters to me. That said, here is my real-time record of the debate, if you can stand it. Questions form Shieffer occasionally appear as things ended with a question mark. My few comments are in brackets ([]). Here it is:
Kerry: rush to war, not enuf home security measures, FDR, RR, JFK
Bush: offense, spread freedom & liberty, Afghan elections, not nuisance, need comprehensive approach.
Kerry: the old Tora Bora BS, haven’t caught OBL [like he’s still alive]
Bush: of course we’re concerned about OBL
Bush: Flu shots? UK co had contaminated flu vaccine, now working with Canada. [Who cares?] I haven’t gotten & don’t intend to get a flu shot, cuz I’m healthy. Legal reform cuz US companies are afraid to do vaccine.
Kerry: health care not working. 5 mil lost insurance. will cover all Americans.
Bush: a plan is not a litany of complaint or something you can’t pay for. empty promise.
Kerry: how can u keep pledge not to tax anyone over 200K? – bring back pay as you go in congress. lost jobs, incomes and exports go down. restore fiscal discipline. roll back wealthy tax cuts. shut loopholes. I have a plan. Bush never vetoed a bill.
Bush: kerry 20 year record, always voted to raise, never to lower taxes. paygo means you pay, we go ahead and spend. pro growth, fiscal sanity in congress.
Bush: outsourcing? continue to grow our economy, help to go to college. make sure education system works. raise the standards.
[Bush is a little hyper.]
Kerry: Pres switched from jobs to education. Bush has taken surplus and turned into deficits. Everything going up. wages down. cut reeducation, cut pell grants, cut, cut.
Kerry: pres can’t control jobs? don’t blame entirely, blame what pres can do that has impact. make playing field fair. us worker subsidizing loss of own jobs. cut pell grants. fair trade playing field. Boeing.
Bush: we increased pell grants. more money cuz of tax relief. $1000 child credit, no marriage penalty, 10% bracket, it’s your money. govt stand side by side, not how to live yr lives, kerry’s record does not match rhetoric.
Kerry: supported tax cuts 600 times. pell grants.
Bush: kerry voted to increase taxes, etc., etc., not mainstream, left-wing, Kennedy is the conservative senator from MA.
Bush: Homo a choice? don’t know, but US consenting adults live how they want, we shouldn’t have to change marriage. worried about activist judges, so amend constitution. allow citizens to participate in process. let citizens not judges decide. not good for marriage to be defined by courts.
kerry: Cheny’s daughter, god’s children, homo not choice, must respect that. marriage bt man & woman, can’t discriminate, cant’ take away rights, let states do it.
kerry: sin to vote for kerry, catholic archbishops? I am a catholic, respect, but disagree. can’t legislate my article of faith. choice bt woman, god, doctor, won’t change roe v wade, won’t allow judges, altar boy, jfk, happens to be catholic, poverty, environment, injustice, jfk, god’s work our own.
bush: every child welcomed to life, reduce abortians, partial birth brutal, kerry against, promote life, work together, promote adoption, abstinence,
bush: health cost up whose faults? sure hpe isn’t me,heh, consumers need to be involved in decision-making. health saving accts. lawsuits. no info tech.
[went to pee and get more wine]
bush: kerry no record of leadership on senior’s drugs.
kerry: bush misleading I apposed bills I wrote eary childhood healthcare. pres is wrong.
kerry: health care, how pay? bush fiction untrue, my plan gives you the choice, no govt require, take over medicaid from states, buy into congress health plan, 55-64 buy into medicare early, cover people, save money.
bush: 1.2 trillion, 20 mil added to govt health care, largest ever, buiness disincented to provide insurance, govt poor quality, more control, other countries have poor quality, decisions by doctors and patients.
kerry: bad pres, no VA, not adequately funded. i am not proposing govt run program
bush: increase VA, twice predecessor, expanding, etc.
bush: SS savings accts? seniors will still get their checks, let me assure? problem for youngsters, problem in trillions, need different strategy, created committee, moynihan, younger should be able to get better rates of return, vital issue in 2nd term,
kerry: invitation to disaster, 2 trillion hole in SS, CBO says will cost, fiscal responsibility, no privatization
kerry: greenspan: can’t pay retirees, unless? tax cut would have saved SS. take away wealthy cut, back to 90’s, create jobs, bush lost jobs, he’s the first.
bush: people out there know they got tax relief, kerry voted against, 6 mos after I got in, market went down, now economy growing, make economy grow, keep taxes low.
bush: 8000 illegals every day, wha? increase border security, new equpment, will continue, I’m very familiar cuz TX, coming here for economic reasons, temp worker card, [good answer], takes pressure off employers, border guards, and immigrants. kerry supported amnesty.
kerry: middle class not making it, cuz of health care, gas, etc. take home pay down, rich richer, toughen borders, crack down on illegal hiring, earned legalization program.
bush: much better protected borders, kerry doesn’t understand, outrageous claim.
kerry: 4000 per day across border, new tech, thumbs, eyes,
kerry: minimum wage? long overdue to raise it, repubs wont even let us vote, lowest in history in 50 years, will raise to $7 an hour, more wealthy got big bucks form tax cut, equal pay for women, repubs stopped initiative for women’s pay,
bush; i support McConnell’s min wage proposal, it’s all about education, raise standard, no child left behind. can’t solve unless you diagnose problem. fix by measuring education. reading a new civil right. can’t compete without educ that doesnt quit on children.
bush: roe v wade? no litmus test, judges who will interprete constitution, but no litmus test.
kerry: no judge who will undo constitional right. right of choice is a constitutional right. pres is ambivalent. blacks in nyc unemployed, etc.
[more pee, more wine]
kerry: kerry is going to expand the military, use national guard domestically, most important, work with alliances, statesmanship, bush didn’t work with allies, no last resort, 200 billion better spent at home
bush: succeed in iraq, train iraqis, no global test, major difference, never turn over to other countries.
kerry: never suggested turn over to any nation, but must pass truth standard, but will never fail to protect us
bush; kerry against 1st gulf war. apparently can’t pass any test.
[need a cigarette, I’m bored}
bush: christians, muslims eauql, beauty of america, religion sustains me, people pray for me, I feel it, don’t want to impose on anyone else, love your neighbor, faith base initiative, god wants everybody to be free, afghan, gift from god, freedom & religion part of me.
kerry: respect Bush. freedom, everything gift from almighty, koran, native americans all have their ways, more loving neighbor to do, unequal school system, more work to do, always respect religion.
kerry: bring nation together? compliment bush, after 9/11, bush did good job, but not where we are today, pres now presiding over most divided nation ever, I will change that, must come together, I have done this, common ground, makes us strong, I pledge genuine restore bring people together, friend McCain, work on campaign reform.
bush: tried, like in TX, good friend ted kennedy, Washington tough town, entrenched special interests, divide in 90’s as well, McCain for me cuz of war on terror, kerry defeat and retreat.
bush: strong women? listen to them, stand up straight and not scowl. love her, laura speaks english better than I do, bbq, love at first sight
kerry: we both lucky people who married up, me more so than others, I can take it, my mom passed away, she said dying remember integrity, blah, blah, sense of right and wrong, keep me honest, bless pres, admire, great father,
kerry: need to be united, like fdr, does it work? dangerous times, tested, strong leadership, blah, blah, never allow veto on security, me in vietnam, can do better, respected again in the world.
bush: west tx painting, sunrise, sunset, optimism painting, been thru a lot, stock mkt, attack, reformed schools, more health care, armies of compassion, win wot, firm resolve, clear purpose, spread freedom, liberty, convert hostile world to peaceful world.