Real Kato Blog: The Debate, Round 3 Results

These are belated results because I was out of town when I watched the debate. Oh, and I was drunk because we were playing a debate drinking game, based on predictions of what the candidates would say next. The candidates were, um, very predictable.

Here we go.

Kerry - Are you wishy-washy?

(Oh, I see, it's Charlie Brown and Lucy who are running for President.) Kerry addresses the flip-flop charge, again, and Bush tries to make it stick, again. I don't see how Bush can continue to try to make this argument; is the idea that if he says it enough, or says it loudly enough, people will start to think it's true? ("$87 billion"... drink.) Maybe he's right. Kerry 4, Bush 3.

Bush - Were you justified in invading Iraq, given that your criteria for doing so apply to other countries, like North Korea?

9/11 blah blah blah, weapons of mass destruction blah blah blah. Kerry goes back and addresses the flip-flop thing one more time, then gives the standard "I would have used that force wisely" stump speech. This is really getting old, for both of them. The only new thing is the Duelfer report (drink). Kerry 3, Bush 3.

Kerry - Is your plan for withdrawing from Iraq different from Bush's?

Kerry: Yes. Bush: No. I find it somewhat interesting that the best Bush can do is argue that he's got the same idea as Kerry, rather than pointing out flaws or differences. But then again, Kerry isn't doing too well explaining exactly how things would be different. Bush gives the same flawed numbers as before (125,000 "trained" Iraqi troops). Bush is starting to get agitated again. Kerry 3, Bush 3.

Bush - What is your plan to repair relations with other countries?

Wow, a good question. Bush's response seems to be: we're not going to do crap. Summary: "I make unpopular decisions and that's a good thing." He's rambling. International Criminal Court? Huh? Kerry could have hit him harder here, I think. He's got to find some way to vary the "rushed to war without a plan to win the peace" line (drink); it's starting to get overused. Ah, there's a good line: "The military's job is to win the war. A president's job is to win the peace." Kerry 4, Bush 1.

Kerry - If the U.N. doesn't stop Iran, what will you do?

Um, Kerry says we will "get tough" if we need to. I'm not sure what he means there. Bush has got a prepared, um, joke: "That answer almost made me want to scowl." It goes over like a lead balloon. Blah blah blah, no one has a good answer. Bush said we're "making progress" (drink). Kerry 2, Bush 2.

Bush - How do you intend to maintain our military presence without a draft?

Bush says there'll be no draft, that we're replacing people with technology. A reasonable answer, if not very specific. Kerry's got an opportunity to talk about being overextended, and he hits it. "Back-door draft" (drink). What the -- Bush just trampled all over Charlie Gibson's followup question because he wants to talk about "denigrating" stuff again. He's clearly agitated; better get a grip, Mr. President. Hey, he said "Poland" (drink). Kerry said "90%" (drink). Kerry 4, Bush 2.

Kerry - Why haven't we been attacked since 9/11, and what will you do to ensure our safety?

Kerry needs to talk about police and homeland security... but he doesn't. That's an oversight. He talks instead about intelligence, and then says on airplanes "your bag is X-rayed but the cargo hold isn't" (drink). A strong closing line, though: "This president chose a tax cut over homeland security. Wrong choice." Wham. Bush says we should stay on offense, use the Patriot Act, and not say "wrong war wrong place wrong time" (drink). Kerry 3, Bush 3.

Bush - Why did you block the reimportation of inexpensive drugs from Canada?

Ooh, another good question. Bush's answer: he's concerned for our safety, and that he's still considering it. Yeah, right. He tries to shift the topic to his Medicare prescription drug thing. Kerry flat out says that Bush is lying, and says Bush supported it four years ago but is blocking it now, to put "$139 billion of windfall profit into the pockets of the drug companies". Good stuff. Kerry 4, Bush 3.

Kerry - How do you reconcile the concern over rising health care costs with your choice of a vice presidential candidate?

Oh, it's time to talk "tort reform" (drink). Kerry makes a good point: it's a very small impact to the cost of health care. Bush calls Kerry "Kennedy". Um. Says frivolous lawsuits cost the government $28 billion a year. That's an outright lie (go to factcheck.org for details; that's DOT ORG, Mr. Cheney), but even if it were true, it would still be a small percentage of the total amount of money spent on health care in this country! Now Bush talks about "liberals", "government-sponsored health care" (drink), "rationing". Sigh. Kerry is totally right here, but Bush got some free jabs in. Kerry 3, Bush 3.

Bush - Explain how the spending you've approved and not paid for is better than Kerry's.

Bush blames the deficit on the bubble-burst and the war, and says we need to spend money and not raise taxes. So basically, he doesn't care about the deficit (except when it's caused by Kerry). Kerry takes a moment to rebut the government-sponsored health care thing (too late, though), then he talks about tax cuts for the wealthy. Wow, this could be a 1980 debate. In Bush's rebuttal, he says we need to make sure Congress doesn't overspend. Talk about passing the buck! I see, the president gives us tax breaks, but it's Congress that spends our money. Riiiight. Ooh, Kerry mentions corporate tax breaks: $254 million to Enron. Ouch. Kerry 4, Bush 3.

Kerry - Would you look into the camera and state clearly that you won't raise taxes on people making less than $200,000?

Ah, time to put Kerry in the GHWB seat. Okay, he takes the bait: no new taxes. (He doesn't say "read my lips"; maybe it's because he doesn't have any lips.) He talks about his tax cut plans. Bush says Kerry isn't credible (as if Bush is credible here). Kerry needs to slam Bush's own spending plans, but doesn't. Kerry's on the defensive. Bush runs out of things to say; just as well. Kerry 3, Bush 4.

Bush - How would you rate yourself as an environmentalist?

Ha! Another squirmy one for Bush. "Off-road diesel engines". That's his big reply. He's dancing now. "I guess you'd say I'm a good steward of the land." Who would say that? Kerry says Bush isn't living in a world of reality, and talks up the Clean Air act (drink), wetlands, the Kyoto Protocol (drink)... and he notes that the EPA chief (Whitman) resigned in protest. Bush says he backed out of Kyoto because it would cost America jobs. Dude, the question wasn't about jobs. This is shooting fish in a barrel. Kerry 4, Bush 1.

Kerry - How can U.S. companies be competitive and pay workers enough to maintain the American standard of living?

Uh, do you really want Kerry to talk about macroeconomic theory and international exchange? Whew, Kerry doesn't go there. The discussion rambles off into health care and taxes again. Here's an interesting bit: Kerry says Bush qualifies as a small business because he got $84 from a timber company. Bush says that's news to him: "Need some wood?" This isn't a Viagra commercial, Mr. President. Kerry 0, Bush 0, and who the hell cares. We need a drink!

Bush - Why are my rights being watered down by the Patriot Act?

And when did you stop beating your wife? Bush says our rights aren't being watered down. Uh huh. We need to fight the terrorists, blah blah blah. Kerry responds in the expected way. "Sneak and peek" (drink). He needs to talk compare Bush to a dictator, but doesn't go that far. Darn. Kerry 3, Bush 1.

Kerry - Wouldn't it be wise to use stem cells without the destruction of an embryo?

A loaded question here, for both candidates. Kerry talks up Michael J. Fox, Nancy Reagan, and in a somewhat prescient moment, Christopher Reeve. (Rest in peace, Superman; we will miss you.) Talks about balancing ethics and science. A good careful response. Bush says basically the same thing. Kerry accuses Bush of waffling, but doesn't say "the radical religious right". Kind of a toss-up here; Kerry missed an opportunity to score better, because he could have emphasized that abortion is a separate issue from stem-cell research. Kerry 3, Bush 3.

Bush - Who would you pick for the Supreme Court?

Bush claims he would pick a constructionist, and mentions the Pledge of Allegiance thing (drink). (Last time I checked, the Constitution was specific about the separation of church and state.) Now he mentions the Dred Scott case. Uh, what? Everyone seems befuddled about that one, especially when he says the Constitution "doesn't speak to the equality of America". I think I know what he means there, but I doubt that 98% of Americans do. He loses all the steam he could have generated with the "activist judges" argument. Kerry quotes Bush as saying "we need some good conservative judges". Kerry mentions equal rights, women's rights, and a woman's right to choose! Hooray! Kerry 4, Bush 3.

Kerry - How can you reassure people that their tax dollars won't finance abortion?

What an idiotic question. Yeah, your tax dollars went to murdering babies. And, to financing a yacht for a Halliburton executive. And, to torture of Iraqi POWs. Kerry does a good job by saying he respects the sentiment behind the question, but doesn't believe in legislating his or anyone else's religious beliefs. He also says that the poor deserve equal protection, and that we need to provide family planning (i.e. contraceptives). All really good stuff. Bush goes to the partial-birth abortion ban, which Kerry counters with the "health of the mother" argument. Bush tries to make it a black-and-white issue... that's one of those things I hate about him, because clearly, this is not a simple issue. Kerry 4, Bush 2.

Bush - Please give three instances in which you came to realize you had made a wrong decision.

Not just one, because he might have been ready for that, but three. He dances around this one; he finally says he made some mistakes appointing people, but doesn't want to name names. Weak. I guess if you've never had to interview for a job in your life, and you've been surrounded by sycophants, you wouldn't be prepared for something like this. Kerry, of course, has plenty of examples. "Body armor" (drink). Kerry 3, Bush 1.

Total score: Kerry 55, Bush 41

Closing statements: Kerry mentions Eisenhower, Reagan, and Kennedy as examples of leaders who build alliances! Smart. Says he has plan, he has a plan, he has a plan. (Good thing we didn't pick that word to drink on.) We have to make the right choices (drink). Bush says freedom is on the march (drink). Blah blah.

Overall, Bush seemed like he did better than last time (which isn't saying much). Mainly, he was helped by lowered expectations, and a format that allowed him to improvise when he got stuck. He was hurt by the questions, which were harder on him than on Kerry; but then again, that's clearly a result of the fact that the country has more doubt about him than about Kerry. That's a surprising reversal of fortune, and good news for Kerry.

Next debate is on Wednesday. I'll have to change the drinking rules.

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