Friday, October 1st, 2004
The Speaker Speaks, But The Truth Still Leaks
Random thoughts on last night’s debate… I liked how the television broadcast had to have Bush’s podium a couple inches higher to get him at the same height as Kerry, and George did himself no favours with his hunching and squirming. NBC’s Tom Brokaw no longer has a neck. I swear he used to, but it’s gone now. Quite disturbing. John Kerry looks like a Muppet. And FoxNews, of all places, initially ran this photo here to accompany their story on the debate but have since replaced it with one that’s a little more flattering to the President. Ha. But overall, I found it more interesting than I’d expected even though there were segments that I could have written verbatim weeks ago. I thought Kerry definitely won, overall, simply by coming across very confidently and clearly. Bush started out fairly strongly but seemed to come unglued as the debate went on, and by the end was losing his words (or maybe they were fleeing) and was visibly frustrated and flustered. I believe that winning the foreign policy debate is a huge step for Kerry, as that’s where the focus of Bush’s campaign lies – in the ‘War on Terror’. When they get into domestic issues, Kerry has a much stronger hand to play.
But more interesting than the debate was the post-debate commentary. I didn’t bother listening to the opinions of those formally associated with each campaign as you know they were going to declare the debate an unqualified triumph for their guy. For example – I don’t know what debate Rudolph Giuliani was watching, but hearing him parrot the exact same line to NBC and The Daily Show I didn’t really get the impression that he believed what he was saying either. It sounded more like he had come up with his soundbite before the debate even happened based on his expectations of how it would go, and didn’t have any sort of fallback. I also found it interesting that NBC’s panel of undecided voters all declared Kerry the victor… and yet they’re probably still undecided this morning. Mind boggling, really. Anyway, I’m not really a political-commentating kinda guy, there’s folks far better than me at it, I was just really short on content today. Don’t worry, this weekend will be better. Honest.
But Ted Leo has some thoughts on the debate, if you want to get into it some more. He doesn’t think Kerry did all that well, and he’s angry about it. From The Big Ticket.
Largehearted Boy puts the evangelical cap back on and spreads the word from the book of Centro-Matic complete with an extensive audio gospel. Testify!
The Decemberists have been keeping a tour journal on their Fall tour. From Donewaiting.
I am making an educated guess on Luna’s farewell Toronto date (for the Fall tour, anyway) being on Novermber 8 or 9 at the Mod Club. Do NOT write that down – it’s simply based on them a) being in Ann Arbor, Michigan on the 10th and b) their usual haunt of Lee’s Palace being booked both those nights and the Mod Club being the next logical venue. See? When I can’t find news I JUST MAKE IT UP. Update: Holy shit – I just realized that Luna is playing the Abbey Pub in Chicago November 12… THAT IS THE DAY I AM GETTING THERE. SO BEST.
How odd is this? Director Chris Columbus is developing a new film called Slanted & Enchanted. No, it has nothing to do with Pavement. Nor does this paragraph, really. I just thought it was interesting.
np – M83 / Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts
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10/1/04 2:14 pm
I agree with Ted. So much in fact that I had to turn the tv off because I was getting pissed off.
10/1/04 6:39 pm
That’s wicked about Luna being in Chicago within the stretch of days you’re already there to see American Music Club!
10/2/04 3:27 am
Frank. I agree with you on many on your points. I’m conservative and support Bush, but have no doubts that Kerry won the debate due to the many factors you highlighted. However, I disagree with your point "…NBC’s panel of undecided voters all declared Kerry the victor". I believe only one of the "undecided" voters NBC spoke with even mentioned the debate and who they thought the "victor" was. I believe it was the small business owner that had voted for Bush in ’00. Everyone else simply jumped right into a general commentary that John Kerry will be a better president that Bush. I thought this panel was there to discuss what they had heard during the debate and how it did or did not influence them? Since most didn’t even mentioned the debate, clearly they are had made a decision or were big Kerry supporters prior to the debate. I also noted elsewhere on the net (a conservative blog) someone noted on "NBC’s Undecided" voters…"Let’s see, a black female retired teacher and a black substitute teacher? Oh yeah, that’s the demographic of an undecided. A lady who is undecided, defined…as a ‘security mom’ that says that Kerry is much better at keeping the nation safe, but she is still undecided??????". I think this is a great example of why conservatives are always bashing mainstream media. NBC’s panel would be the equivalent of Fox News having a panel of undecided voters who were mostly retired corporation executives. Of course, Fox News might do that given their conservative bent, but I mention this simply highlight it too would be an equivalently biased set of "undecideds". See you. Again, good comments overall.
10/2/04 3:33 am
mark – fair observations, I admit I didn’t give it that much thought. I was just channel surfing all the networks trying to get a general idea of how people were reacting to the debate and caught the tail end of the NBC segment where everyone just raised their hands in favour of Kerry. I’m astonished that anyone in your country is undecided at all, to be honest. We’ve got probably the most polarizing election in our lifetimes and some people can’t make up their minds? Goodness gracious.
And what the hell am I still doing up at this hour?
10/2/04 4:54 am
agree. what is even more amazing is how each side is so convicted and believes in their heart that they are so right and the others side is so wrong. sorta like two witnesses at a crime scene seeing and remembering totally different things. each believes what they saw in fact happened, so they don’t believe their lying or not telling the truth, yet one of them doesn’t have the facts straight. my guess is the truth lies somewhere between where the democrats stand and where the republicans stand.
10/2/04 12:06 pm
Mark – you’re absolutely right, I don’t believe there’s much truth in either party line. The most frustrating thing I find is that people are sticking to these lines so stubbornly and dogmatically, there’s no room for intelligent debate or discourse anymore. It’s just shouting the same old rhetoric at each other while covering up their ears. I mean, to make a broad generalization, half your country are right and half are left – how can one side possibly believe that that many millions of people are stupid and/or simply not worth listening to?
My head hurts.
10/4/04 11:22 pm
All politicians suck! Neither get my vote. We live in a society where people who hold government positions ie; senate, congress, courts, etc. etc., are living in the past, and live by the values they were brought up with (would it be fair to say racist, homophobes?). Either way, they all need to either 1) start dying off, or 2) listen to the generation that will be replacing them in the near future, because it’s quite obvious they do not listen now.
10/4/04 11:24 pm
By the by, i dig the blog you got here.