Quote:
Originally posted by sgtclub
Kerry is too vulnerable in this debate.
The debates are less about substance and more about composure. Kerry never smiles, he just makes that face where he looks like he's about to take a shit. He just doesn't look comfortable. Bush is loosey goosey, almost goofey at times. But he smiles and looks in control. So even if Kerry whips him substantively, the debate will still be viewed as very close because Bush will look control.
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The left can never articulate a solid message because the crux of their position is to never take risk. Every policy they have is a risk avoidance measure. Their raison d'etre is to promote social policies which protect people from risk. Developing a platform by necessity involves risk. The policy masturbation and hand-wringing amongst the left precludes it from ever putting out any pointed, attractive policies. The left is like a massive think tank with no mission statement. A group of pseudo-academics and policy wonks can no more galvanize an electorate than Danny DeVito can dunk a basketball. Hence, they write opeds all over the place deriding the stupidity of the electorate and picking apart the policy flaws of the GOP's positions, based, of course, on piles of charts and statistics. Maybe the left is correct. Maybe the GOP's policies will doom us, but needling the GOP on fine policy points will not get Kerry elected.
The left has to learn to master the soudbite and come down from the Ivory Tower. Harrumphing that "It should be about issues, not style" will not change the a goddamned thing. The rules dictate that style and delivery are paramount. You can't play outside the rules and expect to win, no matter how much Paul Krugman poo poos the rules. Its amazing the allegedly super-educated left can be so stupid when it comes to the simple art of swaying a crowd. Its easy - all you need is to stay on point, exude real charm, smile, stay composed and engage/entertain the crowd. Did they learn nothing from Clinton?
I'm not suprised in the least that a lot of people who spend the majority of their days enmeshed in treatises are appalled at what happened in the Bush v. Gore debates. Well, get ready, its about to happen again. If Kerry comes out like a stat-spitting ogre, he's a dead man.
