The debate -- quick note

[mdlbear]

I didn't hear all of the debate last night -- I was in and out of the car running errands much of the time, and in any case I know who I'm going to vote for. But I found it particularly interesting to hear the hesitation before Bush's responses to Kerry. It sounded as though he was struggling to come up with something; there was an edge almost of panic in some cases.

It's as if, as long as he could throw in one of his canned sound-bites he was fine, but if he had to come up with something new he had problems.

I was also pleased to hear Bush's "in order to be a leader you have to be consistent" countered with Kerry's "it's possible to be consistent and wrong".

Comments

[vixyish.livejournal.com]

It sounded as though he was struggling to come up with something; there was an edge almost of panic in some cases.

If you'd seen his facial expressions, you'd have had that impression about a hundredfold. There were times that he stared at the camera for seconds-- in television, a very long time for dead air-- with the look of a deer in headlights.

Your impression is exactly right. There were times that he just strung together a whole lot of canned sound-bites instead of answering the question. Actually just stating catchphrases in the tone of voice you use when you're listing off grocery-list items separated by commas, not even using complete sentences. gfish used the term "word salad". Bush was completely flailing. It was sad.

[mdlbear]

For the most part, the press don't seem to have picked up on this. Baffling.

[jilara.livejournal.com]

I heard a lot of it as I was driving in my car, and I actually felt sorry for Bush, he sounded so close to losing it, a couple times. I had the feeling of a kid who disobeyed his parents to go hike in the woods, and now he's lost, lost, lost, and cold and hungry, and trying to tell himself desperately that if he just keeps walking, everything will be all right. But he's not sure if he believes that.