It Takes a Worried Man, To Sing a Worried Song...
This has been a prolific day on the blog. I need to stop now, and go to bed. But hey, I'm worried about the debates! Politics seems to be so much more about style than substance nowadays when it comes to things like this.
My worry is that Bush will spout his usual sound-bytes such as "We're fighting the war on terror in Iraq so we don't have to fight it here in America", "We won't let Europe make our foreign policy", "We need strong, decisive leadership", etc. He will put on his faux-Texas accent and get the swagger going, leaning forward and smirking as he makes his point with short sentences and monosyllabic words, portraying himself as the kind of macho hero America needs in such dangerous times. Karl Rove will have trained him well.
Kerry? I'm afraid he will launch into lengthy, rational, intelligent discourses which leave the listeners who have been numbed by Dubya's simplicity saying "Huh?" and "What did Kerry just say?" I feel sad that I find myself worried that Kerry may come across as sounding too intelligent... and it's sad that he may well have what many will consider a "poor" debate performance because he sounds too intelligent when discussing issues.
I have no doubt Kerry will be a passionate participant in the debates, and that he will make Bush look foolish once their statements are examined after the debates are over.
Will others view things this way? Will people in this country warm up to someone who says things which make good sense, but who doesn't have as much personality or "everyman" appeal as his opponent? (Even when the "everyman" thing is unadulterated b.s.?)
I'm almost afraid to watch the debates and find out...
My worry is that Bush will spout his usual sound-bytes such as "We're fighting the war on terror in Iraq so we don't have to fight it here in America", "We won't let Europe make our foreign policy", "We need strong, decisive leadership", etc. He will put on his faux-Texas accent and get the swagger going, leaning forward and smirking as he makes his point with short sentences and monosyllabic words, portraying himself as the kind of macho hero America needs in such dangerous times. Karl Rove will have trained him well.
Kerry? I'm afraid he will launch into lengthy, rational, intelligent discourses which leave the listeners who have been numbed by Dubya's simplicity saying "Huh?" and "What did Kerry just say?" I feel sad that I find myself worried that Kerry may come across as sounding too intelligent... and it's sad that he may well have what many will consider a "poor" debate performance because he sounds too intelligent when discussing issues.
I have no doubt Kerry will be a passionate participant in the debates, and that he will make Bush look foolish once their statements are examined after the debates are over.
Will others view things this way? Will people in this country warm up to someone who says things which make good sense, but who doesn't have as much personality or "everyman" appeal as his opponent? (Even when the "everyman" thing is unadulterated b.s.?)
I'm almost afraid to watch the debates and find out...
3 Comments:
The one thing I like about the format tomorrow night is that the candidates can only spend about 90 seconds on each answer. That should force Kerry to answer directly.
Wow, Snave. You and I are on the exact same page. That entry could've been written by me. It's good to know we're not alone.
57 minutes to go...I can hardly stand it.
I'm looking at this comment a few days later, and thinking that I was probably right to be concerned because of the GOP's control of just about everything... but I realized tonight that Kerry is a superior-quality candidate. I think his performance tonight was that of a cool customer, one who can function well under pressure. Just what we need in the White House!
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