Debate
When quartzpebble, ywalme, and I got back from dinner, the lounge was watching the debate. I stuck around for about 5 or 10 minutes, since I'd never heard either candidate speak before. Please keep in mind that these are my immediate impressions on a ridiculously small sample of their campaigns.
That said, my impressions:
* Bush is a terrible public speaker--possibly only when he's speaking extemporaneously, but most likely always, given the impression I just got
* Bush is paranoid about getting second-guessed, so he over-defends himself
* Kerry knows Bush's weaknesses and thus starts and ends many of his responses with jabs at Bush of varying levels of subtlety
* Bush thinks that Kerry's apparent history of changing his mind is a weakness that warrants repeated mention--and I don't know that he's wrong, but he's not good at presenting it so he shouldn't be trying such a tactic
* Kerry prepared better
* Kerry seems to be presenting himself as the anti-Bush without giving much view into himself as a candidate
* both candidates have views I agree and disagree with, but neither really stood out in that regard
* Kerry enjoyed pushing Bush's buttons and making him slip up
* Bush thinks in terms of black and white (and presumes everyone else does as well), while Kerry at least attempts to acknowledge the greys
* Kerry knows what people dislike about Bush and points out how he's different from those opinions without referencing them explicitly--an excellent skill in debating
* Bush believes that his decisions are correct and are his to make, and thus stands by them
That said, my impressions:
* Bush is a terrible public speaker--possibly only when he's speaking extemporaneously, but most likely always, given the impression I just got
* Bush is paranoid about getting second-guessed, so he over-defends himself
* Kerry knows Bush's weaknesses and thus starts and ends many of his responses with jabs at Bush of varying levels of subtlety
* Bush thinks that Kerry's apparent history of changing his mind is a weakness that warrants repeated mention--and I don't know that he's wrong, but he's not good at presenting it so he shouldn't be trying such a tactic
* Kerry prepared better
* Kerry seems to be presenting himself as the anti-Bush without giving much view into himself as a candidate
* both candidates have views I agree and disagree with, but neither really stood out in that regard
* Kerry enjoyed pushing Bush's buttons and making him slip up
* Bush thinks in terms of black and white (and presumes everyone else does as well), while Kerry at least attempts to acknowledge the greys
* Kerry knows what people dislike about Bush and points out how he's different from those opinions without referencing them explicitly--an excellent skill in debating
* Bush believes that his decisions are correct and are his to make, and thus stands by them