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thoughts on u.s. foreign policy, politics, popular culture and anything else.... prepared for my history students at william paterson university in new jersey, but open to all.... proud member of the reality-based community since sometime in late childhood....
Blog Archive
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2004
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September
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- thoughts on the debate?
- EVENT on campus Monday, October 4th
- a couple of words on the debates tonight
- something for the other side
- Cathy weighs in -- and today's Times
- more on voting problems
- As if you had nothing else to worry about ...
- A Contest
- If Bush is so satisfied...
- another student to think about
- Zarqawi
- good op-ed in today's Times
- Undecided no more -- Cathy checks in
- What's the Matter with Kansas again
- two lost wars later (part 4)
- Prelinger Archives
- Voter Registration in New Jersey
- The return of the Undecided -- an update
- Michelle checks in
- We should all read Brad DeLong
- "Dick is a Killer"
- Fairy Tale Theater -- Iraq edition
- What will Kerry do in Iraq?
- today's menu
- new site on Presidential history
- Election history site
- Sunday Bloody Sunday
- Iraq
- REPORT SHOWS BUSH NEGLECTING HUNT FOR AL QAEDA
- History Now
- Johnny Ramone R.I.P.
- I couldn't find this in the Times
- Treason for Spite
- today's Times and Salon
- for instance
- the blogosphere
- the return of the undecided -- an exchange (part 2)
- Krugman
- Interview with John Kerry
- "Today Iraq, tomorrow Iran"?
- "Fuck the Police"
- Energy policy
- Why we are in Iraq
- Richard Kearney's webpage
- she's even worse than me
- Juan Cole on the War on Terror after three years
- the return of the undecided -- an exchange
- my new favorite blog
- Gore on Bush
- Louis Menand on the undecided voter
- today's NY Times and WaPo op-eds
- why we went to war
- Bush vs Jesus
- thoughts on history
- NOW with Bill Moyers
- the undecided
- Peirce on Daddy Darkest
- New report from Center for American Progress
- A few great sites
- "Vote for us or we'll kill you."
- I almost got a ticket cuzza Wilson Pickett
- swift boat vs. national guard
- did he leave anything out?
- I can't even think of a title for this one
- New York Review of Books
- history sites
- your morning dose of Krugman (and a heaping helpin...
- what to make of this?
- just war
- Reading David Brooks
- Fallows is at it again
- Digby gets dirty
- war on terror (brief edition)
- big bad voodoo daddy
- activists and voting
- Bush speech analysis
- spy scandals
- the inimitable Krugman
- two lost wars later (part 3) -- a couple of assess...
- The Fog of War
- Center for American Progress
- protest in nyc
- Calling Bush a Liar -- the wonders of the internet
- The New Yorker
- my first reader reponse!!!
- today's republicans are the best postmodernists (p...
- atrios on optimism
- Living Room Candidate
- inactionable intelligence
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September
(89)
3 comments:
D
After a few minutes of watching the debate it was apparent to me that George Bush would be just my kind of guy to sit down, and have a beer and shoot the breeze with.
Exactly the qualities I'm looking for in a leader of a superpower. I especially like the 'fighting vociferously' part.
DISAPPOINTING ON MOST ACCOUNTS. Both candidates bored me with their jittery, insincere, generic, and hesitant resonses (especially Bush). For the most part, what they said was the same stuff they've been saying for the last couple months. When it came to the Iraq war questioning, Kerry simply reiterated his commitment to start bringing troops home in less than a year. I didn't get a sense of how he plans to do it. Telling us that we can get the troops home if we, "do the things we need to do" isn't a good enouph anwser. He needs to be specific. As for Bush, he stuck with his stubborn view that the war is justified. Bush also claimed he'd be letting the soldiers down if he comes out and admits he screwed up big time with his decition for war, thereby implying that their efferts weren't worth it. This is a weak excuse for not owning up to his blunders concerning the issue.
The questioning about preventing another attack on America and standing up to enemies was a semi-wash. Kerry said he'd find the bad guys (Bin Laden in particular) and kill them. He didn't convince me of that. His hard line response sounded like a ploy to give the people what they want to hear-closure and justice. My guess is that Osama is long gone and were not going to find him. Bush's claim that Kerry wouldn't be as good at defending attacks was terrible. What was even more terrible was when he said that the best defense is a good offense. How is the "Axis of Evil" suppose to interpret that? Bush's response spun my thinking that Kerry might do a SLIGHTLY better job at defending America (but only by default). This differs from my previous belief that both would do an equal job. In the meantime, I feel safe and don't see another attack happening anytime soon.
Speaking of the "Axis," one bright spot that stood out was the discussion over North Korea. Kerry wishes to begin talks with Korea and other countries while Bush claims he wants meet with anyone but Korea concerning their nucelar arsonal. These were responses I do believe were genuine. I do favor the notion that the world including Korea should begin talks about their supposed weapons. Gold star to Kerry.
I don't think either person had enough last night to change minds or sway undecided voters too much. Personally, I'm now leaning more than ever to a third party candidate. Also, I said yesterday that if Kerry wasn't on his game he'd lose the election. Buckel your seatbelts, I predict another four year of W.
ABT
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