Last night's presidential debate
We want to hear your reactions to last night's presidential debate. Who won? Who lost? Was the format successful? Was the subject matter relevant? Share your thoughts.
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Kerry dominated Bush on the domestic issues as expected!
MIKE, Baltimore
Kerry once again stomped on Bush....can someone please explain the attraction to that guy?
Renee, Mesa, AZ
John Kerry won the debate with his honest answers. It's obvious he can see shades of gray, whereas everything with the president is black and white, all or nothing. For example--Pell Grants have been cut, and the amount of money available isn't even enough for one semester at most schools. No Child Left Behind is an unfunded joke. The questions could have been more pointed, instead they encouraged the candidates to give some apple pie and motherhood type of answers, but the first question said it all for me. Will the world be safer for our children and grandchildren. Not if George Bush has 4 more years. There will always be some new enemy to hunt down, while our country crumbles from the inside. Have we forgotten that every state faced budget cuts because Federal money dried up? Our tax money is going to Iraq to build up the country George Bush destroyed. And he absolutely did say that he didn't care about Osama Bin Laden, that Saddam Hussein was a worse threat. Cowboy Out!
Bobbie, Harwich Port
I believe that Kerry did a great job in articulating the details of his domestic policies. I was not very impressed or confident in him as a president earlier. However, I am at this point, convinced that he will lead American to a better place. In this debate, in contrast, Bush mostly repeated what he said before. He was not very clear in how he would improve various domestic policies in the next four years. A very dissappointing performance from president Bush.
Jen Jen, Chapel Hill, NC
I thought George Bush did awful and I think we should be ashamed to call him our President.
Craig, Belmont
Bush had a better command of most facts and figures than I expected, although I still felt what he says he's done (support vets) and what he's really done (cut vets' benefits) are two different things. "Pell Grants! Pell Grants!", he kept saying -- jeesh. Annoying. He still smirked and sneered. Kerry, especially toward the end when he spoke of faith, and of the strong women in his life, was warmer and actually funnier than he's been before in the debates, something the pollsters say he's needed to do. So from Bush, it was "more of the same"; from Kerry, we saw the more human side. So I think Kerry comes out ahead because he achieved an important objective.
Joanne, Hubbardston
While the rhetoric was familiar, I thought Bush's tone of voice (a whine) was scarily complemented by the most weird smile, as he was trying to persuade the viewers of his sincerity. Kerry was his usual strong, focused self and conveyed a calmness in the face of Bush's tired labels of "a Massachusetts liberal".
Jane, Brockton
Is George W. Bush the president of 49 states or 50? Why does he constantly attack the Commonwealth of Massachusetts? He insults us and marginalizes us - even as he claims to be "compassionate." Cheney does the same thing, claiming we're too liberal. Well that's not really true. We tortured and burned non-belivers back in the day. The American Revolution began here. As one of the main bases of Christianity and Liberty in the wilderness of the 17th century, we stood out. Now instead of just attacking one of our own, he attacks our entire state. For shame.
Dean, Newton
George Bush does NOT understand the issues of the "common person". As a professional woman, I cannot vote for someone that does not uderstand that the jobs being moved offshore do NOT have to do with his "No Child Left Behind"! The jobs being moved offshore are white-collar, professional jobs -- not blue-collar jobs!
Grace, Drennen
I had a hard time listening to Bush talk. He always seems to be whinning. After the report on no WMD I find it hard to believe anything that Bush says.
Alma, Colorado Springs, CO
