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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I think that it is much better to have someone as President who has run something. At least as far back as I can remember we have had former governors as President, or business owners, or heads of government agencies. I am really concerned that the two Democratic senators have never really "run" an organization and really do not have experience as leaders of businesses whether government or private.
Jay, Beverly
Their both liars as most politicians are. Its a disgrace that the minimum wage is $5.15/hr and Kerry wants to raise to $7/hr over "several years". Yea, this will really help. You can't survive on $15-20/hr, here in MA anyway. They need a reality check bigtime. Bush doesn't care about healthcare, he's "covered" for life. Put them on the same SOS plan that the general public has, let them try to survive on $5.15 an hour. Lets stop putting our money in outerspace and foriegn countries that hate us and start using "our" money to take care of "us". In my opinion this country is in the worse shape its ever been in and no matter who wins the "people" are losing!
Mary, Cambridge
President Bush delivered the knock out punch last night. See you later John!
Erik, New York
I'm sure glad W has a backup plan for flu vaccines by importing some of them from Canada. You know, that "third-world" country to the north whose prescription drugs are apparently too dangerous for us to buy.
Dave, Boston
As an independent, I watch the debates looking for reasons to vote for one of the candidates, and also for reasons to disqualify one or the other. After three debates what it comes down to for me is honesty and trust. Senator Kerry answers the questions in a condescending roundabout manner, and very rarely offers more than generalities and criticism. President Bush seems to answer truthfully and from the heart. When he says something I trust that he believes it, and that his actions will always be in the best interest of this country and our security. With Senator Kerry I feel like he'll tell you whatever you want to hear and adjust his policy decisions based on that days' polls. For Kerry, the presidency seems like a personal achievement, while for President Bush it seem like an opportunity to make this country better and safer. That's the main difference for me, and why President Bush gets my vote.
Dave , Needham
Wow, there certainly are a lot of Kerry supporters. I'm glad that a couple of other people picked up on how Bush turned a question about outsourcing jobs into a re-education question. This implies that people who lose their jobs may not have modern economy skills and are behind the times. Sure, this may be true of someone who's worked in a textile plant for 20 years, and I totally believe that they should have access to inexpensive job training/education. However, I think Bush's comment was insulting to the software guy who just graduated from school five years ago and knows four programming languages. You can't lump everyone into the same category. Outsourcing is just part of economic transition, and jobs are not going to be saved by No Child Left Behind. Extended unemployment benefits would be nice. I'd like to see Bush recommend buying out tobacco farmers and providing THEM with alternative job training.
Victoria, Cambridge
Lynne Cheney is acting like she's embarrassed she gave birth to a gay daughter. Now she is "indignant" about it because John Kerry brought it up. Give me a break!!! She needs to grow up.
Mark, Charlottesville, VA
Do u see the aggressiveness right from the first minute of the debate? That explains his aggressive on war and all other things that Kerry is putting in front of the bush supporters that they didn't see before happening to them. How could we think of having another 4 years with such a guy to lead the country? America has given chance to Bush and saw where it is today, now its time to see the other party. The ones who want the repitition of what happened over last 4 years, go ahead cast ur votes to bad economy, loosing jobs, war with north Korea, Iran, increase in premiums and who knows what else to expect from aggressive man. If John Kerry would have run for election in 2000, no way we were going to see what we are seeing today. And I would have given him my vote again.
Amy, Framingham, MA
I have been a registered Republican for many years, and was planning on voting for President Bush this fall, particularly after his acceptance speech at the RNC. However, subsequent analysis of many aspects of his administration-- foreign and domestic policies alike-- has shown me beyond all reasonable doubt that his record so far is abysmal in several key areas and must not be permitted to continue for another four years. The three debates revealed that Senator Kerry has many good ideas, and a very presidential bearing/demeanor, and I feel much more comfortable with the idea that he may be running our country for the next four years. I am very much hoping, among other things, that he can help rebuild our broken alliances with the United Nations, and bring home the bulk of our very overburdened troops in Iraq, as soon as possible. I never thought of myself as an undecided voter before this election. Although in the past I aligned myself primarily with the Republican party, disregarding personal feelings about the candidates, I cannot do that any longer. As an Orthodox Christian voter, I see problems with both major parties on what could be called ethical, moral, or "sanctity of life" issues... abortion and homosexuality on the one side, and the death penalty coupled with unjust warfare on the other side. That being said, although I agree with both parties on the elements of their platform (as outlined in the previous sentence) wherein they disagree with their opponents (i.e. Bush on the first two items, and Kerry on the latter two), I am in such grave disapproval with the President on how he rushed into this war in Iraq, and the horrific fatalities and climate of hatred and death in which our armed forces are now forced to work, that I cannot and will not give the President four more years to see how many other countries he will likewise ruin. I will vote for Senator John Kerry in November.
Peter, Somerville, MA
I couldn't even bring myself to watch the last debate. George Bush's smirking and bumbling is painful to watch and though I am more and more impressed with Kerry each time I see him speak, even he couldn't drown out the imbecilic Bush for me this time. I don't need any more convincing. Why on Earth is this race so "tight"? Why isn't the intellectually superior man (Kerry) an obviously better choice to run the most powerful country on the planet?
Suzanne, Portland, ME
