Musings from Brian J. Noggle

Kerry agrees with Bush’s kudos to him. And he likes Bush’s daughters.

Respects Laura Bush.

He also seems to think certainty is a bad thing.

And stem cells and global warming are bad. Thank you, and good night!

Bush: Kerry is a vet, and he’s a great dad.

Bush’s handling the character question well. He then brings up the changing positions, which adds a coda, but in not deploying another attack, he’s not being an attack dog.

We’re the leading donor to African/Sudan humanitarian efforts. Shouldn’t Kerry be against this by rote? Why should America bear 90% of the burden? Cut and run and let the French help…in exchange for a little oil.

Bush mentions the rainy season. Showing some familiarity with the region and considerations above and beyond the headlines.

Kerry breaks protocol and answers the previous question, starting to deflect the Darfur question.

More sanctions, sanctions, sanctions. He’s fumbling this one.

He says we’re overextended. Weakness. Got that, America? We’re weak.

This man didn’t read his Hobbes nor Machiavelli. But they didn’t write in French.

When Bush closes when the red light flashes, he raises his voice and makes it sound like a question.

He’s got the real story on North Korea!

So the North Koreans just magically built up their program just because Bush didn’t sign the Kyoto accords?

Does Kerry want multilateral or bilateral talks? Both.

How does Kerry attack Bush’s multilateral stance, as he’s explaining now, on North Korea?

I can hardly wait. Perhaps it will pivot on the inadequate drug coverage for seniors.

Explain the ICC, Mr. Bush. Yes.

There you go, Spoons, Kerry said “Eye on the Ball.”

Global Warming Treaty. Bush is getting better as he goes; Kerry is getting silly with his excited misspeaking. Kerry’s fighting for proliferation?

And Kerry says he would have made a better decision than Bush has regarding Iran. I guess Kerry would have invaded instead of using the UN, the EU, sanctions, and resolutions.

Or should we citizens not think it all the way through?

Thanks for the thoughtful response, Kerry.

Stop with the outsourcing at Tora Bora crack; Bush was not throwing troops to their deaths and was sensitively tipping his hat to the allies in the region.

Kerry wanted more of the same in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was in power, but not more of the same with the current regime.

Discuss in the comments below.

Wait, I don’t have comments. Sorry.

Bush’s answer to another preemptive strike is the most thoughtful of the night; he’s touching on his 2000 noninterventionism, his understanding of his duty, and the foresight that an iron fist in the velvet glove is what gives the handshakes in the smiling photoops their shape.

Or something like that.

Hold the line.

Yes, sir.

Kerry’s assuring that we’re not going to have a long term presence, all right.

How come he doesn’t address that he’s not in Congress fighting even now for funding troops while he continues to draw a paycheck to do….something.

Man, perhaps Bush would have been doing a better job after a couple drinks like the rest of us.

Kerry’s not saying Vietnam, but he’s making the shadow puppets with those hand gestures and his continual references to combat and that war.

Honoring nobility? It’s not about nobility, or honor, it’s about winning.

He mentioned some sort of cutting, but he changed his mind.

He’s going to hunt and kill the terrorists?

Bush almost calls Kerry on it in the extension, which is that Kerry said who wants to tell someone that their son was the last to die for a mistake, and apparently he would, since the Iraq war was a mistake.

Kerry’s Pottery Barn rule invocation? What’s his point?

Bush is loving the husband of a soldier? Watch for the photoshops on CBS this week!

But he’s showing humanity, which is his strength.

He continues to show a long range vision, too, with the continual reference to goals beyond getting elected.

Bush was misleading, but *I* was not misleading? Through in a French quote to tell us how smart you are, Senator.

What would be a last resort for Kerry? Another smoking ruin? A homeland so irradiated with dirty bombs that all we have left is our aircraft carriers? That’s war as a last resort, Senator, and I hope you never get the opportunity to take America to war as a last result.

Kerry hitting all placards: No alQaeda connection, no WMDs (which are coming across the border every day, that’s not a flip flop-that’s a paradox–Kerry has taken it to the next level!!!), no imminent threat that Bush would have gone into Iraq.

Well, if Iraq had been Morocco, we wouldn’t have invaded either.

We all know. We all know. Crikey, Kerry, never mind.

Perhaps two minutes isn’t long enough to get them off of the talking points.