First Presidential Debate-KE04 Rapid Response
University of Miami - Coral Gables, FL - September 30, 2004

  
DNC Sets the Stage
 












Democratic National Committee
PDB (Prebuttal Debate Briefing)  - 14 pages total.  10 pages of content and 3 pages of citations.  Each page has a theme illustrated by several editorial cartoons ("the funnies") and then has "the facts" at the bottom or along the side.

Bush vs. Reality CD
This concludes with "Three Questions for George Bush"
How can you still maintain "Iraq is going in the right direction"?
Given the way you rushed to war, how can you now get allies to share the burden?
Your current plan is non-existent.  What is your new plan to handle the problem?
 

Kerry-Edwards 2004, Inc. BUSH vs. REALITY
1. BUSH vs. REALITY
BUSH  Iraq wasn't a diversion from the War on Terror
REALITY: BUSH DIVERTED FROM WAR ON TERROR
AND BECAUSE HE DIDN'T PLAN
WE ARE NOW BOGGED DOWN IN IRAQ
 

2. BUSH vs. REALITY
BUSH RHETORIC: HE "HOPES' HIS POLICY IN NORTH KOREA WORKS
 

3. Bush vs. Reality Debate Wrap-Up
[5 pages--takes Bush to task for 9 statements made during the debate]
"...the Taliban no longer in power."
"My opponent wants you to forget is he voted to authorize the use of force"
"...help is on the way, but it's certainly hard to tell us when he voted against the $87 billion supplemental"
"We've got 100 thousand trained now, 125 thousand by the end of this year, 200 thousand by the end of next year."
"You cannot lead the war on terror if you keep changing positions on the war on terror.  And says things like, well, this is just a grand diversion.  It's not a grand diversion.  This is an essential that we get it right.  So I... the plan he talks about simply won't work."
"My administration worked with the congress to create the department of homeland security so we could better coordinate our borders and ports, we've got a thousand extra border patrols on the southern border more than a thousand on the northern border.  We're modernizing our borders."
"We spent 3.1 billion dollars for fire and police, 3.1 billion dollars, we're doing our duty to provide the funding."
"It's not going to work if we open up a dialogue with Kim Jong-Il.  That's what he wants.  He wants to unravel the six-party talks or the five nation coalition that's sending him a message."
"North Korea, first, I do.  Let me say I certainly hope so.  Before I was sworn in, the policy of this government was to have bilateral negotiations with North Korea."
 

4. REVIEWS KEEP COMING IN:
[poll results and quotes from 11 journalists]
CNN/GALLUP POLL ON WHO WON DEBATE
Kerry: 53  Bush: 37
CBS POLL ON WHO WON DEBATE
Kerry: 44  Bush: 26  Tie: 30
ABC POLL ON WHO WON DEBATE
Kerry: 45  Bush: 36  Tie: 17
 
 

Copyright © 2004, 2005  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action