Calling All Voters: Ladies and Gentlemen Voters- We Have a Presidential Race as seen from a Topsham, Maine Journal
Topsham, Maine might be in the woods New England's The Pine Tree State, but it's a place never far from a television when a Presidential Debate is forthcoming. My husband and I kept company with the brilliant moon ascending into the clear night sky as we watched The First Presidential Debate of the USA 2004 Presidential Election Season on television last Thursday evening.
Even before the end of the 90-minute moderated debate led by Public television anchor Jim Leherer, both my husband and I were raising questions about how this one-sided hyped debate would be perceived by the proverbial doctors of media "spin". It was a slam dunk in favor of Senator John Kerry, in our minds. Could we be so far out of step with Americans as to be the only two people in the universe of television watchers to see this statesmanship versus playacting duo presenting us with a clear choice for President of the United States on November 2nd? Alas, even in the woods of Topsham, Maine with the moon smiling over us, we were not alone. Thankfully, we were not alone.
Shaaabam! The minute polls taken right after the debate confirmed what we witnessed on television. It was a clear oratory victory for Senator John Kerry who went into the debate as the underdog against the "good old boy" President George W. Bush (George II).
I most enjoyed (or screeched) at the point in the debate when George II squealed, "Listen here, I know who Osama Bin Laden is. You don't have to tell me who Osama Bin Laden is. I know who he is...." To which I add here....weeelllll, ain't that a presidential answer. Ahhhh, "Hello?" Are the lights on but nobody home?
Instead of responding to a clear punch from Senator Kerry who was implying how we missed the real war on terror by fighting against Saddam Hussein rather than Osama Bin Laden, our political-weary president chose, instead, to remind us about how he can really pronounce the name Osama Bin Laden without stammering and, yes indeed, he knows who the evil man is. At least, at that point in the debate we were comforted with the truth. Yes, thank God, our President George II knows who Osama Bin Laden is. Now, if we can only find the devil.
But, other than that moment of blibberish over Osama Bin Laden, the rest of the debate showed Senator Kerry with a clear understanding of the issues while our dear President George II scowled, grimaced, and fidgeted with his water glass between whining answers. Of course, people who were "shocked...shocked!" to see their hero President George II behaving like the kid caught running the wrong way with somebody else's football were defending their guy. They responded by saying how forceful their George was in the debate. Well, that gimmick might work on people who waited until the news at eleven o'clock to figure out what happened, but did not pass the strait face test for those of us who witnessed the embarrassing episodes of unnecessary Presidential facial agitation.
Debates notwithstanding, it is distressing to realize how few people could see the truthof the matter in the debate on Thursday. Even with a clear victory for Senator John Kerry evident, the truth is still not showing up with as startling evidence in the polls.
I pray every day for the truth of this important election to become the focus of the voting population. Perhaps Senator John Kerry can raise this political mud-slinging that some call an election from below the belt "gotcha" rhetoric into a campaign of prose, words and ideas. Indeed, Senator John Kerry said he intends to bring "truth to the American people". I hope Americans are not blindsided by partisan politics to the extent that they are inoculated to truth. It's hard to break the bond of party loyalty, even in the face of truth about what is wrong with the foriegn policy of President George II.
We saw a lot going on in the USA from our home in Topsham, Maine last Thursday night. We hope we saw the lights going on in the brains of intelligent voters who want to know the truth about who they are electing to be the statesman and leader of our free world.
I pray this is the case and truth will prevail.
Even before the end of the 90-minute moderated debate led by Public television anchor Jim Leherer, both my husband and I were raising questions about how this one-sided hyped debate would be perceived by the proverbial doctors of media "spin". It was a slam dunk in favor of Senator John Kerry, in our minds. Could we be so far out of step with Americans as to be the only two people in the universe of television watchers to see this statesmanship versus playacting duo presenting us with a clear choice for President of the United States on November 2nd? Alas, even in the woods of Topsham, Maine with the moon smiling over us, we were not alone. Thankfully, we were not alone.
Shaaabam! The minute polls taken right after the debate confirmed what we witnessed on television. It was a clear oratory victory for Senator John Kerry who went into the debate as the underdog against the "good old boy" President George W. Bush (George II).
I most enjoyed (or screeched) at the point in the debate when George II squealed, "Listen here, I know who Osama Bin Laden is. You don't have to tell me who Osama Bin Laden is. I know who he is...." To which I add here....weeelllll, ain't that a presidential answer. Ahhhh, "Hello?" Are the lights on but nobody home?
Instead of responding to a clear punch from Senator Kerry who was implying how we missed the real war on terror by fighting against Saddam Hussein rather than Osama Bin Laden, our political-weary president chose, instead, to remind us about how he can really pronounce the name Osama Bin Laden without stammering and, yes indeed, he knows who the evil man is. At least, at that point in the debate we were comforted with the truth. Yes, thank God, our President George II knows who Osama Bin Laden is. Now, if we can only find the devil.
But, other than that moment of blibberish over Osama Bin Laden, the rest of the debate showed Senator Kerry with a clear understanding of the issues while our dear President George II scowled, grimaced, and fidgeted with his water glass between whining answers. Of course, people who were "shocked...shocked!" to see their hero President George II behaving like the kid caught running the wrong way with somebody else's football were defending their guy. They responded by saying how forceful their George was in the debate. Well, that gimmick might work on people who waited until the news at eleven o'clock to figure out what happened, but did not pass the strait face test for those of us who witnessed the embarrassing episodes of unnecessary Presidential facial agitation.
Debates notwithstanding, it is distressing to realize how few people could see the truthof the matter in the debate on Thursday. Even with a clear victory for Senator John Kerry evident, the truth is still not showing up with as startling evidence in the polls.
I pray every day for the truth of this important election to become the focus of the voting population. Perhaps Senator John Kerry can raise this political mud-slinging that some call an election from below the belt "gotcha" rhetoric into a campaign of prose, words and ideas. Indeed, Senator John Kerry said he intends to bring "truth to the American people". I hope Americans are not blindsided by partisan politics to the extent that they are inoculated to truth. It's hard to break the bond of party loyalty, even in the face of truth about what is wrong with the foriegn policy of President George II.
We saw a lot going on in the USA from our home in Topsham, Maine last Thursday night. We hope we saw the lights going on in the brains of intelligent voters who want to know the truth about who they are electing to be the statesman and leader of our free world.
I pray this is the case and truth will prevail.
posted by Juliana L'Heureux | 1:01 PM
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