(Taken from the Debate Transcript)



"Impartial" Moderator Jim Lehrer's "predetermined questions"

"The umbrella topic is foreign policy and homeland security, but the specific subjects were chosen by me, the questions were composed by me, the candidates have not been told what they are, nor has anyone else."


1. Senator Kerry. You have two minutes. Do you believe you could do a better job than President Bush in preventing another 9/11-type terrorist attack on the United States?
Mr. President, you have a 90-second rebuttal.

2. New question, Mr. President, two minutes. Do you believe the election of Senator Kerry on November the 2nd would increase the chances of the U.S. being hit by another 9/11-type terrorist attack?
Ninety second response, Senator Kerry.

3. New question, two minutes, Senator Kerry.  {Referring back to Kerry's comments} "Colossal misjudgments." What colossal misjudgments, in your opinion, has President Bush made in these areas?
Ninety-second response, Mr. President.

4. New question, Mr. President. Two minutes.  {Referring back to Kerry's comments} What about Senator Kerry's point, the comparison he drew between the priorities of going after Usama bin Laden and going after Saddam Hussein?
Senator Kerry, 90 seconds.
Let's do one of these one-minute extensions. You have 30 seconds {to Bush}.
Thirty seconds, Senator.

5. We'll come back to Iraq in a moment. But I want to come back to where I began, on homeland security. This is a two-minute new question, Senator Kerry. As president, what would you do, specifically, in addition to or differently to increase the homeland security of the United States than what President Bush is doing?
Ninety-second response, Mr. President.
Yes, let's do a little -- yes, 30 seconds {to Kerry}... (then another 30 to Bush).

6. New question, Mr. President. Two minutes. What criteria would you use to determine when to start bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq?
Ninety seconds, Senator Kerry.
All right, go ahead. Yes, sir? {Bush asks for follow up} We can do 30 second each here. All right.
Senator Kerry, 30 seconds.

7. All right, new question. Two minutes,  Senator Kerry. {Referring back to Kerry's comments} Speaking of Vietnam, you spoke to Congress in 1971, after you came back from Vietnam, and you said, quote, "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?" Are Americans now dying in Iraq for a mistake?
Ninety seconds {to Bush}.
Forty seconds, Senator. {Why ten extra seconds for Kerry???}
Thirty seconds, Mr. President.

8. New question, Mr. President, two minutes. You have said there was a, quote, "miscalculation," of what the conditions would be in post-war Iraq. What was the miscalculation, and how did it happen?
Ninety seconds, Senator Kerry.

9. New question. Senator Kerry, two minutes. You just -- you've repeatedly accused President Bush -- not here tonight, but elsewhere before -- of not telling the truth about Iraq, essentially of lying to the American people about Iraq. Give us some examples of what you consider to be his not telling the truth.
Ninety seconds, Mr. President.
Thirty seconds. We'll do a 30 second here. {to Kerry}
Thirty seconds, Mr. President.

10. New question, Mr. President. Two minutes. Has the war in Iraq been worth the cost of American lives, 1,052 as of today?
Senator, 90 seconds.
All right, sir, go ahead. Thirty seconds. {to Bush}
Senator Kerry, you have 30 seconds. You have 30 seconds, right. And then the president.... {Bush never got that 30 second time}

11. Speaking of your plan,  {Referring back to Kerry's comments} New question, Senator Kerry. Two minutes. Can you give us specifics, in terms of a scenario, time lines, et cetera, for ending major U.S. military involvement in Iraq?
Ninety seconds. {to Bush}
Thirty seconds. {to Kerry}
Yes, 30 seconds. {to Bush}

12. Mr. President, new question. Two minutes. Does the Iraq experience make it more likely or less likely that you would take the United States into another preemptive military action?
Senator Kerry, 90 seconds.
Thirty seconds. {to Bush}
Thirty seconds, Senator.

13. New question. Two minutes, Senator Kerry. What is your position on the whole concept of preemptive war?
Ninety seconds. {to Bush}

14. New question, Mr. President. Do you believe that diplomacy and sanctions can resolve the nuclear problems with North Korea and Iran? Take them in any order you would like.
Senator Kerry, 90 seconds.
I want to make sure -- yes, sir -- but in this one minute, I want to make sure that we understand -- the people watching understand the differences between the two of you on this. You want to continue the multinational talks, correct? {to Bush}
And you're willing to do it... {to Kerry}
And you're opposed to that. Right? {to Bush}

15. New question, two minutes. Senator Kerry,  {Referring back to Kerry's comments} you mentioned Darfur, the Darfur region of Sudan. Fifty thousand people have already died in that area. More than a million are homeless. And it's been labeled an act of ongoing genocide. Yet neither one of you or anyone else connected with your campaigns or your administration that I can find has discussed the possibility of sending in troops. Why not?
Ninety seconds. {to Bush}

16. New question, President Bush. Clearly, as we have heard, major policy differences between the two of you. Are there also underlying character issues that you believe, that you believe are serious enough to deny Senator Kerry the job as commander in chief of the United States?
Ninety second response, Senator.
Thirty seconds. {to Bush}
Thirty seconds. {to Kerry}

17. New question, two minutes, Senator Kerry. If you are elected president, what will you take to that office thinking is the single most serious threat to the national security to the United States?
Ninety seconds, Mr. President.
Just for this one-minute discussion here, just for whatever seconds it takes: So it's correct to say, that if somebody is listening to this, that both of you agree, if you're reelected, Mr. President, and if you are elected, the single most serious threat you believe, both of you believe, is nuclear proliferation? {to both}

18. All right. Mr. President, this is the last question. And two minutes. It's a new subject -- new question, and it has to do with President Putin and Russia. Did you misjudge him or are you -- do you feel that what he is doing in the name of antiterrorism by changing some democratic processes is OK?
Ninety seconds, Senator Kerry.
Thirty seconds, Mr. President.
{Leher interrupts Bush} Well, but when he {Referring back to Kerry's comments} used the word "truth" again... talking about the truth of the matter. He used the word "truth" again. Did that raise any hackles with you?
{Kerry 30 seconds follows}

19. All right, that brings us to closing statements. And, again, as determined by a coin toss, Senator Kerry, you go first, and you have two minutes.
Mr. President, two minutes.

And that ends tonight's debate...
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So at least FIVE of Jim Lehrer's "prepared" questions and ONE of his follow-up questions were DIRECTLY referring back to comments made by Kerry immediately prior during the debate and NONE  were referring to anything said by Bush during the debate.

Never Forget: He who frames the question wins the debate - and apparently Kerry's ideas and statements were constantly being used to frame these questions.

Hmmmm.....

I noticed the same thing.  My wife had to keep turning up the volume because I was yelling at the TV.  

Impartial moderator, my ass.

Oh, c'mon, Macallan, you know there's no bias in the media!

Quoted: Cheney has always been the administration's attack man... expect to see it in spades Tuesday!

I'll be looking forward to Cheney slapping that prick around.

Quoted: Mac, glad you are picking up on this... I think your initial reaction last night was a little hard on the president.  The questions were loaded, Kerry got T-ball.. Bush got Nolan Ryan fastballs.  In light of the fact that the surveys are showing that Kerry got the style points but the numbers are all for Bush on substance and people trust him more... and last night only reinforced that... my question to you Mac, do you still feel as strongly as you did last night that this was a disaster?

Yes. I'll be surprised if he's not trailing by next week.

The talk around the office is that GWBush was "baaaaaad, REAL bad". And like I said, this debate was on Foreign Policy - that was GWBush's STRONGEST platform. I cringe at what the next debate on domestic policy will be like. "Worst job losses since Herbert Hoover... outsourcing... tax-breaks for the rich... squandered the surplus... blew up the deficit... health care..." and, based on last night's performance, GWBush doesn't seem like he'll take the offensive and ATTACK the lies and bullshit Kerry's gonna spew.

I swear it was PAINFUL to watch GWBush whining and wilting when rebutting Kerry about the FBI:
"Of course we're doing everything we can to protect America. I wake up every day thinking about how best to protect America. That's my job.

I work with Director Mueller of the FBI; comes in my office when I'm in Washington every morning, talking about how to protect us. There's a lot of really good people working hard to do so.

It's hard work. But, again, I want to tell the American people, we're doing everything we can at home, but you better have a president who chases these terrorists down and bring them to justice before they hurt us again."

I'm working so hard! I'm trying my best! Stop picking on me! Waaaa! Hell I thought he was gonna start crying there for a second!

I tell you this, I don't... the next couple of days you will see spin from the Republicans like you can't imagine.  Kerry simply gave us too much fodder.  What do you think Cheney will be doing Tuesday night?  I'll tell you what, he will pounding the shit out of Edwards with Kerry's duplicitous statements.  "Senator Edwards, your running mate wants to give the Iranians nuclear fuel rods that can be used to make nuclear weapons...  yet Senator Kerry wants to stop nuclear proliferation... what world do you guys live in?  Should we need to destroy those weapons our enemies have, you and your running mate want to deprive our nation of the very weapons that could ensure our safety!" Cheney has always been the administration's attack man... expect to see it in spades Tuesday!

VP debates are rarely as signficant as Presidential debates. Cheney has to pull a "You're no Jack Kennedy" moment in order for anyone to pay attention.

I think Cheney will tear him a new asshole. I'll certainly be rooting for this, anyway. Pound that f*cker 'till he pukes.

The "debates" are pointless. The only thing that the debate last night helped me to decide was that I won't be watching any more debates.

Quoted: I think Cheney will tear him a new asshole. I'll certainly be rooting for this, anyway. Pound that f*cker 'till he pukes.

Edwards is probably going to look like a kid

You are absolutely correct Macallan. The questions were loaded to be opportunities for Kerry to pound his message (whatever that is) and make Bush look bad.

Impartial? I think not.  But the outcome still won't be affected.

Nice Job Mac....

I am sending this to my high school aged nephews....will be great fodder for their continuing war against the libs these guys are up against...

And I am not talking about just their fellow students...luckily there is a corps of conservative kids coming up...

thanks

Mac...you are surprised at this?  Lehrer is no different than any of the other mods on the for-profit networks.  They don't want Bush to win.   The Bush people have to know this...they are not stupid.  It's just a part of politics in America:  Not only are you running against your opponent, you are also running against the left-wing media.

I could see how the questions were being framed for Mr. Kerry by 30 minutes into the debate.  Lehrer was not blatant...but he did it.

bias?!?!
In the media?!?!?

Quoted: I'm working so hard! I'm trying my best! Stop picking on me! Waaaa!  Hell I thought he was gonna start crying there for a second!

I too noticed the ad lib "questions."  I also got the same impression about GW. It was a less than inspiring performance.

I don't care much for GWs performance as president so far.  But the thought of Kerry being in the white house as a resident  is sickening.

Why does the word "frame" seem appropriate when mentioned concerning last night's attempted ambush??