I had to go to a meeting in the morning, so I haven't had a chance to read today's newspapers yet, but what's significant in terms of Bush's electoral fortune is MSNBC's post-debate coverage last night:
<blockquote>MSNBC Post-Debate Coverage
Chris Matthews hosted a discussion of the debates involving Andrea Mitchell (NBC Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent), Ron Reagan (son of Ronald Reagan), Jon Meacham (Managing Editor of "Newsweek" Magazine) and Joe Scarborough (host of Scarborough Country). Later guests included Tom Brokaw (NBC Anchor) and Tim Russert (Moderator of "Meet the Press")
Last night an MSNBC online poll showed by a 70-30 margin that John Kerry won the debate after 502,000 votes had been cast. This morning it has changed to 63-37 margin, still favoring Kerry.
Key points made by the various commentators:
. . . SCARBOROUGH: ". . . George W. Bush after the first 30 minutes lost his way. . . . He started fumbling around. He said the phrase 'It's hard work' eleven times. He'd ask for an additional 30 seconds and then he would have nothing to say in that additional 30 seconds. . . . What we have here in this debate tonight is basically the Cowboy versus the Professor. If you're scoring this thing, the Professor won on points. The questions is -- and this is what we're gonna find out -- are they gonna say 'Boy, John Kerry really had a better grasp'. . . ."
MEACHAM: "There was an element almost of self-pity there [on Bush's part]."
MATTHEWS: "Agreed. I thought it was more of a plea than an argument. . . ."
<http://www.newshounds.us/2004/10/01/msnbc_postdebate_coverage.php></blockquote>
The first debate probably did much to encourage the skittish AnybodyButBush bunch, if even Scarborough thought that Bush fumbled it.
Meanwhile, we have truly hard work of rebuilding social movements, especially the movement against the occupations, and keeping the flame of independent political action alive.
The Palestine Solidarity Movement Conference (October 15-17, 2004, <http://palestineconference.com/>) The Million Worker March (October 17, 2004) The SOA Watch Convergence on Ft. Benning, GA (November 19-21, 2004) Post-Election Education Forums (Autumn 2004 - Summer 2005) MLK Commemoration Activities (January 17, 2005) The Inauguration Protest (January 20, 2005) -- Yoshie
* Critical Montages: <http://montages.blogspot.com/> * Greens for Nader: <http://greensfornader.net/> * Bring Them Home Now! <http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/> * Calendars of Events in Columbus: <http://sif.org.ohio-state.edu/calendar.html>, <http://www.freepress.org/calendar.php>, & <http://www.cpanews.org/> * Student International Forum: <http://sif.org.ohio-state.edu/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osudivest.org/> * Al-Awda-Ohio: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Al-Awda-Ohio> * Solidarity: <http://www.solidarity-us.org/>