The debate last night was a make-or-break moment in our campaign to win back the White House. Today the verdict is in: with confidence and conviction, Kerry made the case against Bush's disastrous foreign policy -- and Bush couldn't take the heat. Today's editorial by the Boston Globe sums it up: "Ladies and gentlemen, you wake today to a whole new presidential race. Last night, John Kerry won as clear a debate victory as we've seen since Ronald Reagan outdueled Jimmy Carter in 1980…The Democratic challenger seemed more serious and substantive, more knowledgeable and confident, than the man who holds the job."
It's become a truism that the post-debate spin matters as much as the debate itself. We've got a running start today -- the reaction last night nation-wide was overwhelmingly in John Kerry's favor. But it's critically important that we all get out there and help seal the deal.
Over the weekend, Americans will look to the letters-to-the-editor pages of their local newspapers to confirm their perceptions about the candidates and their performances. Please take a few minutes today to write a letter highlighting how Kerry confronted Bush with the truth and the way that it rattled and angered him. We've set up an online tool that highlights some key talking points and makes it easy to find your local newspaper.
To write a letter to the editor, go to:
http://www.moveonpac.org/lte/lte.html?lte_campaign_id=13
John Kerry's performance was very strong. But what sealed the deal for many commentators was how rattled Bush got when confronted with the truth about his policies. The Washington Post derided his "stammering and pausing," the New York Times said he was "scowling and grimacing" and "petulant," the Boston Globe noted his "sighing, clenching his teeth, rolling his eyes," the LA Times said he seemed "tired and annoyed," and CBS News described Bush as "scowling at times and looking away in apparent disgust at others." Mark Halperin of ABC News summed it up: George Bush was "remarkably angry-seeming."
Kerry has said before that George Bush lives in a "fantasy world of spin." Last night that fantasy world began to crumble. Bush appeared angry that anyone would dare to challenge his view of the facts. Faced with the reality of the mess he has created in Iraq, and challenged for repeatedly misleading the American people, he retreated, falling back on his trite slogans over and over and over.
One of the most compelling moments of the debate came when George Bush once again tried to connect Iraq and 9/11. But Kerry wouldn't let him do it, and Bush scowled at his powerful response. We've put together a great web video that captures this moment. Check it out now at:
http://www.moveonpac.org/
Even the conservative pundits gathered on Fox News had to admit that Kerry looked pretty good last night. Bill Kristol said, "I think Kerry did pretty well, and…we're going to have a real presidential race." And right-wing commentator Joe Scarborough conceded: "I don't see how anybody could look at this debate and not score this a very clear win, on points, for John Kerry."
And the voters agree. ABC News said, "John Kerry won the debate," pointing to a poll of independent voters who declared Kerry the winner, 45% to 36%. CBS News said, "John Kerry won the debate," and found Kerry up by 15 percentage points among uncommitted voters. Even Gallup, a polling firm which has consistently skewed Republican, found Kerry winning by 16 percentage points, with a whopping 46% of the viewers saying that the debate made their opinion of Kerry more favorable. On the web, clickers delivered a landslide: with over 250,000 votes cast on the CNN website, 77% of the viewers thought that Kerry won, as opposed to only 19% for Bush.
Kerry's win last night will transform the presidential race. As voters get to actually meet the man Karl Rove has demonized, they realize he presents a serious alternative to Bush's reckless policy of endless war. But it's up to us to seal the deal for our friends, family, neighbors, and communities, as these perceptions are forming. Please take a moment to write a letter to the editor today at:
http://www.moveonpac.org/lte/lte.html?lte_campaign_id=13
With a month to go, this race is turning around. Kerry is building momentum. The polls are narrowing. And on November 2nd, we're going to win this thing.
