<p>This is for all the marbles, essentially. President Bush improved his performance in the second debate tremendously from the 1st debate. Kerry looked about the same in both debates.</p>
<p>Traditional wisdom holds that Democrats do better on domestic issues, the subject of the 3rd debate. However, the town hall debate included domestic issues and the President did very well on them. </p>
<p>The Gallup polls from before and after the debates found the following:</p>
<p>Bush +8 prior to the first debate
TIED immediately after the first debate
Kerry +1 immediately after the second debate</p>
<p>The last two polls were conducted over the weekends after the debates. I picked Gallup because they are generally pretty trusted (although other polls have Bush leads at the current time).</p>
<p>So. Who do you think will win on substance? Bush's God, gays, and guns issues, or Kerry's health care and economic issues? How about style? This debate won't be another town hall where both candidates can get up a walk around. It will be another podium affair like the first debate. Will Kerry drone on and on or appear goofy? Will Bush show his frustration and lose his train of thought? </p>
<p>We'll know after tomorrow night. Barring an "October Surprise," there is not another major event to shift the dyamic of the race after this third debate.</p>
<p>Did anyone watch the SNL version as well. I thought it was hilarious with Bush and his, "Wait, don't I get to respond to that? I have something to say." and the "Kerry's a mind changer, he changes minds". And Kerry with his laundry list of supporters and "I have plan". I wonder if either of them watch these spoofs of themselves to see how stupid tehy can sound and look sometimes. I'm looking forward to the next one.</p>
<p>i think bush will win the 3ed debate as far as content (mabe not in speech quality). The econimy has been doing fairly well under bush. the price of petrolum may hurt him, although it is really out of control. Obvisly bush will hit that unemployment is down, although kerry will counter saying people have simply stopped looking for jobs (in actuallity allen greenspan has more to do with unemployment then bush does). The think that will probably again help bush the most in kerrys senate record. Since kerry has mostly voted to raise taxes it will hurt him in that area of domestic issues. i think that the first time bush mentions this kerry will most likely redirect the question to how bushes tax cuts only benfited the wealthy. I think on domestic issues bush has more things he can use to help himseilf, but if utilised improperly he will loose the debate.</p>
<p>This is the national consent on the areas covered in tonights debate. A big reason why the polling is so slanted towards Kerry is soley because Bush has performed horribly. Bush is already decimated by action coming into this debate, no words can save him. Kerry on the other hand can open up even a bigger lead by connecting his plan well with the American people. </p>
<p>I'm curious as to how Bush will win on content. Historically Democrats always fair very well on domestic issue debates. Historically Bush is one of the worst President's when it comes to domestic issues. He is heavily conservative which is not aligned with mainstream America.</p>
<p>Some other food for thought... no incumbent in history who lost all 3 debates has ever been re-elected</p>
<p>"Since kerry has mostly voted to raise taxes it will hurt him in that area of domestic issues."</p>
<p>Oh and also look further into the truth than Carl Rove's talking points.</p>
<p>Kerry voted to raise taxes "98" times and Bush erronously distorts this time and time again to make Kerry out to be some crazy tax raising liberal. For starters, the 98 is an inflated figure that counts mutliple votes on the same tax bill as well as votes on budget measures which merely set tax targets but not increases.</p>
<p>That aside, what Rove doesn't tell Bush to say is that while Kerry has voted for raising taxes "98" times, he has also voted against rasing taxes over 300 times.</p>
<p>he made a mistake saying he would not raise taxes...it recalled Bush in 88 saying "read my lips...no new taxes" how else will kerry pay for all his stuff?</p>
<p>Kerry didn't say he wouldn't raise taxes at all. He said he wouldn't raise taxes on people making less than 200,000 dollars a year. He'll probably tax the rich out of their minds to pay for all of his proposed spending.</p>
<p>My fellow politics nerds and I are having a party over at my friend's house. Popcorn, sodas, music, everything...the Cool Kids Party of the 21st century. Rock. I'm interested in seeing how intense this debate is going to be. It'll be the only one I'll have seen, so let's hope it's good, hard-hitting, and passionate.</p>