The Great Debate

The first of three debates is less than 24 hours from now and the media is already in a tizzy over what their post-debate analysis will be. This is just another exercise in insincerity on the part of the liberal pundits, considering they could all miss the debates and still end up spewing the same talking points: "wow, Kerry really found his voice", "Kerry has established himself as a viable alternative", "Bush will be hard pressed to counter..." blah blah blah... you can fill in the rest.

With this fact in mind, why is the main stream media so gabby coming into this debate? Simple answer: Projection. They are projecting all their own nervousness and fear they have about their own candidate on the debate itself. They speak of the "high stakes" as though they were mutual. It is John Kerry's campaign that has bet the ranch on this first debate which will focus on foriegn policy (ie: Kerry's balls-to-the-wall opposition of the Iraq war), while Bush stands to lose very little if he performs poorly.

You have to laugh at the media and the panic they have found themselves in. They remind voters that campaign operatives will always set the bar low for their candidates heading into the debates, while in the same breath they remind you that Bush is the second coming of Niccolo Machiavelli (these are the same people who swear Karl Roves makes sure the president pants aren't on backwards when he leaves the house). They do this because they understand what tomorrow means, and they wish it weren't so.

The Dems head into these debate like a Red Sox fan walking into Yankee Stadium; cursing and jeering the home team with so much heart, but knowing deep down how it will end.

I risk jinxing the results, but I will go ahead and say it (mostly in the name of being able to say "see, I told you so" Friday morning):

Bush will trounce Kerry tomorrow. It wont even be close. Bush will come accross as a confident man who is unapologetic about his principles, yet humbled by what the presidency has taught him. Kerry will come off as many things, but mostly a jerk.

But watching Kerry crumble will not be the fun part - we've been watching this for the last 6 weeks. What will be enjoyable is watching the talking heads after the debates. The pundits will all do their duty to spin Kerry's performance as best they can, but their voices will project defeat. Jump around the cable news shows and you will find plenty of evidence of this fact. Judy Woodruff will be reduced to near tears on HardBall. Mathews' himself will try to shift the discussion to the next debate - "Kerry's REAL last chance". Ron "Reagan" Jr., still sporting that denime jacket as though it was 1988, will channel his father's soul and explain that he thinks Bush is a demagogue - while at the same time blaming Bush's stem cell policy for his father death. Juan Williams will be brow beating Fred Barnes over how nasty Bush was, while Mort resigns to the fact he will probably never vote Democrat again...

A national liberal-suicide watch will begin Friday morning, and all will be right in the world.