Dear Senator Kerry;
To paraphrase the president's father, it's getting hotter in the kitchen. Quoting you out of context and willfully misconstruing your opinions should be the acts of desparate people, but it appears Karl Rove believes in such tactics. It's probably because time is running out, and by the time the press makes an issue out of their tactics, it'll be too late.
You can't afford another debate that ends in a draw, senator. That's the bad news. The good news is that Americans are convinced you can a) stand straight and look presidential; b) express yourself clearly and unequivocally; c) maintain your composure under pressure.
So, here's what you gotta do in the last debate:
Fluster the president with facts. There is nothing that confuses Bush more than specifics, and you've got to continue to bolster your arguments with facts he's a) unfamiliar with; and b) can't refute. This will provoke the "deer in the headlights" look Democrats love to see on a Republican president.
Take those swings at the president's errors and inconsistencies. You don't have a lot of advantages going into these debates. But one of them is that it's a lot harder to defend a record than to attack it - something you may just find out in four years. William Saletan has lots of examples of missed opportunities in the last debate. It's all well and good to say that you have a plan, but the president can assert the same thing - the difference is, you can point to how his plans so far haven't worked. Make it plain, make it funny without ridiculing him, and don't be afraid to really piss him off.
Keep your calm, no matter what. The more agitated Bush gets, the better your calm will look. He has a tendency to whine and repeat himself when he's upset, and that destroys his credibility.
Be gracious. Don't question the president's character, sincerity, or courage. Stop mentioning Enron and Halliburton. Let viewers draw the inference that it's time for grown-ups to take over the war on terrorism and the economic recovery.
Play it like Björn Borg, who treated each play like it was his last and as if the previous play never happened. Everything else will come to you. You know the message by heart and will stay on it without trying. You know how to stay within your time limit.
Good luck!
Comments