Fun with the Post-Debate Spin

Here's a compilation of the letters I've sent to various news organizations post-debate, plus some samples I gave to others for inspiration. Feel free to use as a source of ideas, but please use your own words if you want to join the fun. If the same letter appears from many sources, the media gets cranky and the letter will be less effective.

It was fun, but I've seriously exceeded my typing quota! Time for some ice ...

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CNN Larry King Live:

You could say that last night's debate between John Kerry and George Bush was a battle of wits. John Kerry won hands down!

When going up against a brilliant and extraordinarily dangerous threat, like Osama bin Laden, I want a President who can match wits with him, not one who falls back on hollow, vague catch-phrases.

I want John Kerry. Maybe a smarter President will wage a more competent war, so we could actually win.

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CNN American Morning:

I can't believe all this "Kerry won, but didn't 'move the needle'" talk.

Kerry won so decisively that your own pre- and post-debate polls showed a marked shift from Bush 52/Kerry 44 to Kerry 53/Bush 37. That's a huge shift of "the needle" right in your own audience!

Mark my words, last night's debate was a turning point in this election. George Bush couldn't come out with any thoughts of his own, he had to fall back on catch phrases and slogans while Kerry showed a clear understanding of where we are and where we need to go.

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Good Morning America:

John Kerry mopped the floor with George Bush last night!

I kept thinking about who I'd want to put up against a criminal mastermind like bin Laden, and the answer came back John Kerry, every time. All evening George Bush fell back on the same tired catch-phrases over and over, while John Kerry described detailed, well-reasoned approaches to making our country safer.

If George Bush thinks 2500 troops from Poland is enough to "watch our back" against the greatest terrorist threat in the history of mankind, I have a bridge to sell him.

Maybe he can use it in Crawford, TX, where he's going to have all the vacation time he needs after November.

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Hardball w/Chris Matthews:

Thank you for not allowing the Rove spin to go unchallenged in the post-debate discussion last night! John Kerry won the debate decisively.

While George Bush fell back on empty slogans over and over, Kerry showed a detailed understanding of the current situation and proposed a real prescription for bringing the world to a sane resolution of the Iraq conflict. George Bush’s comfort with Poland’s 2500 troops as sufficient “cover” for the backs of our men and women; his lack of understanding that Kim Jong-Il is BEGGING for a way to save face so he can de-escalate the North Korean nuclear escalation; his insistence that the world is safer simply because Hussein is gone, are signs of a man out of touch with reality.

While the world may have been safer briefly after Hussein was deposed, Bush’s bungling of the rest of the war in Iraq has made us much LESS safe. When it comes to supporting our troops by bringing allies in, it might be more helpful if there were more than token support from countries who have actual resources… Poland doesn’t hack it. England is beginning to turn away, as is Australia. What is Bush going to do when Tony Blair and John Howard are ousted in their national elections? And given the complete failure of the 6-way talks in N. Korea, perhaps it’s best to end them. China’s not going to walk away, they’ve got a VERY strong interest in the outcome.

I want a President who actually understands how the world works, not one who just says he does.

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Hannity and Colmes (to Colmes):

Thanks for trying to fight the good fight! Here’s what I got out of the debate last night:

George Bush only THINKS he knows how the world works, John Kerry actually knows. The debates made this clear.

George Bush actually believes that bi-lateral talks with N. Korea would be bad – that they’d make China walk away. Well, China is much more threatened by N. Korean nukes than we are! They’re not going to stop applying pressure just because we switch from failing 6-way talks to potentially successful 2-way talks.

I want a President who can figure out simple things like this. John Kerry “gets” it, George Bush doesn’t. The choice is clear.

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Fox News:

Wow, did you folks watch the same debate I did?

John Kerry so completely beat George Bush that there’s no comparison! Can I have some of your Kool-aid? It must be laced with something really interesting for you to think the two performances were even close…

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ABC’s Nightline:

I love the “Kerry won, but no change” line that’s being passed around! I now don’t know a single person who saw the debate last night who’s still uncertain about who to vote for. The answer is John Kerry.

You may want to talk to your pollsters, because they’re feeding you something other than reality. Better yet, why don’t you try investigating the pollsters? I get the feeling they’re trying to unduly influence the election. THAT would be a story!

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CBS Evening News:

Experts Rate Debate a Draw? What are they expert in? Certainly not the English language, debates, or even politics. John Kerry cleaned Bush’s clock!

Bush constantly fell back on hollow repetition of rehearsed lines, because he couldn’t think on his feet. John Kerry had an excellent command of the details and a solid understanding of how the world really works (as opposed to Bush’s fantasy about how it works).

A president has to be able to outsmart those who want to harm this country – something George Bush is not capable of. I want a president who can go head-to-head with a criminal mastermind like bin Laden and win. That means John Kerry, a smart man who can think on his feet.

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NBC Nightly News:

John Kerry wiped the floor with George Bush. His call for bi-lateral talks with N. Korea was right on. Kim Jong-Il has made clear that’s what he desperately needs in order to save face so he can de-escalate the N. Korean nuclear program. He’s also right on in Iraq – to solve any complex problem, you need to bring together great minds to come up with the best combination of steps to achieve a lasting solution. The right wing spin machine would have you believe otherwise. That’s because they’re out of ideas.

We need some fresh blood in the White House. Someone who is smart enough to go head-to-head against a criminal mastermind like bin Laden and win. George Bush and his shortsighted administration clearly can’t. I’m voting for John Kerry.

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NBC Today Show:

John Kerry beat the pants off of George Bush!

We need a President who can outsmart a criminal mastermind like Osama bin Laden, not one who can only fall back on tired catch-phrases. We need a President who can figure out the Kim Jong-Il is desperate to de-escalate the nuclear arms race, but needs to save face to do it (which is what bi-lateral talks would enable). We need a President who understands that China is more threatened by a nuclear N. Korea than we are, who knows China won’t “walk away.” We need a President who understands that a we need more than 2,500 Polish troops watching the backs of our 130,000 brave men and women. We need a commitment of substantial numbers of allied troops. We need a President who realizes that a failed Iraq is more threatening to Europe than it is to us, and who hasn’t angrily brushed Europe aside.

We need a President who is smart enough to be President, not a wanna be.

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Burlington Free Press:

In the Kerry/Bush debate, George Bush was detail-free and clearly flustered in the face of Kerry's intelligent, detailed understanding of foreign policy.

Bush's whining that bi-lateral talks with N. Korea would destroy the 6-party talks was silly. The 6-party talks are a failure. China won’t walk away. China has far more to lose than the US. Kim Jong-Il has said what he needs in order to save face and end the dangerous escalation, but Bush just doesn't get it.

It's time for real leadership in America. Stubborn insistence on continuing failed policies is not leadership, it's a temper tantrum. If Bush were a 2-year-old, he'd get a time-out.

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CNN News:

John Kerry won the debate, hands-down. He was calm, well-reasoned. He knew his foreign policy cold. George Bush on the other hand, had to resort to repetition of vague concepts, over and over again. He lacked substance.

Bush seemed flustered, and spent an awful lot of time blinking and smirking. It was unsettling.

If I had any doubts about voting for John Kerry before, I have none, now. He has the hallmarks of a true leader. A true leader knows how to get people to cooperate toward a common goal. Kerry will do that with our allies, you know, the ones who can make a serious commitment. (By the way Poland has committed 2500 troops to Iraq, we've got 138,000 over there. With allies like that, who needs France?).

It's time for a change. I want real leadership, not a president who insists on doing the wrong thing, like an over-stimulated 2-year-old. George Bush needs a time-out.

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Samples:

After watching the Kerry/Bush debate, I can't believe George Bush has a reputation for winning debates. John Kerry won hands down. It was so nice to see someone with a clear understanding of the challenges we face speaking on
National TV. I can only hope we see more, much more, of John Kerry.

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George Bush loves to discuss John Kerry's beach sandals, while failing to recognize that his own presidency is a flop. It was great to watch John Kerry clean Bush's clock in the debates. It's time to replace the current "president" with a real President by electing John Kerry.

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As George Bush spent the evening criticizing the mote in John Kerry's eye, while playing down his own major shortcomings, it became clear that it's time for a change. Let's send Bush back to Kennebunkport. The folks in Crawford are probably too embarrased by his performance to want him back, after John Kerry
mopped the floor with him.

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Wow! John Kerry has the makings of an excellent President. The contrast between him and George Bush was incredible. I hope Kerry wins in November!

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How on earth did we ever elect George Bush? There's no comparison between him and John Kerry. Let's elect a statesman. It's time to move up from the "bush leagues."

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What is George Bush afraid of? In tonight's debate, George Bush tried to paint unrealistically rosy pictures of the state of the world and the economy. John Kerry was not afraid to tell the truth.

Americans can handle the truth, can Bush?

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When watching the debate, I asked myself "Which of these guys would I want watching my back if things got bad?" After seeing his honesty, composure, and strength of character, I'd have to say Kerry, so that's who I'm voting for this November.

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After all the hype about George Bush's debating skills, I was disappointed. That guy wasn't "plain spoken," he was plain awful! Who would vote for him?

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John Kerry did great tonight. He sure put George Bush - the War on Truth president - in his place! I'm voting for Kerry in November. I want a smart President, not a smart alec.

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George Bush lost big time tonight. He couldn't hold a candle to John Kerry. John Kerry understands the real lives of real Americans. That's who I want for President.