More For The Day After
ETA: Gallup is calling it a knockout for Kerry. Mark A.R. Kleiman has that and other poll results here. Barring the “October surprise” we’re all so afraid of, Kerry is going to be the next President of the United States.
As I expected, I signed on this morning to find that the network news sites are calling last night’s debate a draw. Meanwhile, um, whatdayacall ‘em, the…American people, mostly seem to have picked Kerry. Salon.com News has more about the media’s strangely subdued reaction here.
I expected this because it’s what happened after the last two debates. After all, a close election is much more exciting to cover. And I think a lot of people in the media were embarassed by their reaction to the first debate, and felt compelled to add “balance.”
But anyway, after each debate CBS news has been polling uncommitted voters. Kerry’s always been the winner, and last night was no exception.
One note on that story. What I didn’t say last night but was definitely thinking about is that the moderator is known to be a golfing buddy of the President. His brother, I believe, has been in business with him. So there was some concern around the blogs as to just how objective he could be.
I indicated last night that I thought the moderator had lobbed a softball at Bush by giving him a chance to discuss his “personal faith.” Another question seemingly designed to give Bush an easy gold star was the last one. Gosh shucks, it’s great that he loves his wife, isn’t it? You know who I bet also loved their wives? Every married man in Iraq whose death Bush is personally responsible for.
Anyway, unsuprisingly, those two questions are where Bush did best, according to the CBS poll. Which is what they were designed to do. Just another example of objectivity in journalism by the SCLM.
