SHE STANDS FOR US.
WITH JUST 36 DAYS UNTIL THE
HAPPENS IN THE RACE FOR
PRESIDENT TAKES ON ADDED
SIGNIFICANCE.
PERHAPS MOST NOTABLE, THE
THREE DEBATES FOR THE MAJOR
THIS WEEK
WEEK24 HOUR NEWS EIGHT
POLITICAL REPORTER RICK ALBIN
JOINS US WITH WHAT TO EXPECT
AND TO TRY TO WEIGH THE
IMPORTANCE OF THIS EVENT.RICK,
LET'S START THERE... DO THESE
DEBATES REALLY CHANGE A LOT OF
MINDS?
THE SHORT ANSWER IS NO.
DEBATES TRADITIONALLY TEND TO
RE-ENFORCE AN INDIVIDUALS
PREFERENCE ... IF YOU ARE
LEANING TOWARD A CANDIDATE IT
IS LIKELY THAT A DEBATE WILL
JUST CONFIRM WHAT YOU HAVE
ALREADY BEEN THINKING. THAT IS
MORE OR LESS THE HISTORY WITH
THE EXCEPTION OF ONE NOTABLE
GROUP OF VOTERS ... UNDECIDEDS
IN SWING STATES ... THIS YEAR
PERHAPS MORE THAN EVER THAT
GROUP OF 8 TO 12 STATES WILL
ALMOST CERTAINLY PICK THE NEXT
PRESIDENT AND THE DEBATES ...
PARTICULARLY THIS FIRST ONE
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Q. DEBATES HAVE PROVIDED SOME
MAJOR MOMENTS FOR CANDIDATES
... WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE
EXAMPLES AND WHAT ARE THE
CHANCES WE WILL SEE SOMETHING
LIKE THAT THIS WEEK?
THE HISTORY IS PRETTY WELL
PART OF POLITICAL LORE ....
KENNEDY NIXON ... WHERE THE
RADIO AUDIENCE THOUGHT NIXON
PREVAILED WHILE THE TELEVISION
AUDIENCE SAW A NERVOUS LOOKING
MAN WHO NEEDED A SHAVE, UP
AGAINST THE CALM KENNEDY WHO
WENT ON TO WIN THE RACE OF
COURSE ... MANY LIKE TO
ROMANTICIZE THAT THIS DEBATE
WAS THE REASON, BUT IT IS
THE SOLE FACTOR ...
BUT THIS WAS THE COMING OF THE
TELEVISION AGE FOR DEBATES ...
CLAIMED THIS.
THAT OF COURSE WAS INACCURATE
AND GAVE JIMMY CARTER AN EDGE
IN THE DEBATE THOUGH MAKE NO
MISTAKE THE PARDON OR RICHARD
NIXON AND OTHER FACTORS HAD
MUCH MORE TO DO WITH FORDS
DEFEAT .. AND BY THE WAY HE
WAS CLOSING AT AN AMAZING RATE
AT THE END OF THAT RACE ...
ANOTHER 24 HOURS OR LESS THAT
FORD MIGHT HAVE PREVAILED.
THEN IN 1984 ... A
COMPARATIVELY YOUNGER WALTER
MONDALE SEEMED POISED TO TAKE
ON PRESIDENT REAGAN ... THEN
ALREADY IN HIS 70'S ... BY
SUGGESTING HE MIGHT BE TOO OLD
FOR A SECOND TERM ... REAGAN
ALMOST ERASED THE ISSUE WITH
THIS SINGLE DEBATE MOMENT
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REAGAN WON THE ELECTORAL
VOTE 525 TO 13. 3
13.Q. WHAT ABOUT Q. WHAT ABOUT
STYLE VERSES SUBSTANCE ...
WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT?
UNFORTUNATELY STYLE OFTEN
TRUMPS ... LOOK BACK AT 2000
EYES AND LOOKED GENERALLY
DISDAINFUL OF GEORGE BUSH ...
IN ONE OF THE CLOSEST
IN 2004 IT WAS BUSH HISTORY.
THE CLOSEST CASE IN ONE OF
DIDN'T HELP HIS PROBABLY
GEORGE BUSH ... DISDAINFUL OF
GENERALLY LOOKED GENERALLY
DISDAINFUL OF GEORGE BUSH ...
PROBABLY DIDN'T HELP HIS CASE
IN ONE OF THE CLOSEST
PRESIDENTIAL RACE IN HISTORY.
IN 2004 IT WAS BUSH WHO LOOKED
BORED AND SEEMED IMPATIENT TO
GET DONE WITH THE DEBATES AND
AGAIN THAT IS A LOT OF WHAT
WAS TALKED ABOUT.
ABOUT.Q. FINALLY... WHO HAS
WEDNESDAY?
BY FAR MITT ROMNEY ... ON THE
DOWN SIDE IF HE MISSES ANY OF
DOMESTIC ISSUES OR DOES NOT
HANDLE THEM WELL ... IT COULD
BE A LONG 34 DAYS TO NONMEMBER.
IF ON THE OTHER HAND HE HAS A
COMMAND OF THE ISSUES AND CAN
FIND A BREAK OUT MOMENT WHERE
HE DISTINGUISHES ... IN A
POSITIVE WAY ... .HIMSELF ROM
THE PRESIDENT HE COULD HELP
TURN THE CORNER ON A CAMPAIGN
COUPLE OF WEEKS.
FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA THE TASK
IS TO STAY ENGAGED ... DON'T
LOOK BORED AND MAKE SURE YOU
HIT YOUR MARKS ON ALL THE
QUESTIONS.
FOR BOTH, EVERY ANSWER WILL BE
DISSECTED AND REHASHED FOR 48
HOURS , PERHAPS LONGER, SO IF
YOU MESS IT UP ON WEDNESDAY
YOU WILL STILL BE DEALING WITH
IT ON THE SUNDAY SHOWS.
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