Open thread where readers et. al. can post your reactions and discuss in the comments section. I'm teaching at U of T tonight, so liveblogging will not be an option for me.
One thing... there had better be some serious discussion about Iran by the candidates, or I'm going to be really annoyed.
Here are some quick tips for adding simple Textile formatting to your comments, though you can also use proper HTML tags:
*This* puts text in bold.
_This_ puts text in italics.
bq. This "bq." at the beginning of a paragraph, flush with the left hand side and with a space after it, is the code to indent one paragraph of text as a block quote.
To add a live URL, "Text to display":http://windsofchange.net/ (no spaces between) will show up as Text to display. Always use this for links - otherwise you will screw up the columns on our main blog page.
I predict you'll be annoyed.
I've been covering Iran more extensively lately.
The wild and crazy Dr. Yazdi
Up the Revolution
On the verge
It will be interesting to see if the Iranians can drive the mullahs out before the mullahs get the bomb.
Sorry, we don't have any Army left to invade Iran.
I'm back, just in time for Bush's "Osama bin Laden doesn't get to decide..." shot at Kerry. Oooooh, that one's gonna hurt in the morning.
If I were Kerry, I don't think I'd keep talking about "when I came back from the war..." That's the very weakest part of his personal history, and every time he does it he's inviting future attacks. And, inexplicably, he keeps doing it. I don't get it.
On the bright side, he's better at short answers than I expected.
So, Joe, was I right or was I right?
I am in the process of composing a post about how much your candidates suck.
Tell us something we don't know.
Frankly I thought Kerry bent Bush over, spanked him, and made Bush shout "You're my daddy!" Which surprises the heck out of me.
Most of the time, both candidates did okay.
But there were times, when Bush, while Kerry was talking, just looked like he was going to lose it - sort of a mini- Zell Miller. (Again, only occasionally.)
His mouth twisted up, he gets this contemptuous look on his face - what's he so pissed about?
what's he so pissed about?
Jealousy. His friend Vladimir doesn't have to debate any more.
Did you guys notice that Kerry offers to give radiactive material to Iran? Wow! This guy is utterly stupid. "Arm thy enemy" says his Book. Wow!
This is not a new initiative. Iran states they wish to develop nuclear technology for energy production. To do this they will need enriched uranium. Enriched uranium may be used in power reactors. Highly enriched uranium (weapons grade) can be used in bombs with more highly enriched nuclear cores producing greater destructive yields. By controlling and monitoring what nuclear materials a regime such as Iran's possesses, we stand a greater chance of limiting their aims to produce destructive weapons. A country either has a broad program to enrich uranium, or it doesn't. It is a very costly and deliberate process. By providing them uranium that is not useful for weapons but is compatible with energy production, it calls their bluff and any further monitoring that turns up evidence of an uranium enrichment process places them in default.
Or we could be petulant say any development of nuclear research will be met with force. Only we do not have suitable force to occupy the entire Mideast and Korea. Nuclear proliferation has been a significant problem since 1948. The means of controlling and monitoring its spread is complex, but tested.
Tested, and found wanting.
Bush could have fired back and noted that Iran has rejected all such arrangements, openly declares its "right" to conduct its nuclear program with no external encumbrances, and is openly declaring moves to begin enriching uranium.
You don't need to call the Iranians' bluff. They've called it themselves. And the European initiative is a charade that Iran laugs at openly. They are 4-6 months away, and sanctions won't stop anything. Even assuming that the Europeans would implement and enforce them - which they won't.
Seemed to me as I watched it that substsantively it was a wash. I doubt either of them said anything that will change any minds or make up any undecided minds. The latest CNN poll backs me up on that. Stylistically, as much as I hate to say it (me being a Bush voter and all) Kerry took it. He seemed relaxed, comfortable, confident and articulate. Bush seemed nervous and defensive, stuttered a few times, and fairly frequently seemed to lose his train of thought. Fortunately for W, this debate didn't seem to move the polls much, but if he does this badly in the next two debates, he could be in trouble.