PBS Crossfire on Bush/ Kerry last night

[spursfan101]

It was fantastic, best show I've seen on both candidates to date!  Gave me an appreciation for both candidates.

[SPURSX3]

recap?  highlights?

[spursfan101]

My mistake. The show wasn't Crossfire, it was FRONTLINE.

It was a two-hour dual biography on both candidates. It explored how the candidates and their values have been shaped by their family background, history, victory, and defeat.  Friends, families, enemies and journalists who knew both candidates well spoke, it was extremely insightful. Things I got:

Bush.  Showed him traveling across the country in the 70's with his wife in his first attempt to become a Senator. Really bought out the personal side of GW.  It talked about the impact he had on his fathers reelection campaign by targeting conservative Christian voters. He could relate to them since he was a born-again Christian. Talked about his ownership of the Texas Rangers, and how was a well thought out plan to launch his political career.  How his mom told him he COULDN"T beat Ann Richards, but he did. Talked about his TOUGH approach to campaigning. Hate to use the word dirty politics, let's just say his aggressive strategies. Example: How GW utilizes other people to sling his mud (it showed the homosexual smear campaign against Ann Richards in Texas; his mudslinging against John McCain, and it mentions the use of the Swifties). He praises his opponents and distances himself from these people.

Perhaps the biggest thing that I got out of it was...that GW tries very hard to not be his father. His father was a moderate repubublcan, he went the other way with that and is extremly conservative.  How his father "didn't get the job done" in Iraq, and felt we needed too.  Really talked about how TOUGH of a competitor he is.

For John Kerry:
How him and Senator McCain led the POW excursions into Vietnam to bring closure.  How McCain despised him after Vietnam, but it talked about how they buried the hatchet (although you wouldn't know that now.)  What I really got out of the Kerry side of documentary was that Kerry in many ways is a pacisft who really does not believe in jumping into war, only as a last resort. And the fact that he talks to much, has trouble answering questions, and often flip flops.  One thing it showed. During the lead up to the War in Iraq, he was against it initially because as he said in 2002, the Bush administration didn't seem to have a plan to winning the peace in Iraq. They had no exit strategy. How profetic.
 

[jn]

Actually you would know that about McCain.  He may be supporting Bush but on the occasions I have heard him talk about Kerry and Vietnam he has emphasized the need to let go of the past divisions.  

[spursfan101]

It was interesting about McCain. During the 2000 Presidential Race, Bush stood right next to a Vietnam War Veteran on the stage, and he listened as the vet tore up McCain and that McCain had forsaken the Veterans of this country.  THEN, during the Bush McCain debate, he called GW out, and Bush simply said he didn't say those things. The vet did, he thought McCain had served admirably!  (hello, your standing next to the guy as he's doing it!)

Also talked how GW divided the Republicans when he initially took office, even losing the majority in Congress because one of the Repubs relenquished his loyalty to become an indepedent. (had totally forgotten about that.)