BUSH VS. KERRY, LIVE FROM MINNA

The stage is set, the candidates are here (at least in cutout form), and an audience of residents shall soon gather. (Context for this event covered here.) Views of the last 2004 United States Presidential debate, as reported from the riverside of Minna. (Updated live throughout the debate, from 6pm-9pm PDT today.)

6:05pm:

Barbarra Blair [instructing the audience]: ... be polite to each other, and no sound [effects], please. Witty comments are encouraged. Just make sure that your criticism or applause is not of the sort to enrage the other listeners.

Residents are still filing in. To those gathering here, I ask for a show of hands, in their support for each candidate:

Osprey Therian: Me for Kerry.
Barbarra Blair: Kerry, sort of.
Tommy Steed: Kerry!
Malach Volos: Kerry.
Osprey Therian: Chain Bushy. [?]
Aaron Perkins: I'm for the trained monkies running office myself.

Barbarra mentions that expressions of approval or disapproval must be kept PG.

Malach Volos: Well, 'spose I can't show my support by shedding my clothes and running around naked.
Barbarra Blair: Not unless you just run around in the house.
Malach Volos: Alright. If my political fervor reaches nudity levels, I shall retire to the house.

6:15pm:

Some residents are also watching the debate on TV, while in Second Life.

Barbarra Blair: Tell us if Bush makes a weird face.
Aaron Perkins [winking]: Look for the bulge on Bush's back...
Malach Volos: I think it's always weird. But his facial expressions remind me of my dad. It drives me completely insane.

Bush criticizes Kerry's remark about terrorism someday being a threat like prostitution or gambling.

Aaron Perkins: Kerry should have said he would send the prostitutes and gamblers after the terrorists.

On health care, Bush points out the high cost of implementing Kerry's suggestions.

Barbarra Blair: That's a good point. Wonder who wrote that for him.

6:30pm:

Bush mentions the funding for his college scholarship program.

Barbarra Blair: But you gotta move to India once you get that degree.
Osprey Therian: Right.
Aaron Perkins laughs.
Neehai Zapata: That doesn't help people who have retrained two and three times. So if people are laid off twice they need more education? Sign me up for that free education.
Barbarra Blair: He's talking loans here, not grants.
Chris Knox [laughing]: Bush just said that every person who has been laid off is uneducated.

Kerry's "Tony Soprano" line gets a big laugh. Up in front, Aaron Perkins seems to be shielding his eyes from one or both of the candidates, but claims this is not intentional.

Later on, the host asked the candidates' views of homosexuality.

Enjah Mysterio: Nice question. [listening to Bush's answer] What nonsense!

Caleb Jackson: GO BUSH!!!

Neehai Zapata: Two more weeks! Two more weeks!
Enjah Mysterio: Three more weeks.
Neehai Zapata: OK, three.
Osprey Therian: The polarizing issues are scary.

Kerry answers the question about abortion by describing his history as an altar boy, and how his faith influences his politics.

Hamlet Linden: So Kerry is saying his religious beliefs define his politics?
Conor Molinari: He is saying they inform his public life.
Fiona Boffin: He's saying it affects them.

Bush talks about how lawsuits impact health costs.

Neehai Zapata: Lawsuits account for less than 1% of healthcare costs. We need to offshore some more jobs to reduce the costs of healthcare.
You: What's your source for that figure, Neehai?
Neehai Zapata: General Accounting Office, or factcheck.org.
Solitaire Guillaume: I'm an registered nurse in real life; there is so much waste it's pathetic.

6:45pm:

Bush mentions his proposal to allow people to apply their social security savings into private investment.

Barbarra Blair: Yeah, put social security in the stock market. That'll fix it.
Conor Molinari: Let Ken Lay manage it, he needs a job.
Osprey Therian: Scary.
Neehai Zapata: I'm putting my social security in Enron. Enron is a good company. They were on the White House energy task force and a major GOP contributor. They must be a safe investment.
Enjah Mysterio: I am putting it in a sock.
Krashen Byrne [making a face]: I bought my brother an Enron stock certificate.

7:00pm:

Bush depends his tax cuts, arguing that they primarily to the lower and middle class.

Neehai Zapata: That is a misleading statement. Most cuts went to middle and lower in numbers because there are more poor people. Most of the money of the tax cut went to the wealthy.

Bush answers the question about illegal immigration, speaking of his experience as the governor of Texas.

Enjah Mysterio: He was a figurehead governor. He failed upward consistently.
Osprey Therian: The whole thing is horrifying-- I don't recognize the country now, let alone if Bush isn't re-defeated.
Conor Molinari: He is proposing to bring people in to take low paying jobs.

Hamlet Linden: Any Bush supporters here?
Barbarra Blair: Oh speak up, I'll protect you.
James Miller: I like Shrubs.
Fiona Boffin: Voted for his dad, but the son is scary.
Krashen Byrne: I will be voting for Bush.
Neehai Zapata: Where do you live, Krashen?
Krashen Byrne: [A swing state on the East coast.]
Enjah Mysterio: OK, Krashen, if he wins, we will hold you responsible.

Akuma Withnail: I live in Canada, we watch your country with shock and awe... I don't like two party systems.
James Miller: Well, that's what we've got.
Enjah Mysterio: The two CORPORATE PARTIES.
Osprey Therian: The voting process needs to be changed.
Enjah Mysterio: No we have at least FIVE parties, but they never get any airplay.
Barbarra Blair: Wouldn't get any votes in the electoral college anyway-- that's all that counts.
James Miller: Honestly, our country is very, very divided. I don't think we have a need for a 3rd party, because what would the 3rd party represent? Most people feel well aligned with one or the other...

(While the live debate continues, so does the Second Life debate on electoral colleges, the two party system, and related topics.)

7:15pm:

Kerry and Bush answer the host's question about the the strain Iraq has had on the the US armed forces, especially reservists and the National Guard.

Barbarra Blair: People would go to war if they believed in the cause.
Osprey Therian: A CHANGE OF PRESIDENT WOULD LIKELY RESULT IN MORE ALLIES.
Krashen Byrne: Who, Osprey?
Osprey Therian: [The] United Nations.
Neehai Zapata: Clinton took pre-emptive action on a regular basis and no one was afraid to enlist. Did Bush not get the "Ground war in Asia" memo?
Enjah Mysterio: From the Princess Bride character?

7:30pm:

Krashen Byrne: Maybe this would be more content rich if you only allowed positive comments, Hamlet.
Neehai Zapata: I agree, Krashen. Just like Bush rallies-- only positive free speech is good.

Bush speaks about his religious faith, and how he feels the prayers of Americans.

Neehai Zapata: Bush has the supernatural ability to feel prayer. He's like a comic book hero.
Fiona Boffin: I feel the love.
Enjah Mysterio: Not HIS.
Barbarra Blair: He probably does believe what he is saying.
Neehai Zapata: Onward Christian soldiers.
Akuma Withnail: What a laugh.
Enjah Mysterio: Being gay is a gift from the Almighty.
Fiona Boffin: Sure is.
Neehai Zapata [smiling]: So is loving your neighbor. My neighbor is hot!

The subject turns to the divisiveness of the country.

Fiona Boffin: I know several people who are seriously talking of moving if Dubya wins.
Osprey Therian: Divide the country in two, and people can move left or right.
Enjah Mysterio: I wanted to leave when Reagan was elected. But... Reagan got the wall torn down.
Neehai Zapata (ducking): I kind of liked Nixon.

The talk turns to the candidates' wives. Kerry speaks about his own wife.

Enjah Mysterio: He married ketchup.
Fiona Boffin: He married a smart woman.
Enjah Mysterio (laughing): Yeah. They ALL do. But we don't ELECT smart women. Not past a certain point. Not yet.

Final thoughts from each candidate. Kerry begins speaks first...

Krashen Byrne: 40,000 Linden Dollars he mentions Vietnam.
Enjah Mysterio (laughing): No bet.
Barbarra Blair: Hope he's learned not to.

Kerry mentions Vietnam.

Neehai Zapata: At least he earned the right to mention it.

Enjah Mysterio: Nice closing for Kerry.

Bush makes his own closing speech.

Neehai Zapata: Bush is still running like he always has. He is a great challenger and a horrible incumbent.
Enjah Mysterio: Shove freedom on our terms down their throats.
Barbarra Blair: Well, that was all kind of lukewarm, wasn't it?

Closing thoughts and opinions...

Hamlet Linden: OK, trying to be impartial, strictly in terms of the debate itself, everyone, who would you say won it?

Conor Molinari: Kerry. Kerry had a stronger debate, Bush benefits by not be being as bad as in the earlier debates.
Barbarra Blair: I thought Kerry was better. Bush was better [than he was in previous debates], but still does not reason in a straight line. Bush is all feeling, no thought.
Enjah Mysterio: They both sounded good... a draw.
Krashen Byrne: Bush. Bush was more spirited and had Kerry on the defensive. [Makes a face.] And he had lower expectations.
Neehai Zapata: From the perspective of people who might be influenced? I'd say it was a draw. [But] Bush was evasive and petulant.
Cienna Rand: Kerry, though this was Bush's best one yet, but he still seems to base things on the "just trust me" idea.

Hamlet Linden: Has the debate influenced anyone to change their preference of candidate?
Neehai Zapata: No.
Enjah Mysterio: I am reconsidering Kerry, but will probably vote for Nader anyway.
Conor Molinari: Nope.
Krashen Byrne: Nope.
Fiona Boffin: Not a chance.
Osprey Therian: No.

Barbarra Blair: People hear what they want to hear.
Conor Molinari: But, I think Kerry was very on message with undecided independents and women
Barbarra Blair: That is true. He was targeting the undecided vote.
Cienna Rand: What little of that there is, Barb.
Barbarra Blair: Bush seemed to be talking to his supporters.
Enjah Mysterio: Yeah, they massaged women a bunch. "Aww, you're so strong, you're so good, vote for us mensuits."
Neehai Zapata: Kerry's healthcare plan is the issue that will resonate the most.
Osprey Therian: I liked the fact that he talked about healthcare.
Barbarra Blair: I thought he made sense when he talked about the economy. But I also wish he would stop harping on the past. At this point it does not matter whether we should have gone to war in Iraq.
Enjah Mysterio: It does to me.
Osprey Therian: Me too.
Barbarra Blair: The point is that we now have to clean up the mess--any president has the same job in Iraq.

I ask resident listeners to name their favorite Kerry and Bush highlights...

Cienna Rand: I think the high point of Kerry tonight was not rising to the bait of some of Bush's, ah, misstatements and looking petty about that.
Conor Molinari: Agreed.
Enjah Mysterio: Kerry stayed cool.
Barbarra Blair: Kerry is always cool.
Enjah Mysterio: He is self-controlled.
Krashen Byrne [makes a face]: You mean lifeless.
Cienna Rand: Plus, I always like it when he invokes the Republican figureheads like Reagan.

Hamlet Linden: OK, this may be a tough question for this crowd, but what was Bush's best line or highlight?

Krashen Byrne [laughing]: When Bush said Ted Kennedy was the conservative from Massachussets.
Neehai Zapata: Bush showed excellent strategery in his responses.
Enjah Mysterio: Yes, excellent memorization and coaching.
Cienna Rand: "I learned to listen to them". [Responding to] the last question, about how each of them felt about "The strong women in their lives, what they learned from them."
Conor Molinari: I think Bush showed better control of himself this evening, he was running off the rails in the earlier debates.
Fiona Boffin: Oh my God, he was a hoot in the first one.
Enjah Mysterio: Last time he was shoving his jaw in and out like a mad dog, like he wanted to bite Kerry.
Barbarra Blair: I think Bush's best point was that Kerry has been in the Senate for 20 years and hasn't managed to enact these programs already. But of course during most of that time the Republicans have had the majority.

"OK, final round of questions: who here is a STRONG Bush supporter or a MILD Bush supporter, and who here is a STRONG Kerry supporter or a MILD Kerry supporter?"

Conor Molinari: Strong Kerry.
Enjah Mysterio: I am a MILD Kerry supporter.
Cienna Rand: Mild Kerry.
Fiona Boffin: Strong Kerry supporter.
Krashen Byrne: Mild Bush.
Enjah Mysterio: Nader.
Barbarra Blair: I'm a mild Kerry supporter.

Hamlet Linden: Who wants to predict who will win the race?
Barbarra Blair: Bush will win. The vote will be half and half, but the Republicans will take the electoral college by 20 votes.
Enjah Mysterio: Kerry.
Krashen Byrne: Bush by at least 5%.
Conor Molinari: Kerry [by] two points.
Enjah Mysterio: Kerry by a bunch.
Cienna Rand: Statistical dead heat. I wouldn't feel comfortable saying. It'll be another Florida.
Neehai Zapata: Kerry by a lot more than people think. Electoral votes 343/195, [for] Kerry.

Hamlet Linden: Thank you all! And God bless America.
Enjah Mysterio: God help America.
Barbarra Blair: That too.
Fiona Boffin: Do we get free bibles?
Enjah Mysterio: Let us elect the person most likely to tread a middle path.
Osprey Therian: Leave God out of it.
Barbarra Blair: I think God is leaving it up to us right now.