Pete and Repeat - The Wizard of Uh's

After getting past the immediate impression of Laurel and Hardy, recollections of a childish saying kept pulsing inside the head. It goes like this: "Pete and Repeat were sitting on a fence, Pete fell down, who was left?"

Someone answers: "Repeat!"

And we hear again: "Pete and Repeat were sitting on a fence, Pete fell down, who was left?"

Which brings us back to the debate on Thursday night. We keep hearing the spin that the preznut is likeable to the Amurican people - (see: Wolcott, below) - and that he was "on message" during the course of the event. Here are some key phrases and how often Rove yelled, "Repeat!" and gave the preznut his M&M.

Mixed (Messages/Signals): 13 times
Hard Work: 11 times
Uh: stopped counting at 50

And some more of the classic moments reviewed (after stripping out the "Uh's"):
My concerns about the Senator is that, in the course of this campaign I've been listening very carefully to what he says, and he changes positions on the war on Iraq. It's a -- changes positions on something as ff -- fundamental as what you believe in your core, in your heart of hearts is right for -- in Iraq. I -- you cannot lead if you send mexed miss -- mixed messages.
-- Dubya sending mexed missages of his own in the First Presidential Debate, Coral Gables, Florida, Sep. 30, 2004

I have -- I understand everybody in this country doesn't agree with the decisions I've made. And I made some tough decisions. But people know where I stand.
-- Sometimes his mistaken statements ring truer than what he means to say, First Presidential Debate, Coral Gables, Florida, Sep. 30, 2004

We're making progress. It is hard work. It is hard work to go from a tyranny to a democracy. It's hard work to go from a place where people get their hands cut off or executed to a place where people are free. But it's necessary work.
-- Dubya hopeful that democracy is a straight line, although the "handless" can't sign the voter registration card and the dead can't vote, unless they live in Florida (a code phrase to Jeb that he's in trouble), First Presidential Debate, Coral Gables, Florida, Sep. 30, 2004

That's kind of a pre-September 10th mentality, to hope that somehow resolutions and failed inspections would make this world a more peaceful place.
-- Or even kind of a pre-September 11th mentality, but close enough, I guess... First Presidential Debate, Coral Gables, Florida, Sep. 30, 2004

In Iraq, no doubt about it, it's tough. It's hard work. It's incredibly hard. You know why? Because an enemy realizes the stakes. The enemy understands a free Iraq will be a major defeat in their ideology of hatred. That's why they're fighting so vociferously.
--Dubya tries (in vain) to insert a big word into his repertoire, First Presidential Debate, Coral Gables, Florida, Sep. 30, 2004

Getting the picture now, kiddies?