I watched. C-SPAN was split screen the whole time, and it showed Bush's smirks and scowls to glorious disadvantage.
It also showed how Bush would motion to Lehrer for rebuttal everytime, and it would be instantly granted. I assume this was not the agreed-upon proceedure -- Lehrer and Bush seemed to clear the first instance with Kerry -- but if not, then I should add that I also noticed Kerry motion for a rebuttal at least three times that Lehrer ignored.
I watched the pre-debate lecture, too. Lehrer was very much the stern headmaster, warning potential hecklers that he'd get them good on national TV and penalise their candidates, should they be noisy or disruptive.
Bush was typically incoherent and, ever after that "He outsourced that job, too" zinger from Kerry, rattled.
Wisdom in Texanese: I learned that an Iranian cleric is actually some sort of cow.
Kerry is now set to clean Bush's clock, because even people who don't know him think he's right on domestic issues; this debate was to Kerry's percieved faults -- which is why Bush pushed for foriegn policy to be subject of the first round -- but Kerry still kicked ass. The next two are Kerry's to lose.
And, yes, everyone's already said it, but it's true. Kerry looked plausibly Presidential. But then this isn't the big deal it's thought to be: Reagan's "buh buh buh buh" in 1980 and Bush's own cross-eyed, angry-man-on-street-corner performances are the quintessence of non-professionalism, and they still got by (dishonestly, yes, but there it is).
More important, Kerry looked warm. Or, at least, warmer. He often nodded and smiled when Bush spoke. Warmth and polished-speaking is Clintonism, and thus irresistible. More of this, Mr Kerry, please.
posted by RETARDO MONTALBAN @ 7:11 AM
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