Kerry, for reasons unknown, always waits until the final 6 weeks of a campaign before coming on strong. He’s done it many times before, and is doing it now. By all accounts, even from the Right, Kerry won the debate.
The Meme of the Year
Kerry struck his best blow late, with what is going to be a turning point meme: “Just because you are certain, doesn’t mean you are right.”
Conservative bloggers say Bush sucked
A confidence gap in Spin Alley
Ryan Lizza notes that “confidence is always one of the best clues for sniffing out which side really believes its own spin. And in Spin Alley last night one could detect a confidence gap.” Lizza goes on to note “a weird dynamic” where the Bush spinners didn’t sound like they believed their own spin.
The bottom line: “There are three keys to presidential debates: expectations, style, and substance. Kerry won on all of them.”
The Democrat Rapid Response Team wasted no time, and has posted a quite funny Faces of Frustration video showing images of a nervous, grimacing, uneasy Bush throughout the debate.
Crooks and Liars looks at the debate
My pal Mike F. gives a blow by blow account of the debate in his usual funny, acerbic, fact-filled manner.
It was interesting to see what was not discussed, which is mostly the fault of Jim Lehrer, but certainly could have been corrected by either Bush or Kerry if they cared to. The issue of Israel and Palestine was not discussed at all.
The draft was also unmentioned