Kerry doesn't know crap. All he did was spout out some well-polished BS. Bush may not be the best speaker, but he had substance.
Bush is like Reagan in several respects. Reagan was also a "slow starter" at times. He lost the first debate with Mondale in '84 but in the second debate, whooped Mondale's behind with "I will not make age an issue in this campaign. I'm not going to exploit for political purposes my opponents youth and inexperience." Classic line and we know how that election turned out.