The President came across, well, presidential and friendly. He brushed aside the personal insults and spoke to statesman issues: strength, certainty, etc.
Kerry sounded informed but petty, making little snipes all night. The questions were very favorable for Kerry, but he couldn't cash them in.
I took particular note of Kerry's appeal to nuclear proliferation as the greatest threat facing America. Bush got it right when he said the greatest threat was weapons of mass destruction in the hands of terrorists. The much cheaper and equally deadly biochems are weapons a terrorist could more easily obtain.
But the candidates weren't speaking to those of us with a lot of information and/or a political prejudice, they were speaking to the undecided voters who make their decision on broad strokes - personality, leadership traits, etc. Bush won that contest, IMHO.
If the Freepers here had a problem with Bush not tearing into Kerry, imagine how the anti-war Democrats will be upset with Kerry for not promising to cut-and-run from Iraq?
Lehrer: You spoke to Congress...How do you ask a man to die for a mistake?Huh?Kerry: It isn't a mistake.
Good point. Add it to my list at
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1231992/posts?page=2799#2799
5. We SHOULD view proliferation of WMDs into the hands of these terrorists as the most important issue but Kerry's priority is proliferation of nuclear weaponry equally to Iceland as to Al Qaeda.
In the beginning of the debate this was true. In the end Bush came across as weak and defensive, the camera caught him with expressions of frustration while Kerry attacked him and his stuttering responses were pathetic.
If this is a sign of things to come in the debates, I think Bush will lose the election. I am disgusted.