Good observation. Sure was creepy -- also unhappily for Kerry -- it messed up his "synch" with the watchers, the viewers. The listeners were still parsing the questuion and likely got a few steps behind in trying to follow Kerry's response. It made the Kerry part of the debate far more borr--rr-ii--innn-ggg. Kerry was unwatchable. Bush -- now he was interesting. Even when he stumbled. Likeable. A real person. Sympathetic.
And that is what our campaign is running on. Plain and simple.
I forgot Kerry's answers soon after he said them. I really can't recall anything specific. At least I know exactly where Bush stands on things and where we are going with Bush in the next 4 years.