[MNJohnnie]

There seems to be a lot of relentlessly negative Freepers. Please refer them to this post. Frankly, I am pretty thoughly tired of those Freepers who suffer from McCainism.

[balk]

I think President Bush won re-election a long time ago at the Republican convention. That was the turning point.

[Fishman1]

I watched the WHOLE debate...Kerry was the smooth used car salesman.

He didn't make a salient point.

He didn't answer any of Lehrer's inane questions (talk about a partisan)

He didn't have ANY plans.

The American people will not be so stupid as to fall for his BS and he is a traitor!

I realized tonite that the debates don't mean as much as the so called pundits would have us believe. Bush will WIN when it counts!

[Lucky2]

From your pen to God's ear my friend. I pray for our President and his re-election. I will not feel comfortable until after the election is over.

[Redcloak]

I don't know that people are being "negative", per se, but Kerry did perform well tonight. The problem is that he didn't do well enough. ABC did a quick and dirty poll that showed people may have thought that Kerry won the debate, but none are changing their votes as a result. Bush still has the advantage. This will get worse in the coming days should voters decide they want a skilled warrior rather than a skilled orator.

[SupplySider]

Ok, I'm going to join in with the naysayers here.

I think most Americans come home tired from work, and get their news from Leno and Letterman and occasional soundbites from network news. The really thoughtful ones read Time or Newsweek. People like the deeply informed FReepers are a demographic flyspeck.

Cokie Roberts mentioned last Sunday that a study showed that debate results are the same for viewers that watch without sound as for those with sound. Taking all that into account, I think Kerry put on a good impersonation of a thoughtful, serious alternative to the President. I think he's got a great shot.

I'm not always negative, but I am now.

[SunkenCiv]

I didn't watch it, but glimpsed it in one of the lounges a few times (no sound, through the windows into the hall) and Kerry looked positively awful. Looked like he was trying to do the NY Times crossword (or in his case, the Jumble) on the podium.

[RetiredArmy]

My wife watched a little of the first part of the debate. She said one thing to me: Kerry comes off as a punk, jerk, and condescending person. He lectured you while Bush spoke to you.

She also wondered what happened to the tan. I responded: "He went to Michael Jackson's "white" doctor to get lightened up." One of my finer comments if I say so myself!