I don't think Bush came across very well. However, Kerry made 3 major blunders that I caught. The first was that he said that he would not have gone into Iraq knowing what we now know, a direct contradiction to a recent question that specifically asked this. The second was that we needed to pass "a global test". And the third was that he was going to shut down the bunker-busting nuke program. And, of course he lied throughout. It is ashamed that Bush did not mention that it was the failed treaty orchestrated by Democrats with North Korea that accounted for the current situation. And that North Korea was trying to blackmail the US by insisting on bilateral talks with the US.
At first, I was upset that Bush didn't hammer Kerry with all the material he's provided. But I believe there's a plan. I think the whole thing's a rope-a-dope. Let the fish have the line, go easy on him, give them hope and talking points to gloat over, and let them crow from the rooftop that their man has a plan, and Bush made a mistake and can't win with his plan.
Let them say it often and visibly. Then hammer the insurgents and terrorists in Iraq, give a lot of the credit to the new Iraqi trainees, and show everyone that you were right to begin with. Totally take the air out of their balloon right before the election. I think they real plan is to prove they're right and take the wind out of Kerry's sails at the last minute.