Kerry won the debate. He also lied on numerous occasions. Bush needs to find a way to directly and succinctly make sure everyone knows that Kerry is disseminating (sic?) falsehoods and that it is a pattern of behavior with him.
Who did you support before the debate?
Who did you support after the debate?
If that changed, then someone "won." If not, then no one won.
But in doing so he CANNOT look like a whiner. It would be extremely useful if he could bring up something Kerry said that is the exact opposite of something Kerry's just finished saying, but he can't go back in time to the last debate.
I don't think there are nearly the number of independent voters out there that the pollsters do, either. And those folks are the voters who will be voting depending on what bad news is heard on the morning of Nov. 2. Debates aren't something they're watching. They're watching gas prices. And damn, are they high right now.