You are right on the money.
POTUS's strategy was to stay on message and let Kerry foam at the mouth. He knows that in Pajamaland, the knives are being sharpened! Conservative media will be ablaze with untruth's Kerry spouted tomorrow.
Bill Weld stated that he lost his debates to Kerry because he couldn't counter Kerry's effective lying about the facts.
I think that GW and his team decided to let Kerry just go for it during the first 2/3's.
Remember the Republicans have fact checkers vetting every answer, response and utterance that Kerry made tonight.
We will see many of those answers, responses, and utternance in hard hitting ads for our side.
This will set the stage for debates 2 and 3. If Kerry repeats himself re bad answers, responses and utterances in debate #2, he will have defeated himself with his own mouth. Kerry's responses will become great ads for GW.
I agree 100%! The tv talkers were all about style over substance, they didn't catch any of the outright lies Kerry told. Those lies will be pointed out all over the internet and talk radio, shaping opinions in the coming days, and be reflected in the polls that matter on last night's debate.