[BonnieJ]

How many people actually stayed with the entire debate, with so many other options available to watch?
My guess is not very many. They would watch 30 minutes or so and feel they had seen quite enough.
This is NOT a disaster, folks. I am SO tired of the gloom and doom over this stupid debate, with Kerry up there like a peacock lying about everything, in collusion with the moderator.
I don't think the average guy is voting for Kerry based on the debate this evening. If so, they were already. Or they will forget to vote entirely on November 2.

[Prince Charles]

The author seems to have drunk the Klintoon Kool-Aid a wee too many times last evening. Lurch's undoing will be the manner in which he so glibly spewed lies and half-truths throughout the question and answer session (it wasn't a debate). His guile won't stand up to thinking people.

[goldstategop]

I think Jay is overreacting. He didn't mention John F*ckin's gaffes: 1) higher taxes, 2) global test, 3) shutting down bunker-buster bomb production and 4) giving Iran's Mad Mullahs an atom bomb courtesy of Uncle Sam. I'm really disappointed Jay came down so hard on the President. Yeah he could have done a better job but he didn't make any fatal mistakes. On the hand, Kerry committed four Big Bloopers. They'll be remembered on Election Day.

[Just mythoughts]

Wow this guy rambles just like JFKerry, no wonder he thought he won with all those lies.

[anglian]

Just as I'd expected since the style of the debate was to consistently pressure President Bush to defend his policies while leaving Kerry's decades long record of shame off-limits.

[right way right]

Bang! I just shot him!

For choosing style over substance.
He thinks that Kerry will awe the sheeples in the debates.

Hope he's wrong.

Look for Bush to come out swinging in the next one.

[NilesJo]

My impression:

Kerry was at his best in terms of style, delivery and stateliness. Bush did not appear to be in command of the facts and did not seem well-prepared. He seemed to miss many opportunities to counter Kerry's arguments and often seemed halting and searching for something to say. At times, he even seemed a bit whiney in his responses. He just wasn't at his best -- Kerry was.

Hopefully, most people will vote based on their cumulative impression of "flip-flop" and their confidence in W's demonstrated ability.

[dahvid]

Kerry said he would dramatically increase the armed forces and send troops to Africa, etc..this saound like he wants a draft.

Also kind of scary was the freudian slip where Kerry said that he has been "fighting for proliferation of wmd", then correct to say "fighting against..."

[gsrinok]

I'm sorry, but I have to pretty much agree with the author's assessment. Of course there was no substance in any of Kerry's blather - there never is. He was, however, much more polished than President Bush in his delivery. If you were simply to read the transcripts of this debate, you'd probably think that Bush came out slightly ahead. Under the unforgiving lights of live television, Kerry won on points.

There were some positives to come out of this debate. I have a feeling that people are going to hear the soundbite about the global test over and over up until the election. Karl Rove will do a great job of getting out the fact that Kerry's basic message was "Saddam Hussein was dangerous but we shouldn't have taken him out without making sure that the rest of the world didn't mind."

I'm not panicked in the least after the debate, but I do think this is still a tight contest. The Bush campaign needs to attack Kerry relentlessly, especially about Kerry's betrayal of American servicemen when he came back from Vietnam. Why isn't that message being pounded on every single campaign ad that we see?

[LiberalBassTurds]

Unfortunately this is a fair critique of tonight's debate. Sorry to disagree with fellow FR folks who I hold in high regard. But to not acknowledge a problem IMHO is a bad idea.

[zencycler]

My response:

Kerry Wins Formal Debate, But Bush Wins News Coverage Debate

Read and watch tomorrow's news summaries of the debate. Bush's basic points are getting reported. Since I doubt many swing voters were glued to their sets tonight, I think the news coverage will have more influence. Also, Kerry gave up some great sound bytes (Global Test) that will come back to bite him.

[ALASKA]

I say........POLISH vs. SUBSTANCE

[Gelato]

Look on the bright side: this was as good as Kerry gets. We all know Bush can do better, and he will.

[SmellsLikeOwen]

Yep!!!!! I Love Bush, and I think he's a great man. I think he's a straight up "good man".

I'll never get it. I'll never understand,....

I'm sick of "weak" people trying to speak for me. This includes every file you can think up,......including a National Championship, and a must win National home coaching project!! whatever big boy!! I'm sick of missing my husband that I would

[cyncooper]

The phrase "Don't shoot the messenger" ought only be used when one is delivering a fact based message, not opinion, so Jay got off to a bad start.

[motherofmen]

I have to say I agree with you. But you have to realize the President has been working all week with the weight of the world on his shoulders, back to back campaigning, and slogging through the wreckage of hurricanes to help Floridians. Not windsurfing off Nantucket or get 'bronzed'.....

[faithincowboys]

Maybe I am crazy, I thought it could have gone much, much worse for us. When the debate ended, I thought Kerry didn't land a crippling blow. I thought like Lockhart that it was a draw-- which means Kerry lost, but Kerry does appear to be winning the post-deabte spin decisively.

[frank-the-tank]

Hate to say it as I loathe Kerry, but he won the debate (but not by a huge margin).
He delivered his lines well even though most were whoopers (NYC subway closed? huh? when?). Was eagerly awaiting bush to pounce on his rebuttals was often disappointed. He the Used "wrong war wrong time" line too much, when he could have attacked Kerry's Flip Flops with many more examples.
But the all important spin can go to Bush as Kerry made some big missteps that the non political person might have missed but make good sound bites such as

His many Gore-ish outright lies and exaggerations.

This election's "lock-box"...."Global-test" Bush's reaction was priceless. Beat Kerry over the head with it.

Did he say he would give Iran nuclear matteral, right after slamming bush on North Korea? How the Hell does that make us safer Mr Kerry?

Kerry said "I have a plan" about 1000 times, did he ever get around to telling us what exactly it was?

And another Shocking insight on Kerry, saying he would kill the new bunker busters and next generation of US nukes in the name of nonproliferation. HUH? Bush could have nailed him on all the other weapons Kerry voted against defending the country at this moment but missed it. As Dick Morris said on Fox "Were does he think the WMD's are kept in the store front window?"

I'm spent forgive my long ramble

[NYCVirago]

I think Kerry energized his base, but that's about all. He still comes across as a pompous jerk to the average Joe.

[Advil]

I didn't think it was grim at all. Bush did fine. Many of the questions posed were obviously written to put Bush in a bad position. A lot of his answers had to be basic and from the heart, because specifics would endager foreign policy. He is the SITTING PRESIDENT. He can't just break into rambling theory on what he would like to do about Iran or N. Korea, because anything he says during the debate will be taken literally on the bargaining table overseas tomorrow morning.

What's he supposed to do? Let all of our policy and battle plans out of his sleeves just because of a debate? He can't. He's tied to the office and in the middle of a war. I thought he projected honesty and integrity. And it was obvious in a few places that he was very upset that he couldn't just gush the whole truth of a situation at the American people. That's the kind of man you want in office.

It doesn't matter one bit if you can't speak as eloquently as your opponent, as long as the vast majority of people can look you in the eyes and know they can trust you with their lives.

Kerry, on the other hand, had all the polish of a used car salesman. Not a statesman. The kind of person you get stuck dealing with when you buy a car. You don't want to, but you're forced to listen to him. And if you have ANY other good option you take it. Bush is definately a GOOD alternative to what Kerry projects.