I realize that I've said that I don't really care about debates. I've avoided them for so long that I forgot to realize that they are like a boxing match. You can score them by rounds, and unless someone scores a knockout, you can determine the winner.

Let me make it clear that I don't believe ANY politicians. The way they all got to where they are is that they or their supporters/staff lied better than their opponents. Don't bother trying to throw a politician to determine if you should trust him/her. That's prejudicial against fat people and wimp throwers. The so-called "core-beliefs" are all a smoke screen to get your votes, and they always have been.

All that being said, it was amazing, in at least the first five rounds, how Bush came across as a spoiled rich kid who has both hands around THE WORLD and doesn't want to let go because "IT'S MINE!" His campaign, which says that Kerry is an honest-to-God, flip-flopper, seems much-more-politically motivated than based in fact.(Remember, Kerry is a politician...I come from the vantage-point that he'll lie just as much as Our Commander-and-Chief to accomplish his ends.)

In the first 25 minutes of the debate, Bush grimaced, hesitated, slurred his words, himmed and hawed, and fell back on his most tried-and-true "key phrases" to scare everybody into thinking that he is a statesman, a tough guy and a straight-shooter. I have never seen how CLEARLY that that is a pile of horse pucky. (I knew it, but the physical evidence was lacking since I know EVEN MORE about the world than Bush does, so I try to ignore his idiocy. (Well, that isn't really hard!)

Kerry came across as much more Presidential, knowledgable, trustworthy (he hasn't screwed us yet), and statesman-like. Let's see, if I make a mistake, and I admit it, then I'm a "flip-flopper". If I make a mistake and deny it, and I'm strong on the "war against...blah, blah, blah..."...what is the war against, exactly, Dubya(?), then I'm strong against terrorism...or at least keeping control of my big, blue ball. Don't ask anybody, Dumbya, come on now, what the hell are we doing and why?


Darn, I just missed the last half of the debate. Did Dubya come from out of the pits of hell to WIN? I watched the last question to each and the closing statements, so no, Dubya is afloat in "TRUTH Purgatory", if not downright non-political hell.

Now, for everyone who thinks I'm REALLY prejudiced, my take is that Kerry defeats Bush in the "popular" (a horribly dirty word now) vote, but Bush wins the election by the electoral college. This will rank as the darkest day of a FREE America, just a bit ahead of Nov./Dec. 2000.

Here's hoping I'm wrong, and that America stays free, at least, in non-Bushspeak.

Shut up, you lying, mo*#@rf*")+-ng Michael Moore (I swear, I'm not him!). To quote the Monkees in "Head", "OK, I will!"

bush recovered from the step back he took after the first debate. he held his own, parried better, didn't let kerry score as well as he did in the first debate, and appeared comfortable enough in the town hall format
to look presidential again. clearly, bush does not exude the same confidence he possessed in 2000.

I thought Bush acted like Bush. He acted as he always does. In my opinion he lost, though I thought he did better than in the first one. Kerry was much stronger with all the points, Bush continued with the sneering and Kerry seemed to have a perfect response to everything Bush said.
By the way, Bush does own a lumber company. You can look it up online. He didnt know what companies he owned, that's saying something.

I agree with know-it-all: Bush was MUCH better, and seemed much more comfortable, in the second debate. I thought both made some nice points, but both of them also relied so much on the usual BS...it's all talking points, all the time. Kerry could have gone off the talking points at any time to make himself appear more human...he's just not a super-likeable guy. Bush, on the other hand, seems just average enough to be like you or me. If you or me were capable of buying a baseball team...

I would say Kerry "won" but I also think Bush gained back some of the ground he last after the first debate. He didn't seem like a petulant child being forced to talk in class, this time.

I don't blame Bush for not knowing about his lumber company...people who have that much money probably don't even know WHAT they own. But the whole thing was kind of funny...all of his jokes about lumber companies (which weren't funny at the time) turned out to be based on fact. He was, essentially, making fun of himself. Nice! But the "I didn't even know I owned that" excuse will get you out of a lot of trouble...what do you mean my company polluted that river? I didn't even know I owned that company! Incorporation has its benefits...

One final thought: after a great first round of the MLB playoffs, I should remind all of the voters out there that George W. Bush was the only owner in MLB who was OPPOSED to the Wild Card and opposed to Interleague play. If that doesn't tell you something about the man, I don't know WHAT does...