Debate thoughts

Not quite live-blogging, and not quite complete, but here are my initial impressions of the debate, snarky and all.

• Mr. President, September 11th changed things. Like, for instance, when discussing your efforts at protecting the homeland, shaking your head and shrugging your shoulders a couple of times IS A REALLY BLOODY INADEQUATE RESPONSE!!
  

• "I don't know where to start" Yes, George, we've figured that out.

• Pledge question - Pledges are for losers. Any voter that needs a pledge on tax policy to get their vote, should be given a pacifier in return for their registration. Kerry shouldn't have taken it, though a Democrat can get away with dropping that promise, to some extent.
  

• President on Brownfields - this pause is so I can change the frequency on the ear piece.
  

• Considering the names the Bush Administration puts on Environmental measures (Clear Skies, Health Forest) shouldn't the war have been called Operation Silk Sheets and Bed Mints for Saddam?

• Okay Kerry's Red Sox reference...that was bad.
  

• Wow, when voters actually ask the questions rather than reporters trying to ask a question they "just know" the voters might ask, you don't get many ridiculous, "character" questions do you?

• Bush on judges - I oppose anyone who would have sided with the majority on Dred Scott? As Jon Stewart would say, WAAAAAH? Let's see, he's opposed to a judge who's too liberal, such as one who would follow the tenor of previous Supreme Court decisions and rule that "One nation under God" in fact probably means something about religious beliefs, and therefore teachers shouldn't be required to ask their kids to say it. On the other hand, a judge who's so conservative he thinks a black slave doesn't have the right to seek justice in our courts to remain in a free-soil state, he'd oppose that too. That's pretty middle of the road.

• FINALLY, Kerry explains the $87 B vote.
  

Overall, I think it was a pretty close debate. Bush was clearly unhinged on the war. At one point I thought he might have a freak moment. His eyes looked like (if the president ever had actually done cocaine, which of course, I'd never say he did) they were having a coke-related relapse. But after the domestic questions came in he calmed down, and held his own. A weird thing has happened this year, Democrats sound more secure talking about the war than about Domestic issues. Kerry never hit Bush for continuing to act as if he has added jobs with the 1.9 M new jobs over the last 13 months. This amount is less than is necessary to keep up with the increase in the job-seeking population, and today's released figures for September were pathetic, much smaller than necessary. Kerry didn't take advantage of that.

Still, Bush's albatross is Iraq, and it only got nastier today. He might have held ground, but it is clearer than ever that Mr. Bush needs to gain ground in the next few weeks to win.