A good summary of Bush's debate performance...

From Slashdot Comments (by Hard_Code):

What I perceived from Bush:

1) we are right, therefore we are going to win
2) it doesn't matter if we botched the job with no planning and inadequate support because, uh, we are RIGHT!
3) if we are losing it's only because the enemy is hating us more for being right
4) my administration didn't make any mistakes because I am right
5) if you criticize anything we do, I simply mention that it's a hard job and reinforce the fact that I am doing a hard job, regardless of whether it is the right job
6) if you highlight how bad a job we are doing, you are actually perversely on the terrorists side and the public should discount you because the terrorists want to hear that we are doing a bad job
7) since I don't want them (or you) to hear that, I'll just keep repeating that we are doing the right thing
8) a decisive but WRONG course is much better than any indecisive course
9) but that doesn't matter anyway because...I'm right

On the pro side, Bush did come out I think revealing that, yes, he can remember facts and names. Since the bar is so low, this makes him seem ultra smart.

As far as Kerry he's already fucked himself because his statements have been so easy to spin, he can't dispell the myths around him, and the 'debate' format doesn't allow him time to. There were many non-rational things Bush said, or foolish misinterpretations (either intentional or unintentional) by Bush of what Kerry had just said, that Kerry didn't have time to rebut. For instance, Kerry said that the test of whether to go to war is a more 'global test' (or 'universal test' I forget), namely that you have to be able to say to a soldier's family you did everything you could to avoid it, and Bush either intentionally or unintentionally misinterpreted this and played dumbfounded that Kerry was talking about some 'global tests' as if he was talking about some world-wide exam. How can you debate somebody that can't even understand what you are saying? I get the feeling if he had said 'a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush' Bush would have started saying: 'what is this guy talking about, 'playing with birds', HEY WE'RE AT WAR!'

sigh.

Very nice summary of how Bush seemed to be working. I thought Kerry kicked ass. You could tell he was working on being as concise and clear as possible. It's so sad though how easily the other side gets "confused." So sad. Well hopefully anyone who actually watched the debate won't be fooled.