Debate Night part 2 (or is that 3?). Notes as we go commentary and observations from Mr. Mooch.

Bush is doing a LOT better. So far he's sounded good but not better than kerry. i've noticed some odd faces bush has made to the crowd but nothing crazy. it's a tough angle but if you follow the bush view on WMD and terror you have to just accept non sequitors. to wit: we had to go to iraq because the war on terror is bigger than just Afganistan...but don't ask me about why my expanded war on terror didn't hit actual terrorists.

AWESOME line: General's job is to win the war and the Pres' job is to win the peace. (talking about the fact there weren't enough troops on the ground.) this got the crowd nodding. Bush claims he gave the generals what they needed. unfortunately no other generals agrees w/ him.

WHOA! bush just said the report this week that shows iraq had no WMD since 1991 was proof sanctions didn't work...uh...WHAT!?!? that just doesn't make sense.

bush just said he 'heard there's rumors on the internets" HAW HAW HAW! i personally like to get on the interweb.

this debate seems more relaxed and thus more free flowing and less dreamatic.

HAW!! there goes a Poland SHOUT OUT!! woop woop! you knew that was coming and leading up to the comment bush got so mad he just shouted out/over the moderator...testy!

jesus...bush's riffing. i love this stuff. he just starts running through the campaign slogans. sometimes it just doesn't make sense. ...god...i should be doing shots.

drugs: Bush just got spanked. his defense for defeating cheap drugs from canada was 'but clinton did it too!" that was after he claimed he didn't actually block it.

Tort reform was a thud for kerry but bush can't hit it out of the park. bullet dodged...or at least got a nick. kerry hinted at caps on lawsuits. NOBODY believes that. note to anyone talking about caps: you cap a lawsuit and you punish ONLY those who PROVE their case was legit. you punish those w/ a GOOD case and ignore the 'bad' ones.
bush has been much more at ease in this format. one has to wonder about the wisdom of putting the 'home run' iraq debate on the opening night and the more relaxed 'town hall' meeting format on a friday when fewer people would be there to watch.

20 minutes left. nobody just walked off w/ this one. bush did SO MUCH better than a week ago that that's gonna be the story here. the question is how far can you run on 'i did better than "utterly bumbling"?' my guess is that it will firm up the even race we are in at this point.

ok ...the mendacity pulled me away. bush just claimed to be the only pres. to allow stem cell research (while somehow being the only one to ever ban it). what a crock. kerry just hit him right in his pentacostals! haw! kerry said you call it killing but then allow it on some stem cell lines? haw haw haw.

holy moses. bush just flubbed a dred scott reference.

Abortion: kerry just did a great job on the abortion issue.

closing statements: wha? oh i was getting some ice.

my apologies...this has gotta be a boring review. maybe i'll do a better version later. of course...if you liked it...CHEERS! bush didn't utterly fall on his face...which seemed to be the standard tonite. it was probably a draw that changed no one's mind and neither really connected or really 'brought it home' either. well bush's victory came from NOT falling dead on his face but hell...who wants to win that? that's like a goal for the simple. well...i guess that's what we're talking about.