Bush Meltdown, Kerry Presidential: Kerry WON, since media calls it a draw.

[TruthIsAll]

That's all you need to KNOW.

[gratuitous]

1. Yeah, pretty much

Bush did a little better tonight from what I could see and from what I heard of the previous debate, but Kerry was just masterful, except for that one instance where he lost the thread of his thought.

Bush had the Nixon hunch working on a couple of questions, his jaw was working wordlessly over and over while Kerry was talking, and when Kerry gainsaid one of his points, he'd come back and say it louder and squeakier. I don't think Bush's performance, on a purely visceral level, will be appealing to the undecided voters.

Kerry strode the stage calmly and serenely for the most part, using his voice and hand gestures to emphasize his points. Bush jumped up, slouched down, charged one way and then the other, jutted out his little Mussolini jaw, and stomped around like a guy who beats his wife.

I think it was Jonah Goldberg who grudgingly gave Kerry the nod, but of course he excused Bush's poor performance saying that this isn't the kind of set-up where Bush does very well. No Jonah; Bush does his best work before pre-screened audiences who've all signed loyalty oaths, or audiences of military personnel who have been ordered to cheer for him. Opposition doesn't get into Lil George's world very often, and it's pretty apparent that he doesn't handle it well.