Holy Christ, that debate went about ten times as well as I thought it would. Kerry wasn't perfect, but he actually sounded good up there - confident and clear and concise (concise! Kerry concise!) - and Bush stuttered and stammered and misspoke about as much as I've ever heard. He was visibly shaken at times, angry, frustrated, confused - he was like a deer caught in the headlights, while suffering from a vaginal itch. He was slack-jawed and twitching, frozen in the path of the oncoming Mack truck. (I mean, he usually is, but much more so than usual this time.)
Kerry: 1, Bush: 0.
We'll see if Edwards can stand up to Cheney next week, and how Bush recovers. For the first time in weeks, I really feel confident about the whole situation. If Kerry and Bush continue this performance through the next two debates, only a moron could honestly believe Bush is the better candidate. (There are, of course, many morons - and many under-educated and under-informed - folks in this country (like any country) but I'm hoping the educated, informed, thoughtful populace will beat them this time. They had their way for 4 years, now it's time to take it back.)
I don't know how things are going to go in November, but tonight, at the very least, tonight, we're in Kerry country.
