Bush's comment that he'd like to put a leash on his daughters may have been the only unscripted moment in the debate. What a terribly revealing statement about the mind of our President!

I was quite impressed with Kerry's performance tonight. I watched most (if not all) of the nomination debates, and was always less than impressed with his performance. Part of that probably had to do with the sheer mass of people involved, and part of it had to do with John Kerry. Tonight I was surprised to see a president who simply looked confused by the entire event, and was on the defensive almost the entire time. In contrast to Dale above, I felt that his comment about his daughters was really the only time he looked comfortable on the stage. All in all, a very impressive performance by the Senator. I hope it plays as well with the undecideds as it did with this already decided.

I think the American people are going to wake up with a new sense of confidence to what can be done here and now to turn things around. I believe Kerry struck the right balance of wisdom, courage and moderation that our country needed to see from him. He has confirmed the worthiness of his candidacy and very likely convinced many undecideds that he is for real.

I can't imagine Bush looking any more petulant and annoyed with having to deal with the outcomes of his policies. Both candidates came across as very human and quite sincere but Bush looked absolutely shellshocked. There is no question that Bush believes what he says, and this has opened wide the real debate about judgement that Kerry will have every opportunity to exploit and build on as he presents his case to assume leadership of the Presidency.

I can just see the American people moving toward the tentative conclusion that it is better to be wise and strong, than be strong, wrong and alone. The next few days will be very interesting to see the spin. Looking forward to your thoughts and I share your renewed optimism.

- Steve O

The Washington Monthly thread on the debate, which has real-time comments from liberals, the reactions on the fly are mostly ecstatic -- even relieved, surprised. "I can't believe it, but Kerry is really whupping ass!" That kind of thing.

The NRO "Corner" page, which does the same thing for conservatives, the comments are predictably dismissive of Kerry but the mood is that AT BEST Bush got a draw. They've got the guy who's winning and whose debate presence is supposed to work well at home on TV, and they were quite open about giving Kerry a lot of credit, that he had a better debate.

Further: Howard Fineman said something very instructive on MSNBC. He said that when he covers these debates, afterward in the spin room he doesn't listen so much as look and watch, see whose spinners are actually happy or unhappy. He said that the Bush defenders were palpably "glum" and that the Kerry defenders practically "skipped" into the room because they were so eager to talk about the debate. In addition, the entire MSNBC table said Kerry won.

So don't believe the hype (and there will be plenty): Kerry was very good, Bush was pretty bad. That's how people saw it in the first couple of hours afterward.

And:
If I were running KE04 or DNC or MoveOn.org, this is the soundbite I would hammer mercilessly into every interview, ad, etc.:

"First of all, I know Bin Laden attacked us. I know that.

Second..."

The President had to remind the American public that he remembers who Osama bin Laden is. That can't be good.

Steve O,

The choice of the word petulant made me laugh, it is also the word chose for my post...which I'll put up tomorrow.

Viewed from Japan, it's almost embarrassing to have to explain how one's countrymen and women managed to elect the buffoon we saw tonight. "It's hard work," etc. I don't like everything about Kerry, but he demonstrated true presidential style and substance in the first debate. Anything to get us out of the hole we're in right now.

Yes, we definitely have a race. I left the debate with the impression that Bush is losing his appetite for the job. He seemed tired, lost, and whiny.

I thought your comment about your "depression" and the German Ambassador was interesting. An American friend of mine has been in Germany all summer and fall, and she's been convinced -- based on the coverage she receives there -- that the election is already over and that it'll be a Bush landslide. I wonder if the Germans are seeing something that we're not...or if, as seems to be the case, that they're holding an overly cynical view.

I think it was a draw; which is bad for Kerry. Bush didn't have a lot of energy - in fact, he seemed tired. But Kerry missed a few opportunities to hit him hard. I thought at least Kerry could have turned the "flipflop" back on Bush when they were talking about Homeland Security Department and the intelligence reform.

The real fight starts now. The noise machine is already trying tomake Bush's defeat look like a victory. Remember they turned Gore's vistory in 2000 into a defeat with their relentless spein.
We have to fight back. Don't allow yourself to get into a debate about Kerry. Never let the Republican spin or catchphrases leave your mouth. Attack.
Write letters to the editor, call radio shows, email objections to TV spin doctors, make as much noise for our side as you can. My goal is one letter to the editor and one radio call per day until the next debate. My message will be that Kerry won and Bush is an untrustworthy misleader.
Kerry won but the spin doctors will steal his victory if we don't fight hard the next two weeks.

Big win for Kerry. Bush has been hammering the flip flop line all year. The Bush campaign has been pushing "flipflop" because it is the one charge that prevents Kerry from closing the deal with the majority of people dissatisfied with Bush. Kerry showed determination and no sign of flipflop. Kerry had specific suggestions that contrasted with the vague cheerleading of Bush. I don't think Kerry turned over any Bush supporters (not gonna happen). However, Kerry went a long way to assuring voters that Kerry has a command of the issues. Bush sticking to his slogans made him sound desperately hopeful rather than confidently in command.

I think the comment that says, essentially, a draw is a loss for Kerry is exactly wrong. Bush is the incumbent, and should have success to stand on if he's deserving of another 4 years. If he can't say anything to beat his way out of a "draw," he's sunk.

P.S.: That's an interesting crowd of friends to watch the debates with, Mr. C.