Round III

[mixu]

Kerry seems to have slightly edged it... although Bush did what he does best - ignored the issues and got personal.

[toasty]

Re: Round III

I'd give an edge to Kerry, and I thought there was slightly more of a gap between Kerry and Bush on this debate than the last one, though not by much.

For all the talk of Kerry flip-flopping and changing positions, Bush has changed personalities in each of the three debates.

Debate #1: Bush is annoyed and defensive.
Debate #2: Bush is aggressive and confrontational.
Debate #3: Bush is amiable and jocular (although he seemed to be the only ones that found his jokes particularly funny)

Kerry, in contrast, has stayed pretty steady throughout.

I'd give Kerry the trifecta on the debates, although if Kerry wins, I think history will look back at Bush's performance in the first debate as the reason -- or at least the event that got the ball rolling in that direction.

[BSully828]

Re: Round III

Bush did what he does best - ignored the issues and got personal.

Something Kerry is innocent of, no doubt.

As for the debate - if Bush loses, future candidates will use these 3 clashes as a blueprint for campaign strategy. Sure he got better as the weeks went on, but his 1st impression is what killed him. It's like that sage of oration Jim Rome always says, "Have a take, come on strong and don't suck". Bush had none of those in the 1st debate - and that caused him to stumble right from the blocks. The other 2 and the VP debate forced B/C to repaint the unflattering picture the 1st debate potrayed rather than building on that momentum. No matter if you believe what Kerry says or not, you can't argue his presentation - and in this country where style wins over substance every time, it's that presentation that could win it for him.

It also doesn't help that Bush did well on a debate that had the smallest audience. With the AL/NLCS on at the same time, not as many people saw the Bush the Repubs wish they saw in the 1st round.

I'll be glad when this is over - November 3 can't come fast enough.