I agre Kerry beat shrub. But what is the general idea of others?

[napi21]

I voted in a bunch of online polls and it looks like Kerry beat shrub big time. But I admit, I am biased. What's the general consensus of a win or lossz, and by how much?

[JCMach1]

1. It was on style this time more than substance...

another of Bush's stereotypical faces was shown tonight...

http://www.thesyndrome.com/archives/00001153.htm

[speedoo]

2. Clear Kerry win.

As time goes by, moderates and undecideds will remember how the shrub lost it early in the debate and that will overshadow anything positive he might have done.

This debate will clearly help Kerry win votes.

[BayouBengal07]

3. An early Gallup poll

put it at Kerry 47%-Bush 45%. But judging by the internet polls, you'd think it would be a bigger lead than that.

God, I'm watching the rerun on CSPAN, and Bush is screeching and practically yelling, like we're all stupid. "Of COURSE we're dealing with Iran!"..."Of COURSE he'll raise your taxes!"

[Mojambo]

4. By Monday

it will be considered a rout by Kerry (which it was)

Right now most people are calling it a slight win for either guy.

[Lexingtonian]

5. good reason for optimism

Bush wasn't the flop he was in Round 1 but I couldn't find anything he appeared to be or said that Undecideds would find persuasive. But he repeated the Tenets Of The Faith to his Believers again and They Were Reassured. Still, that was in fact Failure for him given the preponderance of polls that have him losing.

Kerry put in a good show though he had longer explanations that weren't always as easy to follow as he need them to be. But he was eloquent, slipped a little more than W but was more graceful and more selfassured in an honest way- more princely. The rough-and-tumble was nasty but about equal- Kerry got the better of Bush, imho, as time went on, though.

To score it even/slight Kerry advantage for the time being seems right to me. But if you think about what was memorable, it was Bush's flubs and minor gaffes and puffery and Kerry's clear outlining of his health care problem fix. I suspect that will be the substantial topic of pundit discussion (as opposed to the tripe that will wear out pretty quickly) and voter interest for the next week. And Kerry pretty much guaranteed that the numbers on it add up in a convincing fashion.

So the topic for the next week that will probably tip a few more leaners back his way is the Kerry health care fix. Bush got nothing out of his effort but more trouble with the fact checkers and some revived hope- but no recovered conviction- by his faithful. It's adding up for Kerry, one little piece at a time. As for the agony on the part of Team Bush that all their mantras are wearing thin or getting blown out by the news on a daily basis, I offer my most sincere crocodile tears. And I point out that Bill Weld's team warned Team Bush of this as the way Kerry plays- one good card at a time and leaving his opposition in writhing frustration at their growing impotence, bitter and hopeless and utterly exhausted and completely used up politically by Election Day.

[realFedUp]

6. Kerry was presidential tonight, Bush was just Bush

Didn't really lift Bush from a place
he's been for the last four years but
it did lift Kerry in people's minds
to the White House.