damn, I knew I should have bet more...

[CosmicCowboy]

I'm still voting for Bush but Kerry clearly won that one...

[ducks]

really one guy from cbs said who you thought was the better guy won
they both were equal

the gov for new york said bush hit a home run

[SpursWoman]

The Governor of New York is a huge Bush homer. :lol

[CosmicCowboy]

They are up on the facts like we are...

wait till the poll results come in...

I saw it as a clear win for Kerry with your average uninformed voter...

[CosmicCowboy]

The "three mistake" finale question killed Bush...what a sandbag bullshit question and Bush fell for it...

[Uncle Donnie]

I think Kerry definitely won the first debate and no doubt that has an influence on how some frame their view of this debate regardless of the actual performance of either candidate. There's no arguing that Bush did far better this time around, but he was on the defensive early on and part of that was due to his poor performance in the first debate. I thought Kerry once again did very well. I disagree strongly with him as a candidate but he is a skilled debater because by hook or by crook he has made some of his glaring weaknesses appear to be strengths. Most people don't analyze the answers and take things at face value and Kerry has done a great job of taking advantage of that. The guy was a lawyer and it shows.

I'd call it a draw, maybe giving a slight edge to Kerry. Did not change by one iota that I'll be voting for Bush.

[Kori Ellis]

Kerry killed Bush in the first debate. But that debate was full of non-substance and a lot of repetition. I think Kerry won this debate too, but by a lesser margin than the first one.

I will still vote for Bush. It was never a secret to me that Kerry would be a better orator. And no matter "how" he talks, I still disagree with most of what he says or believes in.

[ducks]

have not heard one person say bush did not improve tonight
heard people could a draw or maybe a slight win for kerry
very close

[CosmicCowboy]

a 1 1/2 minute rebuttal is simply not enough to debunk Kerry's proposals...I'm not about to say that some of Bush's answers didn't pass the bullshit test either but they are talking about issues that EACH ONE could command an hour and a half debate...it's all about presentation and sound bites and unfortunately W came up a little short again in getting his points across...

[CosmicCowboy]

Kerrys tax position resonates with 99% of the voters and he knows it, even if he knows he can't get it done in the house and the senate...the "tax the hell out of the rich" and no one under $200,000 is affected is bullshit when you are proposing trillions of dolars of new federal initiatives but most people are too fucking stupid to realize it...

[Marcus Bryant]

Bush bounces back.
Kerry holds his own.
Tie.

[whottt]

I think the goal is to win the last debate, that's the momentum right there...but the last one is going to focus on domestic issues...that'll be the hardest one for Bush to win. Basically Bush either has enough support to win already or he won't win, becuase I don't think he's going to get any more momentum from the 3rd.


There has to be a reason the Republicans are not teeing off on Kerry on his foreign policy. They could be ripping him a new one but they just don't get after him, he is so exposed on that subject and it is the whole campaign...Cheney was the same way, it's like they're trying not to take cheap shots or something.

[NeoConIV]

Bush ran away with this one. A tie?

Don't be stingy! Give me a hit off of what yall are smokin!!

[LandShark]

Neo is right, this was indeed a solid win for Bush.

[Marcus Bryant]

Look, I obviously have selected a candiate now and I have a great deal of...um...dislike for the opposing candidate, but both held their own.

[spurster]

I would call this debate a tie. Both candidates made their attacks, but neither responded very well except to make more attacks. If I had to pick a winner, I would pick Kerry, but maybe that is just my partisanship. Bush has a record and has to argue from that point. Kerry can say "whatever Bush said about me is not true" and it's partially true because Bush oversimplifies it to an extreme.

I think both sides are probably satisfied with their candidate's performance, so that might be the most solid argument for a tie.

[CosmicCowboy]

The problem is that it would be political suicide for either one to tell the truth...

manufacturing jobs will continue to leave because the playing field is so tilted...we have legislated and mandated social security, medicaid/medicare, workers comp, health care, clean air, OSHA, other environmental mandates, ADA mandates, age discrimination mandates, etc. etc. ad nauseum...

The USA is simply not competitive on the world economy anymore...and the job loss will continue...

those of you that know me personally know that I support these issues at a personal level and am probably the only small business in San Antonio that still pays 100% of healthcare for my employees and families because I feel it is the right thing to do as long as I can possibly afford it but I can see the signs that there will be a point where I won't be able to continue that...

Politicians simply can't say that health care has gotten too good and that Americans value it too much...people live longer, there is a drug now for every problem and it all costs money...conditions that were inoperable 20 years ago are now routine ( but incredibly expensive) and at some point a society simply can't afford to pay to extend everyones life indefinitely...

and any politician that wants to get elected can't say that...

[Yonivore]

Watch the polls...it's a Bush win.

[CosmicCowboy]

well if it is I will have to re-evaluate my take on the average american that picks up the phone for the gallup pole...

naaa... that ain't gonna happen....

[whottt]

If I was the average american I'd think Kerry sounds like a politician and Bush sounds like an average american. I thought Bush won tonight but then I don't like Kerry at all.

I thought Bush slammed his ass when he said Kerry voted to cut intelligence, after the first attempt to blow up the World Trade Center, by 7.5 billion dollars.

Regardless...I don't think Bush is going to win the next one if it is totally focused on domestic issues.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

At the very least, this debate was a tie.

Bush more than improved over his first debate and showed his confidence enough to swing some undecideds to his camp.

I don't think either candidate will win this debate by more than 3 points, essentially making the debate a tie after margin of error.

[Yonivore]

Did anyone make a list of the freakin' names Kerry was dropping? As if it makes any difference that a bunch of Demoncrats agree with him...

[CosmicCowboy]

Fox just came in...

Kerry 62%
Bush 37%

and Fox is conservative...

pay up bitches... ;)

[LandShark]

Wasn't that an internet poll? If so, it is meaningless.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Did anyone make a list of the freakin' names Kerry was dropping? As if it makes any difference that a bunch of Demoncrats agree with him...

More than a few of the names I heard were names of Republicans who supposedly disagree with Bush on the war.

Was I wrong?

[Uncle Donnie]

Wasn't that an internet poll? If so, it is meaningless.

No kidding. I think MSNBC had Kerry by more than 70% in their online poll. I might be willing to give Kerry an edge but no way it was that far apart. The DNC probably sent out another mass email. :rolleyes

Just like with the vice-presidential debates, the phone polls will tell a much different story than the online polls. Internet polls are too easily fucked with.

[Yonivore]

Fox just came in...

Kerry 62%
Bush 37%

and Fox is conservative...

pay up bitches... ;)
I'm sure McAuliffe had his blast-mail re-sent tonight.

[CosmicCowboy]

More than a few of the names I heard were names of Republicans who supposedly disagree with Bush on the war.

Was I wrong?

Fox actually had one of the republicans on as an analyst that was supposedly "quoted"...he claimed it was taken completely out of context and didn't have anything to do with the full content of the quote...sorry...can't remember his name...

[Spurminator]

I don't understand the point of a rallying cry to vote on Internet polls en masse. What purpose does this serve to further your candidate's claim to the Presidency?

Are people actually influenced to vote for the poll leader? Seriously, I'm curious. Because I would think leading in the polls would only invigorate the opposition, while simultaneously giving your supporters a false sense of security that may keep some of them home on Election Day.

I could be totally wrong on this... I'm just a bit perplexed by the fact that any Party would try to rally their supporters by saturating Internet polls.

[SpursWoman]

Polls where the sample can't be controlled are completely, and utterly worthless.


I think CBS's poll was Kerry 88% Bush 11%.


If you think those are credible numbers, I think you need to get out and get some fresh air.

[NeoConIV]

88-11...dang, that's hilarious. Exercises in manipulation.

It's all good. if people think "I have a plan..." and "a fresh start, a new credibility" and "bring our allies to the table" etc won the debate, ok.

To be honest, I think this debate basically sealed the election for Bush. Viewership is going to drop off dramatically for the third debate so no matter who wins, I don't think it will matter. Kerry's debate stylings work well in the blue states, but in the battleground states these debates are reaping undecideds...straight to victory. We shall see.

[Yonivore]

I think it's all a ploy to help build Kerry's self-esteem. Because, as all good liberals know, achievement follows self-esteem -- not the other way around.