[lookout123]

i think the agreement allowed for the lights to be visible to the audience as well as the candidates, but who really cares? i thought it was funny that the media would turn that into a story in and of itself.

anyway - the debate just ended and the pundits are going to start the spin in motion but i haven't seen any of that yet.

i have to say that i don't think that went as badly for bush as i thought it might. it was typical political BS from both sides but no "bush-isms" that i can think of.

Kerry did a pretty good job of coming across as a human with passion, which is possibly the most important thing for him at this point. his positions, whatever they may be, don't excite anyone so appealing to John Q Public is crucial for him. I think he did well, speaking plainly. i think he has the Clinton closed hand, thumb point down well - to the point that he looked uncomfortable with the large amount of hand gesturing he did.

Bush didn't trip over his own words too badly. he played on his country boy act a little too heavily and his facial expressions get a little annoying after awhile. he did a good job of displaying his humor without delving to deeply into biting sarcasm.

in the end the american people saw very little of value - just another circus that the media will dip into for sound bytes for the next few days.

the only discussion point that i found very interesting was the bilateral vs. multilateral angle with N Korea. i found it fairly surprising that Kerry opposes a multilateral approach to negotiations. that may have been public knowledge before, but i missed it until tonight. i think Bush explained his reasoning on that position a little more convincingly than did Kerry.

in the end i don't see that tonight will cause many to change their vote.