Kerry Spot    [ jim geraghty reporting ]
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Check The Corner. Check the home page. Check below.

Readers break down into several categories:

1) "As someone who reliably disagrees with almost everything you say. Your debate predictions were non-intuitive but right on the money. I knew there was some reason why I keep checking your damnable diary."

2) "Kerry was better, more focused, had more coherent answers, was clearly very confident. Bush was, as you say, Bush. Predictions one and two are right. You're wrong about three though. Kerry wasn't speaking to his base and neither was Bush. They both spoke to the undecided, some 20% of the audience, and Kerry will pick up more than Bush." (I think this reader overestimates who many undecided voters are left out there.)

3) "While John Kerry showed poise and looked presidential, I think he is still flip-flopping on Iraq and the war on terror. To summarize his comments: It's the wrong war at the wrong time, but I'm committed to winning it; We're spending too much on Iraq ($200 billion), but I'd send more troops and equipment; I'll bring in more nations to help Iraq, but the other nations currently in Iraq were coerced and do not provide much assistance; Saddam and Iraq were a grave threat, but Osama is the only terrorist worth pursuing; Terrorists are pourng into Iraq, but Iraq is a distraction to the war on terror. I still have no idea what he would do as President to fight this war on terrorism."

4) "On style, Kerry possibly "won", but like so much about John Kerry, when you actually LISTEN to what he said and how many words he cranked into his responses, there is ad material in this debate galore... along with the new positions. But here's a counterpoint to this...Zell Miller. Bush's indignation and repeatedly pointing out that you don't win wars by insulting your allies and telling the troops this is a "mistake" is effective."

5) "Bush lost a tremendous rhetorical opportunity when Kerry admitted that he made a mistake in his use of words about the vote against funds for troops. The mistake wasn't the words, it was the vote. That vote and the others against Persian Gulf War and against funding for Contras. Voting for authority to wage war against Iraq and against funds for troops IS a flip-flop. Kerry represents the pacifist wing of the Democratic party, and tonight he got away with it."

[Posted 10/01 09:33 AM]