Kerry Spot    [ jim geraghty reporting ]
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My initial conclusion: This was the single most devastating one-sided drubbing since Lloyd Bentsen smacked Dan Quayle all around the stage in 1988.

Jeff Greenfield and Carlos Watson are scoring it a draw, saying Edwards did a better job of persuadable voters. I completely, completely disagree.

John Edwards is an extremely smooth one-term senator, and graded at that level, he gets an A. As a running mate, he gets a C- at best. With another term in the Senate, with more solid and substantive record on important issues like national security, intelligence and foreign policy, he would be ready for the presidency or vice presidency. He is not. He lacks that seasoning, and it shows. He looked like a rookie against Cheney.

If this debate moves voters - and after Kerry’s health problems in the past, voters have to look at Edwards seriously as a potential commander-in-chief - you’re going to see some movement towards Bush.

UPDATE: PoliPundit: "Will the family of a Veep wannabe, dark suit, dark hair, Dark Side, license # I-S-U-E-U, please come and claim the carcass? Your junior lawyer has been trampled, pummeled, thumped, whupped, sliced, diced, julienned, fried, pureed, laughed out of the county, and has dismayed fellow slimebags across the nation. You may claim the remains, collected in a large number of small baggies, at the BreckTM booth."

UPDATE: I am informed that the MSNBC panelists ruled 5-0 Cheney won. Andrea Mitchell said that Cheney's remark about not meeting Edwards until tonight "was devastating for Edwards."

UPDATE: Expect Edwards’ line “a good resume does not guarantee good judgment” to start appearing in anti-Kerry ads, coming soon to television screen near you!

Watched Fox.

Ceci Connolly: Hard to see this changing any minds or moving any votes.

Bill Kristol: Cheney extremely strong. Edwards didn’t sound like Kerry. I think Cheney did some damage tonight to John Kerry.

Mort Kondrake: Edwards kept referring back to first debate to remind people they liked Kerry for that brief moment. Cheney said a 90 minute debate performance cannot hide a 30 year record on issues President Bush will drive home tomorrow (he means Friday). (UPDATE: Okay, maybe Mort means Bush's speech tomorrow.)

Fred Barnes: Wasn’t paying close attention because I was typing the above… seemed to be pleased.

[Posted 10/05 10:47 PM]