I'm watching the debate on MSNBC, and I'll keep updating this post throughout the evening.

[Update 6:11]: Unacceptable answer from the President on whether he thinks America is more likely to be hit if John Kerry is elected; he didn't say yes, he didn't say no. This underscores his campaign's attempt to make Americans think that the nation will be hit if Kerry is elected.

Kerry did not answer the question as well as I wish he did, hitting the President for this unfair attack, but listing the Generals supporting him (especially Eisenhower's son) was an effective counterattack.

[Update 6:19]: The President looks a bit flustered on whether Iraq was a diversion from the War on Terror. He, like Don Rumsfeld a few days ago, almost confused Saddam and OBL, which doesn't look so good.

Kerry hit back hard, saying that the President diverted funds from Afghanistan to Iraq and strongly said that Bush has mishandled the war. Good stuff from Kerry.

[Update 6:24]: Kerry has a great point--the President and I don't need a tax cut, we need to defend America.

[Update 6:27]: Bush is looking pretty flustered... it looks like Kerry is getting under the President's skin, and that's exactly what he needs to do to win.

[Update 6:30]: Kerry on the "I voted for it before I voted against it":

I made a mistake in the way I explained myself, but the President made a mistake in leading the country to war... which is worse?

Beatiful! That's exactly what we want to hear.

[Update 6:38]: Kerry just hit the "truth" line, and I think he should continue with it.

[Update 6:39]: North Korea getting nuclear weapons... Kerry says, "talk about mixed messages!"

[Update 6:44]: Bush just fell into Kerry's trap, saying that the best leader doesn't go around changing positions. I hope Kerry uses this to say that you can't lead if you can't admit when you're wrong.

[Update 6:46]: A comment I really liked on this thread:

Annonymous- I think Kerry looks a lot more presidential and his answers are a lot better. Book looks very hesitant when answering...of course we all knew public speaking wasn't his strong suit. However, I think that Bush looked a lot more polished in the 2000 debates than he is looking tonight.

[Update 6:47]: Great Kerry line... the President's plan is "four words: MORE OF THE SAME." This is a great comparison.

[Update 6:49]: Good to hear Kerry mention Israel so it doesn't appear as though Bush is the only one that cares about the country.

[Update 6:57]: "Saddam Hussein didn't attack us; Osama Bin Laden attacked us, Al Qaeda attacked us." It's great to hear Kerry hitting the President for diverting strength from Afghanistan and the War on Terror to Iraq.

[Update 6:58]: "If the President could have been more patient..." That's what I want to hear!

[Update 7:03]: Wow... the President can pronounce world leaders' names. Impressive!

[Update 7:04]: With all of these giant pauses in his speeches, the President sure sounds flustered.

[Update 7:07]: I take that back... the President can't pronounce world leaders' names (who's Kim Jing Il?)

[Update 7:09]: Another comment...

Annonymous- Did you notice on the split screen that Fox (since they control the cameras) has made George as tall as Kerry? Cheap shot on Fox's part. I've been watching on PBS, so no, but thanks for alerting me. I'm watching over at Fox now and I'll let you know how I feel when I notice it.

[Update 7:12]: GREAT question from Lehrer, asking Bush if he thinks there is anything that makes him think Kerry shouldn't be President. He asked it before, but Bush didn't answer it. Bush is not handling it well, at least in my opinion.

[Update 7:15]: "It's one thing to be certain, but it's another thing to be certain and be wrong." I've been waiting for Kerry to say this for SO long. It's a great line. He's got to keep on hitting it.

[Update 7:16]: What is the greatest threat facing America? Kerry: "Nuclear proliferation. Nuclear proliferation." That's right on.

[Update 7:19]: "You're talking about mixed messages"... this is a President who is trying to stop nuclear proliferation but is beginning to proliferate a new nuclear weapon.

Bush could not have fumbled the response worse. He sounds like a bumbling idiot, and having a bumbling idiot as President is not a show of strength.

[Update 7:20]: Another comment...

Nucular Pliferation

[Update 7:22]: I do notice that Fox is trying to make the President look as tall as Kerry, though it looks silly as the podiums are in different places on the split screen.

[Update 7:26]: I didn't hear Kerry say anything about Saddam Hussein, so why did the President just bring it up in his rebuttal? I don't get it... perhaps it's because he just doesn't have the mental capacity to handle more than three lines at a time.

[Update 7:27]: Another comment...

I want to see how many more times GW can mispronounce "Vladimir".

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