Junto Boys

BUSH KERRY II

Bush looked life a different guy. He was clear with his facts and strong in his delivery. He even invoked Clinton. He did a much better job of contrasting himself with the typical Democrat position on things. He had passion yet better control. This is the guy I want to see for the next month.

UPDATE: Gallup has it as a draw.

If that's the case Bush needs to be contrasting his policies with the 1990s a little more. Drop the $87 Billiion argument and the flip flopping. Instead, remind voters that liberals tend to campaign conservatively on many topics to attract swing voters, but they don't have the heart to follow-up those policies in practice. Kerry won't risk American casualties in this war because it will turn off half his base. Therefore, his defense policies will have no teeth. He was most honest when he said he wanted a summit. He's much more comfortable making a show of peace like Carter and Clinton did with North Korea in 1994 than in actually enforcing the peace. Bush talked about this a little. He might be better articulating it if he gave Kerry credit for sincerity, but made the argument that those approaches have never brought lasting peace to anyone.

The debate agreement not letting the candidates question one another hurts Bush here. I can see why Bush didn't want this because past debates have shown Kerry is a master at the practice. He trounced William Weld with it in the 1996 Senate debate. But if Bush could ask Kerry to name a time when summits and negotiations with madmen resulted in peace rather than more war it might illuminate the subject. Of course, Kerry wouldn't answer a question like that directly. He'd say something like Bush's rush to war cost American lives. But Bush could say that the inaction in the 1990s cost more American lives on 911. Then he could remind voters that history is full of sober men that thought they could negotiate with irrational people or toothless do-gooders to stave off war. The results were always far more casualties than would have resulted if the force had come earlier.

UPDATE #2: European papers give win to Bush.