Demolition in Saint Louee

I was "wishy-washy" on the results of the last debate. But I think this one was a demolition. Kerry over Bush on points and style. In a big way. Some notes. The laugh-out loud moments were unbelievable. DRED SCOTT???!?!? Who knew slavery was an issue in '04. Bush absolutely explodes, speaks out of turn and shouts down the moderator. Awful style points. Bizarre moment: the $84 from the timber company. We'll hear more about that over the next week. Bush makes some nice points, to be fair: compares his own unpopular (internationally) policies to Reagan's. Unpopular but effective and ultimately proven correct. Nice mention of Afghanistan's election tomorrow -- can't believe that wasn't used more. Kerry hoisted Bush on his own petard -- the record -- more effectively than Bush did on Kerry's Senate record. Kerry quotes Bush from 2000's town hall: I think prescription drugs from Canada are a good idea. Kerry on said drugs: Bush flip flopped and broke his promise. But we passed it in the Senate. Kerry doesn't pound the job numbers as much as he could. Though gets in a nice barb about the president's failed promise on 5+ million jobs. And did not hit home runs on the easy target of the environment either. But Kerry did achieve one rhetorical point well: selling tax policy, making it pretty easy to figure out for anybody watching. All Bush could say is, "that's not credible." Weak. Bottom line: Bush needed this one, but he looked angry and impatient. Bush was better at body language this time, but it wasn't enough. The crowd looked like it appreciated Kerry a lot more, with some visibly bored, yawning and scowling when Bush spoke. I think it's fair to say barring complete collapse or pulling Osama out of the proverbial hat, you have your 236 EV bet covered. UPDATE: As of midnight, the pundits seem to have come to the consensus that this one was a draw. Shows how good I am at picking up the general debate vibe. As Kerry said tonight to rhetorical effect, "Go figure." But I'm sticking to my guns. I came into this with the mindset that it was the first debate and that the slate was wiped clean, and I call it like I see it: a clear Kerry win.