Unpacking the debate

It's a draw. That’s what the big media outlets think. Both the Washington Times and the Washington Post agree on it. Even the New York Times admitted a draw, before it began its inevitable spin on Kerry’s appearing “presidential.”

I don’t agree. I think it was a “Nixon-Kennedy” event. If you heard it on the radio, Bush won; if you watched it, Kerry won. Kerry looked good, Bush looked tired.

But if you were to read a transcript, Kerry made some statements that make him not-ready-for-prime-time. The champion of international alliances would engage North Korea unilaterally. The person harping on U.S. casualties would put more American troops in harm’s way. Mr. One-thing-at-a-time (first bin Laden, then the next target) would prevail in this war much faster than Bush. Look, France and Germany have been helping us right along in the war against terror, but they are not about to pitch in to something described as a “grand diversion.” How ‘bout the “global test?” What’s up with that?

The Republican campaign is running like such a well-oiled machine, that I am tempted to suspect that they planned it this way. Can you say, “first Reagan-Mondale debate?” Developing…

Thank goodness Kerry’s benighted campaign staff decided to drop the Vietnam hero stuff. CBS producer Don Hewitt made the quote of the week, "You can't play war hero if it's about a war where you threw your medals away. “