The debate will begin in 15 minutes.
After two questions, both Kerry and Bush are looking good. Bush is battling toe to toe on style and winning
on substance. Can he go the distance this time? Last time he started fine, but fizzled toward the end.
Kerry is harping on WMD and that they aren't in Iraq - Bush counters with everyone thought they were there
until we got there, even Kerry. This is a global conflict says Bush - strong argument against the "Bush
took his eye off the ball" line from Kerry.
Bush is doing much better tonight.
Bush said making foreign policy decision can't be governed by popularity contests. Kerry counters that
Bush did not show patience in dealing with Iraq and rushed in without a "plan to win the peace".
Kerry seems more arrogant tonight; Bush seems more confortable and in control.
Kerry is focusing again on Bush looking at Iraq while the threat of other terrorist countries increases.
This is a good line of debate for Kerry to continue.
The draft - OH BOY! I'm glad that came up. Bush is handling this question well. (Side note:
did you know that there was a bill in congress that would reinstate the draft? It was introduced by a
couple of Democrats. One of them is Charles Rangle, and he voted against his own bill, which
eventually failed almost unanimously.)
Kerry's response is solid - using endorsements of previous Joint Chiefs of Staff is effective.
Bush strongly responds, talking over Gibson. We'll see how that plays.
Bush says to speed up generics to market and mentions that drug companies use loopholes. Good to place
himself against the big companies.
Kerry response is strong against what Bush said. He talked about the deficit, which might win some
points, too.
Half-way mark: Advantage slightly to Bush.
"Kerry is a liberal" - FINALLY! Bush should hammer this constantly.
At this point, if Bush can hold on - he'll win the debate decisively due to the lowered expectation resulting
from his less than impressive showing last time.
Kerry pushing the right issues: Deficit, tax cuts during war, only presidency to lose jobs.
The moment of truth: Kerry is challenged to pledge not to sign any bill that would increase taxes on
families making less than $200,000. He did. If he is believed, he'll win points; if not, he'll lose
points.
Bush says it's not credible and points to Kerry's record - excellent rebuttal. I'm excited by Bush's
performance so far. I wonder if his poor showing in the first debate might be a blessing in disguise over
the long run.
Kerry keeps trying to say he is a fiscal conservative. Bush keeps hammering Kerry's record. Again,
this is going to be very effective for the President.
On the environment, Bush is listing his accomplishments. "We've got a good common sense policy."
Bush's answer is stronger than I expected.
Kerry's response is not as strong as I expected.
Joining the Kyoto treaty to the loss of jobs is effective. Kerry says he will fix the treaty and points
again to working with other countries. He is continuing the "global test" mindset - probably not a good
idea.
Kerry's plans are vague references to general principles; Bush list specifics of what he will do and has done.
Bush's answer addressing the Patriot Act is good. Saying flatly that it doesn't infringe on your rights
is important for voters to hear.
Kerry's response listing people who are against it and the illustration of the man in prison for 8 months
is strong. That was one of Kerry's better responses.
Great question for Kerry - (paraphrased)"Why not use adult stem cell instead of embryonic since many have
been cured with adult stem cell and none have been cured by embryos?" Kerry doesn't answer the question;
he just says we should let the research coninue because of its unrealized promise.
Bush wins the stem cell question hands down - what a pleasant surprise!
Bush is running on all cylinders tonight - another great answer to the question of Supreme Court appointees.
Kerry points to Bush's affinity for conservative justices and warns about the liberal decisions that might
be in jeopardy if Bush gets to appoint one or more justices. That will play to liberals, so he's helping
to solidify the base.
Kerry gets a question on abortion from a pro-life perspective. He does his best, but that's a tough
question for someone who is pro-choice.
A question for Bush about wrong decisions is a fair question for the President. His answer was ok - he
didn't provide the sound bite Democrats were probably hoping for in which he admits some grave error.
Kerry's reiterates that the Iraq war decision was a mistake. This horse has long been dead.
Closing statements:
Kerry's closing statement was not as good as last time. It wasn't inspiring and it was vague in
content.
Bush's statement effectively outlines both his foreign and domestic accomplishments and plans. He did
well.
President Bush hit at least a triple tonight. He clobbered Senator Kerry on substance and even bested
him on style. I thought the questions tonight were solid, fair, and impartial - way to go Charles Gibson!
I know these reactions are very much in Bush's favor. Some may accuse me of partisanship, but I'm
giving my honest opinion of how the events played out. Bush won this debate, and polls will confirm
this conclusion.
Update: For those who think my evaluation is partisan, I point you to my
reactions from the first debate.
Political Weblog |
2004 Election Projection |
Projection Formula |
State-by-state Analysis |
The Blogging Caesar Bio |
Reader Comments 
