Debate

Tuff call, but first:

Aaaaargh!

What was up with Kerry's mumbly answer on stem cells and choice, a key difference? If you support it, please take care to know how your morality accomodates it. Here, John, here's how you do it:

A troubling moral choice, Mary. I feel the difficulty, too. These precious cells with life-giving potential, God's gift, are a dilemma presented us by another of his gifts: Science. These are cells with their own life potential unrealized, but, with the miraculous potential to save other lives of those we love. And yet, we destroy and discard these embryos daily in fertility clinics across the country, in far from reverent circumstances. That is tragic. These are one half of the combination needed to begin a human life, yet they are abandoned, unneeded by their donors--women, couples, struggling to create a life. Do we sacrifice their potential, the gift these cells possess? I don't think we should, and here's why: For a group of cells, a seed of hope, with no future but their own destruction; for them to have saved another life--to have given hope to those already living but struggling--I think that is a legacy God would smile on.

Okay, now that I've got that off my chest, I'll go scribble some thoughts on the debate after deciphering my chicken-scratch notes, so more detail later.

TOPLINE: I'd say a tie overall simply because of the lack of meltdown from Dubya (but with some close calls), counterbalanced against Kerry's screw-ups on the touchy feelies of Choice and the above stem-cell thingy.

Bush, with his defensive rising voice pitch and decibels on each early response, was on track to losing for the first 45-50 minutes and I'll bet he never thought he'd be so glad to hear the phrase "and now, some domestic policy querstions." He chilled a bit after that. Nicely done on the Choice question, but I suppose that's because he didn't need facts on that one--subjective is what Bush does well. I'd say he saved his ass and made the Tempe debate must-see-TV.

Kerry didn't close. He didn't connect, but neither of them really did so that's a wash. He remembered Nicky's ("The world is aggravated with us") name after 30 mins or so which was good. He did have some good lines, but missed some good moments to weave some big picture narrative for American unity. Subjective is what Kerry doesn't do so well. And for a town hall meeting, he and Bush had too much inartful heat--nobody likes to witness High Noon moments first hand (too much fear of shrapnel.) I don't think 'likeability" numbers are going anywhere north after this one. Take it outside in Tempe, guys. So, a draw, with some asterisks I'm still sorting out.

More later.