Presidential Debates: Town Hall

I still don't understand the decision to have this on Friday--how many people will actually see the "Town Hall Meeting" tonight or will they just read the media-chosen hilights over the weekend? It seems like a horrible night if the idea is to actually get their messages out to the people.

From the start, though, the President looks more congenial.

The first question is, basically, Mr. Kerry, are you really too wishy-washy?

Holy crap, this is playing softball. Pitch it in there and watch Kerry say, Gosh, no, I'm exceptionally strong on issues. Of course, the response from Bush is in the same arena: Yes, he is. I can see why people think he's wishy-washy; he really is.

Kerry: "A campaign of mass deception."
Bush: "He switched views because Howard Dean was gainin' on him in the polls."

The next question is about WMD in Iraq, which we had to expect. The President actually looks more comfortable by far in this format. His answers are coming better and quicker this time around and he's handling the question well. The opening will be there for Kerry to make some strong points in response, though; that's the nature of this question, though.

Kerry is selling the same view that Edwards did a few nights ago--that the world is less safe and that we are worse off. Instead of talking to the questions and the issues, though, he's bringing it back to education, jobs, and health care.

Bush's rebuttal is powerful and direct; Kerry's is as well. The answers from both are also short and no-hold barred.

Now Kerry is talking directly to Bush, not to the crowd, and he's doing it in a very pointed way; is this good thinking? Bush, instead, is directing his answers to the audience. "If my opponent says he has a plan and it sound familiar, it should; it's called the Bush plan."

Bush is doing far better tonight, to this point than he did in the first debate.

"The right war was Osama Bin Laden and Afghanistan." This might actually play well with crowd, but it shows an amazingly limited way of thinking about the war on terror. It wasn't just Afghanistan, it isn't just Osama Bin Laden, it isn't just Al Queda; a President who won't think in larger terms is of no use to me.