1) I should take notes, ah, but I wouldn't want to miss some gem from the mouth of Kerry or Bush whilst I scribbled.

2)I had ought to have writ about it last night, fresh, but I was tired and such.

oh what the heck. who gets swayed by these things anyway? it's mostly about confirmation. Kerry started right off with an appeal to the hawkish element: oh we'll kill the terrorists wherever they are. it's too much to ask to buck the craziness. I don't expect JK to go all peacenik, but he sounds like tough guy playing to the other toughs out there. because that is what a president must do. at least JK talking thus sounds like an off moment, not a systematic method à la his rival for our affections. Bush really looked bad up there. nervous and goofy while Kerry had a patrician cool. I can't help thinking GW's stuttering owes to an earpiece telling him what to say. he also said a few things that didn't make sene, like he didn't understand what was whispered. I'm not going conspiracy theorist, just describing GW's manner. Kerry threw figures out and made a better effort to delineate the programs he intends whereas Bush went for gutbucket platitudes. Bush played on Kerry as liberal (bad). and he goes after Kerry along experience lines, which rings hollow as Bush can't claim alot. Bush dodged several questions. I thought Kerry answered the question of how he can be a pro-choice Catholic well, that politically the Constitution trumps personal views. the 2 worst points for Kerry were when he brought up Cheney's lesbian daughter and when he spoke of his relgion. oh and of the strong women in his family. that last question was a loser anyway, Schieffer interjected himself too much into things. talking about Cheney's daughter is trying to undermine the Conservative stance while pretending Liberal sensitivity. Cheney had already gracefully spoken of his daughter, so leave it alone. Kerry's religion sounded pumped into him for the night, certainly the Bible phrases were. Bush sounded like a phony too, but more with the eloquence he was trying to assert rather than the sincerity of belief. when Bush quotes Laura as saying, stop scowling, that's a lot warmer sense of them as couple than Kerry's cool platitudes. the worst thing for Bush is how incompetent he looked. it's hard to believe he's been president for the past 4 years. again, I assume that Bush banging brewskis with his oil buddies is probably a different character than the one duded up and speechifying for the public.