Round 3

Well, the debates are over. More time to work, which is good. Less time to watch the fireworks, oh well.

I thought both did well enough. I thought both were sincere. They both were clearly appealing to their bases.

Bush was our down home good guy, the guy you laugh with at the barber shop. Kerry was the guy you chat with from your horse while you're fox hunting (as I so often do). No offence to either.

I don't think the math of either really works, but that's typical again of these election games. Promise everything in the campaign. Keep a few promises your first four years, even if it hurts the nation. If you get a second four years, then be realistic. Juvenal said it 1900 years ago--just give them "bread and circuses" and they'll be happy.

I thought Kerry took the "liberal" positions we might expect on many issues, although the political climate has forced him to move toward the center on several matters of foreign policy and economy. I think he will have to follow through on many of these issues if elected, regardless of his biases.

Bush stuck to his guns on his issues. If he's anything, he doesn't alter his course. That's good if you like his course, really bad if the course is off or if you don't like his trajectory.

Kerry apparently either decided to target his base (especially women tonight) or doesn't understand fundamentalists on issues like gay rights and abortion. I'm guessing he was targeting his base because he figures he has never stood a chance of getting the fundamentalists in the first place. He consistently takes a relativist position on these issues--"I have my views, but I can't impose them on others."

Of course Bush generally comes close to saying the same, but his base is willing to overlook his comments as what he needs to say to get by. They believe he will (wink, wink) work things their way once in office.

In short, whoever's policies you support, that's who won tonight.