The Debate 

The Debate

Is Ann Althouse a good example of a swing voter? I don't know. She's already swung pretty hard for Bush, before the debates even began.

On last night's debate: she first said Bush, while sometimes struggling (faltering?) for words, showed genuine emotion--he was irritated at having to deal with Kerry, who doesn't understand what's at stake, while Bush himself has so much busy and important work to do. Kerry's emotion is all plastic; he doesn't really feel anything. Later she said Bush seemed tired--the poor man works so hard, it's unfair to expect him to campaign.

Brother. Has she become Bush's big sister, constantly sticking up for the guy who is tongue-tied when he's in a tough spot?

If Bush speaks smoothly, as he did at the convention and I guess with O'Reilly, his defenders say he has a great message and he sticks to it--it's not a message any more, it's part of him. (The kind of thing that was said about Reagan). When he has trouble with syntax, and even with the meaning of ordinary words, they say his genuine passion is boiling over, or he's tired.