The whites of their eyes...

I forgot it was all about timing.

I forgot about patience.

I forgot that you don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes.

Fortunately Kerry didn't.

And whether or not you call it a tactic, the low ebb of energy, apathy and frustration of democrats was replaced with youthful enthusiasm, as we watched Kerry, at what seemed his last opportunity to show America what he was about, kick Bush's ass up and down that platform in Coral Gables. It was WONDERFUL. Nearly as good as a Paris Hilton video. Definitely better than the night-vision one.

But let me clarify how and why Kerry won the debate, since immediately afterward the spindoctors were on the job, grabbing the bread and scooping out whatever sauce Bush had left. Right after it was finished MSNBC poll had over 200,000 people scoring Kerry the winner 70 to 30, by today it was about 60 - 40. Now maybe we all didn't see the same debate, or maybe-- just maybe--the Rove team is using magic on us. It wouldn't surprise me at all.

There were three major categories to score this debate for me; major categories which were, as the pundits would say, focal points that Kerry and Bush needed to hit with the public. The first was image: did the candidate look presidential? The second was substance: did the candidate spell out, and articulate what they wanted to do? And finally there was reason and rationality: Did the candidate make sense?

In our first category I would have to say Kerry--hands down. He appeared more prepared, calm and reserved. Bush at his worse looked like a petulant 9 year old who wanted to throw a tantrum. Kerry had the image down pat, and it might have been his strongest attribute through out the entire debate. People talk of Bush's "common man quality." Well last I looked, we weren't electing Mr. America, but the President, and Bush--sadly--didn't look the part.

In the second category, I'd have to tie the debate. They both made clear their platforms. Bush rendered his usual message of "staying the course" repeatedly with statements such as:

"The best way to defeat them is to never waver, to be strong, to use every asset at our disposal, is to constantly stay on the offensive and, at the same time, spread liberty."

And of course, what has become Kerry's tag:

"I think that's wrong, and I think we can do better."

Finally, on the last category, Kerry utterly destroyed Bush and Kerry will continue to destroy Bush in regards to rationality because of Bush's platform of never changing his mind, or "never wavering." Rationality means reevaluating in the face of new evidence...it means changing positions and tactics...it means...well how about we have Kerry tell us what it means:

"It's one thing to be certain, but you can be certain and be wrong. It's another to be certain and be right, or to be certain and be moving in the right direction, or be certain about a principle and then learn new facts and take those new facts and put them to use in order to change and get your policy right. What I worry about with the president is that he's not acknowledging what's on the ground, he's not acknowledging the realities of North Korea, he's not acknowledging the truth of the science of stem-cell research or of global warming and other issues.

And certainty sometimes can get you in trouble."

Regardless of the polls, Bush is in trouble. Unless he significantly changes his tactics, and becomes faster on the uptake Bush is going to continue to get humiliated. The real problem I see, and worry about, is this: should Bush continue to lose in these debates, and lose badly, yet the polls don't show Kerry pulling closer, then what does this say about the the debate system, or American participation? Do we really want a president who comes off addled, and pitiful but is excused because he has "common man quality," or do we want someone who shows extraordinary strength and intelligence. I used to complain because I felt that Kerry never gave us the opportunity for us to see that side of him. Now that he has, my worry is that America never cared about those attributes in the first place.