Which debate did Kerry do best in?

[fujiyama]

Which debate do you think he did best in? I thought it would be interesting to see how he ranked.

My own opinion is that he did better than Friday, but not quite as great as the first debate. That was a real knockout. Tonight's performance was great, but the contrast wasn't quite as great as the first debate. I think Kerry looks very good with a podium. It makes him look serious and presidential. Of course part of tonight's problem wasn't as much Kerry as some of the questions asked by Schieffer were shallow and pointless.

[fujiyama]

1. kick!

[Endangered Specie]

2. Although he did his best in the Third... he won the first by the biggest

margin... due to Woody's shittier that shitty shit performance.

[gottaB]

3. The Second

Kerry connected with people in the audience. He did well on the "sanctity of life" questions (abortion, stem cell research). He explained his position, sounded sincere rather than argumentative or dogmatic (in marked contrast to Bush), and appealed to reason and empathy. Those were great answers.

On the courts Kerry was straightforward, whereas Bush was weaselly and sounded like an idiot.

Kerry did really well on foreign policy that night too. When he came back to Nicky in the audience that second time, that was sharp.

The bit about Bush being a small business owner ("Need some wood?") was a virtual TKO. That revealed the speciousness of Bush's arguments, while Bush's reply revealed the true nature of his disconnect from economic realities. To him, it's just a stupid joke.

The questions were good.

[St. Jarvitude]

10. The second convinced my parents to switch to Kerry

My dad was firm Bush, and my mom was very much undecided.

Now my dad all of a sudden is making fun of Bush at every possible moment, and both of my parents read Doonesbury every day.

[gottaB]

11. My father-in-law might have been a swing voter

Though to be honest he never had a great deal of respect for Bush. The first debate might have won him over, I suspect, but after the second it was no contest. He'll vote for Kerry.

[BillZBubb]

4. The first, by far!

You only get one chance to make a first impression--and Kerry owned the stage. He made the Chimperor look small and insignificant.

The audience was huge, the stakes couldn't have been higher, and Kerry was the clear winner. Not even the freepers tried to dispute that. That first debate set the tone of the whole series.

My ranking of Kerry's greatest: 1 3 2.

[ibegurpard]

5. Kerry was consistently cool, composed and calm for all three

It was Bush who varied wildly from one debate to the next.

[Rose Siding]

6. Bush did worst in the first but this was Kerry's best

It's my impression that being personal is hard for him but tonight he did it frequently and sincerly. It was something he *had* to do and he worked it in. The rest of all the debate stuff- all three times- came naturally to him.

[WI_DEM]

7. he did well in all, but I personally think he was brilliant in the first

debate on foreign policy. Maybe it was because Bush was so bad, but I think Kerry will be an excellent foreign policy president.

[Placebo]

8. There should be an "ALL OF THE ABOVE" option!

:)

[George_Bonanza]

9. Biggest victory in 1st, best performance in 3rd

Kerry was good in the first debate, but he won so decisively because Bush was just so fricking bad.

[Maat]

12. Even though I voted for the first one...

isn't nice to have a candidate one can be proud of!