Domestic President
I was dreading tonight's debate as yet another 90-minute exchange of talking points, but it actually had some substance--in part because George W. Bush is a whole lot wonkier when he's talking about domestic issues than foreign policy. The contrast between Bush's dynamic analysis of the health care system and the static assumptions of John Kerry's plan was particularly striking. (Then, of course, Bush blew it by bragging about the prescription drug benefit.)
Kerry made a substantive point about the inescapable transition costs of moving to private retirement accounts while covering current obligations. But he made it in a confusing way, presumably because he was working harder to scare oldsters than to ellucidate the issue.
Bush's response on immigration was gutsy and seemed heart-felt, even though all he did was reiterate his established position. Kerry dodged the issue.
You might think the president used to be a governor. (The debate transcript is here.
Assorted gratuitous comments:
Was every Catholic male an altar boy?
How many times does Kerry spend that tax hike on the rich?
Will there be any backlash at Bush for saying that atheists are as American as Christians, Jews, and Muslims? Even Kerry only went so far as to include Native American religions among the respectable ways of worshipping--perhaps because there are a lot of Indians in New Mexico. And speaking of Indians, what about the Hindus and Buddhists?
How upset was Bush at missing the baseball games?