Chatter around the law school

Things overheard about the debate up at the law school:

-- Many Kerry supporters do not feel like Kerry really "won" the debate last night; they felt that the post-debate spin was positive for Bush enough to blunt Kerry's "victory."

-- Overheard a Democrat say that he was totally frustrated through the first half-hour of the debate--that Bush killed Kerry during that period. I felt the same way. Bush came out much stronger than Kerry, I thought, and closed well. However, Bush really struggled from 9:30 to 10:15 as Kerry hit his stride. A lot of this has to do with the fact that Bush's positions are clear and simple: go and kill the terrorists where they are, do not wait for them to strike again in the US, and protect US interests regardless of international support. There are only so many ways to say this, and I think Bush became frustrated with trying to fill time with new ways to re-articulate his clear positions. He is no wordsmith. And I believe 90 minutes is waaaaaay too long for a presidential debate, especially when limited to a single topic.

-- Overheard two people talking about the debate while I was looking at the softball schedule. Both agreed the debate was pretty much a draw, and felt that the post-debate spin was even for Bush and Kerry. One of them said to the other, "Is Andrea Mitchell not the most biased reporter you have ever seen? It's unbelievable! She so clearly wants Kerry to win." Thinking that I was in the presence of fellow conservatives, I said, "Good grief, I know. Her face just gives it away." He responded, "God, I know--and I'm a Democrat." How's that for your column, Bo?

-- Overheard two other Dems arguing over whether Kerry has nailed down a coherent position on Iraq. One believes he has, the other feels that Kerry has truly painted himself into a corner, and the Bush team will continue to exploit this for all it's worth.