Debate Bests!
(Part II)

Bush:

Best recently-learned word: "Littany."

Best catch-phrase: A tie! "Freedom is on the march" (3 times) and "out of the mainstream" (2 times).

Best epistemology: "Activist judges are actually defining the definition of marriage."

Best silly lie: "The best way to protect citizens from guns is to prosecute those who commit crimes using guns." (Come on, does the NRA even believe that?)

Best overall line: "Gosh, I don't think I ever said 'I'm not worried about Osama bin Laden.' That's kinda one of those... 'exaggerations.'"

Kerry:

Best liberal-turn-off: "We're all God's children." (Gag me.)

Best reference to one's mother: "Integrity, integrity, integrity."

Best overall line: "The president just said that federally-funded healthcare leads to poor results. Perhaps that's why he hasn't fully funded the VA." Score!

I'd call this one slight Kerry. He wasn't as strong as I'd hoped or expected, given tonight's subject and the candidates' performance in the first debate, but I think he was strong enough. And he clearly closed better than Bush did. $10 says we see at least two national polls in the next three to four days putting Kerry on top.

(Boston for the weekend, so expect scant posting.)