The Art of Politics

Fallout Shelter

We'd like to find one to hide from all the debate fallout...

As the post-debate debate continues, some early measurements are showing what the public and campaigns are thinking.

Early polls show the public thinks Kerry outperformed Bush in the debate - and on style points, we concur. Polls are showing a solid 10-15 point advatage for Kerry on this question - expect this to rise as the herd mentality takes over. Nobody like to think Bush won if everyone else thinks Kerry won...

Yet the campaigns are already showing what will be remembered from this debate. And as we noted yesterday, the most enduring epithet from the debate will be "global test". Talk radio is already abuzz, and Bush has already seized upon it in his campaign stump speech (again, as we noted).

DNC videos are already showing the President's perturbed looks during the debate, but they are expecting too much from this - Al Gore got in trouble for his expressions because it fed an image Americans already had of him as an uptight and wonkish know-it-all.

Expect "global test" to appear in commercials, and in the VP and next Presidential debate. The Kerry "victory" in the debate will end up being a Pyrrhic one...

Posted by MEC2 at October 1, 2004 10:24 PM