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10/13/04

Still for Bush? Which One Will It Be?

Ok, so you've watched the third and final Presidential debate. There were a few points tonight where I cringed for Kerry; I thought his mention of Cheney's gay daughter was unnecessary, and he repeated too much from previous debates in the hope, I guess, of making sure any new watchers picked up on these points. But the consensus in the room I was in is that Bush looked like he was "on" something. I know there were a lot of rumors circulating around that he was wired in the first debate . . . well he seemed wired in this one too . . . just in a different way. Seriously, for the first third of the debate he was red in the face, his eyes zigzagged all over the place, he laughed at inappropriate places . . . and he just seemed, spacey or something. Something seemed off? Did anyone else feel it?

So the question is: of the Bush's that we've seen in the three debates, which one is the "real" Bush? Bush #1 was ill-prepared, peevish, stammering, and smoldering. Bush #2 was so angry he walked all over the moderator, winked at the crowd as if to share an inside joke only he was in on, and he hardly ever used his "inside voice." Bush #3 seemed to be on some sort of sedative that was disorienting, and then finally wore off about half-way through the debate.

Kerry, like him or not, was at least consistent. Actually Bush was consistent as well, he consistently failed to act presidential.