...say the lusty, immoral, Republicans.
Well, OK -- not really. But I've got my eye on you Limbaugh.
Once the spin wears away, the meme the Republicans will try to push is that is that this was an even debate, that the president made up for his showing up unprepared, tired, drunk, scared to be out of Karl Rove's warm snuggly bubble.... whatever... from debate 1 with a much better performance in debate 2.
The dam was about to burst, and they needed some bubblegum in the hopes of staving off the flood for just 3 more weeks.
They bought themselves a day.
George Bush looked like someone who shouldn't be let near the White Hourse copier in debate 1 - the type of performance that had to make all but the most loyal subject either scared, pissed, or checking job listing in the Toronto Sun.
He wasn't quite as bad in debate 2.
The base has most likely either steeled themselves to the fact that Dubya is a moron, or, they prefer to the twitchy, irritable, bully to any alternative. After debate 1, the base was worried... not about "swing voters" or "undecideds" - but about those that don't go to sleep praying for a Dubya win.
They're sleeping better tonight - the Jonestown gang can handle reptition, sloganeering, and even the sneering. They can't take stuttering, incoherent WEAKNESS.
Right or wrong -- they saw Bush as weak in the first debate.
In debate 2, he was at least the Bush they love -and we hate.
But that's OK -- the freepers worship that Bush... Kossacks, etc revile that Bush.
The rest of the nation -- those "undecideds" -- are going to be turned off. While Kerry came across as appealing to them -- trying to convince them, Bush came across as saying to the undecideds "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
I'm no Howard Fineman... but I don't think a sitting president is in good shape when, in mid October, he puts out a performance that does nothing but-- and quite possibly was designed to nothing but -- reassure the base.
Can the evangelicals together with the hardcore freepers win this election?
We shall see... but consider tonight the nail in any Bush strategy to reach out to swing voters.