Debate #2

<> Last night's debate was more animated and somewhat more interesting to view than the one held last Friday. The Town Hall format untethered the President and the Senator from their podia. It allowed them to move around the stage more freely during their responses.

<> Except for an occasional query by Charles Gibson of ABC, all of the questions put to the debaters were asked by a small group of relatively undecided voters. Most were phrased with surprising candor and because the debaters had no previous knowledge of their content, the questions did seem to evoke a bit more spontaneity from Bush and Kerry than these gentlemen usually display. But invariably, after making only glancing responses to the thrust of each question, both men reflexly resurrected the rote and boilerplate of their tiresomely crafted stump speeches.

<> As before, no dramatically new content was introduced by either man. And while the same ad hominem attacks and counterattacks were mounted, neither contender gave ground or faltered conspicuously. In my view, President Bush showed somewhat better command of himself and Senate Kerry added little or nothing to a persona that continues to project more facade than genuine substance