Wrap-Up of the Third Presidential Debate (MSM, Conservatives and Liberals)

Mainstream Media Reports Transcript

Update: Classic debate inaccuracies by the AP (Kerry claimed once more that Bush has lost 1.6 million jobs and did not meet the congressional black Caucus. Bush suggests Kerry voted 98 times to raise taxes).

ABC News: John Kerry and George W. Bush battled to another draw in their last debate of the 2004 campaign, with perhaps more bragging rights to Kerry, since more Republicans tuned in. Among registered voters who watched the debate, 42 percent called Kerry the winner, 41 percent said Bush won and 14 percent called it a tie. That's similar to the outcome of the second debate, while Kerry won the first among viewers by a nine-point margin.

MSNBC: With Democratic challenger John Kerry enjoying a slight momentum in the polls and President Bush not clearly scoring a knockout blow in the final joint appearance Wednesday night, it is now up to the president and his advisers to figure out how to knock Kerry off his pace in some way that he has not yet done between now and Nov. 2.

CNN: Sen. John Kerry appeared to gain more momentum heading toward November 2, easily beating President Bush in the third and final debate, a poll taken late Wednesday night suggests.

Washington Post: President Bush and John F. Kerry battled sharply over domestic issues Wednesday night in the final debate of the 2004 campaign. The Democratic nominee charged that the president has compiled a record of failure on the economy and health care, and Bush accused Kerry of a Senate record that is both out of the mainstream and lacking in accomplishment.

CBS News: Experts Rate Bush-Kerry III A Draw - Though partisans on both sides declared their candidate the winner, what was clear to political analysts was that neither candidate scored a knockout.

New York Times: s they traded charges and countercharges on the economy, health care and other domestic issues, President Bush mischaracterized who received the tax cuts that have been the centerpiece of his legislative record, and Senator John Kerry exaggerated when he said he was proposing clear ways to raise revenue to pay for his spending proposals.

Washington Times: The presidential contenders last night provided a prime-time rerun of their previous encounters, trading scripted barbs, citing competing statistics and basically calling one another a liar in their third and final debate.

Reuters: President Bush and Democratic challenger John Kerry put their faith on display on Wednesday, as Bush linked his foreign policy to a belief that "God wants everybody to be free" and Kerry tied his faith to a fight for equality and justice.
USA Today: From public policy to personal faith

Arizona Republic: The duel in the desert ended with clearer choices for Americans, but no clear political advantage for either President Bush or Sen. John Kerry 19 days before the election.

Associated Press: "There's a mainstream in American politics and you sit right on the far left bank," Bush said in the final debate of a close and contentious campaign for the White House. "Your record is such that Ted Kennedy, your colleague, is the conservative senator from Massachusetts."

Fox News: With the presidential election 19 days away, President Bush and John Kerry took their final shots in a face-to-face matchup Wednesday night that focused on domestic issues including abortion, gay marriage and the economy as well as the broader theme of national security.

Conservative Spin

Hugh Hewitt: Bush wins because of the faith question, the gay marriage question and the emphasis on education and Kerry's Global test. Kerry strong on jobs and health care, but weak on connecting with people.

Captain Ed: Bush stomped Kerry, without a doubt. Not only did he project a more interested demeanor, but he also showed a more pleasant speaking style and a superior grasp of detail. He projected an optimism that completely escapes Kerry, especially tonight. ... This debate will wind up being recognized as a disaster for the Kerry campaign within the next 48 hours, and within 96 hours the polls will demonstrate it.

Beldar Blog: The only thing I can say with lots of confidence is that at worst for Bush, this was a draw — and as with the prior debates, I think Kerry needed a Dubya screw-up to get a real surge.... Take away lines:

• "A plan is not a litany of complaints." - Bush


• "I think it makes sense, I think most Americans in their guts know, that we ought to pass a sort of truth standard." - Kerry

INDC: I know that this is a boring, repetitive assessment, but ... very close to an effective tie. But with the strength of his closing, Bush actually won. The momentum is to Bush. Once again, with only a couple of exceptions, Kerry had a decent presentation throughout, while Bush started clippy, picked up speed and finished very strong, bolstered by relaxation and a few great moments.

Instapundit: SURFING THE CHANNELS, the talking-heads seem to be giving this one to Bush, and Candy Crowley notes that Kerry felt he had to stress, again, that he could be trusted to defend America. Mary Beth Cahill tries to respond, but she doesn't sound like she means it -- in fact, she sounds like she's been crying. Laryngitis? Who put her on camera?

Joshua Claybourn: The president's physical presence and delivery was best tonight when compared to the previous two debates. Whether or not it was better than Kerry's, his improvement gives viewers the impression Bush's was better, and their impression is what matters. On a related note, Bush's personality shone through, particularly in the final question about women in his life. Kerry certainly attempted to appear personable, but he was bested by Bush.

PoliPundit: I have a suspicion that the President knocked the ball out of the park tonight.

Dave Kopel: For the voters who are deciding on character rather than issues (many of the undecided and uninformed voters), the line was a stark reminder that Bush is still married to the girl of his youth, through all the ups and downs of his alcoholism and career. Bush did not "marry up"; he married down for the woman he loved. Kerry, in contrast, married up for his first wife, dropped her, and then married up big-time for his arrogant billionairess second wife. Which guy would you trust for steady leadership?

JustOneMinute: I think Bush wins the debate, and I hope the Yankees are still winning - I was flicking back and forth, so I may have missed a terrible gaffe, but what I saw was a likeable, confident Bush. On the other side, it was always raining in Kerryville - was there anything that Bush and this Administration did not do wrong? I was actually expecting Kerry to criticize Bush's choice of necktie (for the radio audience - their ties were identical).

Michelle Malkin: John Kerry stooped to the lowest of the low with the shameless, invasive line that will be played over and over again on the news in the next 24 hours: "And I think if you were to talk to Dick Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian, she would tell you that she's being who she was, she's being who she was born as."

Patriot Paradox: In any case I say Bush won. After the debate I heard the same pundits on CBS (only channel I get) say that Kerry was more poised. Who cares! ... The quote that defined the debate for me: His record in the United States Senate does not match his rhetoric.

Poliblogger: My basic snap judgment: Bush won tonight. Part of the question is how many people watched tonight versus the first night, especially with the baseball games going (and man, the Cards have opened up on the ‘Stros).

Political Brief: President Bush looked like he finally had awakened from his slumber in the first debate and his anger in the second. ... Bush made a simple statement that every decision he made was related to his faith and that he sought sanctuary in his prayer and found peace in his religion. Somehow Kerry segued from religion to slamming Bush by bringing up the scripture. [Faith without works is dead].

Powerline's Hindrocket: [A] sensational performance by the President. He was even stronger than in the second debate, which raises the question of what was going on the first time. The exhausted, halting look that Bush had then is long gone, and Bush's supporters could hardly have hoped for a better performance than he delivered tonight.... For me, the defining moment came near the end, when moderator Bob Schieffer of CBS asked the candidates an open-ended question about religion. Bush's answer was perfect: straightforward, inclusive, heartfelt. When Kerry's turn came, the contrast was astonishing. To call him a deer in the headlights would be an insult to America's deer population. After 15 seconds, it was clear that he would have been better served to pass.

Powerline's Deacom: On the whole I thought that Kerry did somewhat better than Bush on the ordinary domestic policy issues. ...If one analyzes the debate in the context of election politics, however, one can argue that Bush won. He probably came off as more human and likeable. He looked fresher than Kerry. And he certainly came across as more optimistic and forward-thinking. Unless a majority of Americans are pessimistic this year, Bush may have won the debate that matters.

Evangelical Outpost: The winner? The American people who now have a four year reprieve from boring Presidential debates. ... Bush fawns on Laura and produces a touching moment that shows how much he loves her. Kerry can’t even remember to mention his wife by name. Guess which candidate will be sleeping on the couch tonight.

NeophytePundit: My reaction, it's the third debate...one third of the viewers tuned out for the second debate, one third dropped out watching this debate. No major gaffes by either candidate. At first I thought that Kerry looked haggard, and the President looked refreshed.

La Shawn Barber: Bush 3, Kerry 0. Now let’s get this election thing over with it.

Joshua Marshall: I thought John Kerry won this debate. And I say that in the context of the debate itself as well as its role in the campaign now unfolding. It wasn't a trouncing. Bush did okay. But here are several reasons why I think Kerry bested the president. Kerry looked more presidential than the president. I don't know how else to put it.

Liberal Bias

Eschaton: Kerry looked way more presidential and won where it mattered. Bush telling people that they're unemployed because they're stupid and then talking about NCLB as if it's going to help unemployed 45 year olds wasn't good.

TalkLeft: I think Bush sounded like a child and Kerry seemed most presidential. But the questions were so weak. It was not a good debate.

Matthew Yglesias: A clear win for John Kerry. The reason, I think, is that even though both sides won some rounds, Kerry won the important rounds, on health care and jobs. Especially on jobs.

Andrew Sullivan: Of all the debates, this seemed to me to be the hardest to call. On substance, I give Kerry a clear advantage. There were some issues in which he simply out-debated the president, answered more questions and had a better case. But on manner and style, Bush came in extremely strongly in the last half-hour, emerging finally as the funny, humane figure that many of us came to admire in the last election cycle. Over all, Kerry cemented his new image as calmer and, oddly enough, more presidential than Bush. But Bush critically regained his likability, his rapport with people, and his moderate voice.

Daily Kos: Bush Getting Gored: NYT, AP ... We're winning the post-debate spin cycle, but credit given where credit due -- Kerry gave us good material to work with. While Bush foamed at the mouth (literally), Kerry was the Zen Master. And the people loved it.

Kevin Drum: The post-debate polls are solidly in Kerry's favor... [polls quoted] That's by far the biggest win for Kerry of the three debates. By next week I'll bet Kerry is 3-4 points ahead of Bush in nearly every poll. Needless to say, this means that Karl Rove's October Surprise will be unveiled soon. But what will it be? [earlier post:] Ending score: Kerry by a little more than a nose, mainly on substance. He had the advantage of having positions supported by a majority of the country, after all.

Pandagon: Looks like Kerry absolutely dominated this debate. He won every poll decisively (and the ABC poll, with 8% more Republicans than Democrats, still gave it to Kerry by 1%) and was lauded by more pundits than in any previous confrontation. When you add in Bush's huge gaffe on bin-Laden, huge because it'll give the networks a chance to obsessively run this video of the Commander-in-Chief downplaying the importance of our mortal enemy, you've got a clear and decisive win for John Kerry.

Political Wire: The bottom line is that Kerry not only sounded more presidential, but looked presidential. By this measure, he was the clear winner.