The President was his usual, tongue-tied self last night, only able to repeat without substantiation his charges of inconsistency on Kerry’s part.

Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall: September 26, 2004 – October 02, 2004 Archives

The key point I think, the key impression, was of a president who was out of touch. Erratic. Without a plan. In a cocoon. Unwilling to admit mistakes. Unwilling to level with himself or voters about what’s happening in Iraq. Lost.

If you notice, one of the president’s major attacks on Kerry through the debate was his claim that Kerry’s criticism of the president’s own war policy made him unfit to be president.

My favorite Bush defense: Criticizing my decisions (which were wrong) would make you a bad commander in chief. uhhhh,, that’s why you suck as President, Mr. Presidetn, and that’s why YOU don’t belong there….that’s the whole point. Your decisions are NOT automatically infallibale (though you assume that they are….then you use all your energy to “defend my decision no matter what”; you say to change your approach would communicate indecisiveness. What it does, is communicate that you have no clue how to “correct” things. YOu are the most dangerous president we have ever had.