After the first Presidential debate, it's clear from a stylistic point of view that Kerry won this debate. President Bush is not the most eloquent of folks and it showed tonight as he was constantly fumbling over words, had long pauses, and at one point, had that deer in the headlights look when moderator Jim Lehrer surprised him with an extra 30 seconds to say something. Kerry was quick to respond to every shot he took from Bush and actually looked presidential.

But lost in the show is the message. Bush had one message to communicate and that was if we stay the course, everything will be all right. And that's all he said while criticizing his opponent for wavering in the political winds, as they like to say. Kerry's task was much more difficult and while he was just as successful, he needed to be better. He didn't show off what he would do differently to get the U.S. out of Iraq. Sure, he criticized the President heavily on how he went to war, but didn't say much on how to get out. And on the parts he did talk about, it's no more different than what the President is doing right now. As a result, neither side gained the knockout punch they wanted. But Kerry's edge in the image he projected certainly will boost Democratic spirits who are sick of seeing constant poll numbers showing Bush 5 points ahead in the presidential horserace.

The funniest comment I've seen just before the debate may have been about the lights. A small traffic light was attached in front of the candidates' microphones to remind the audience that the speaker had 30, 15, and 0 seconds left. Though it was part of the agreement the campaigns signed, the Kerry campaign wanted them removed, something that obviously was not done. And what did Vice President Cheney have to say? "It's just like John Kerry -- he was for the lights before he was against the lights."